The Weeknd etched his name in the fraternity of artists who have performed at the Super Bowl halftime show when he entertained millions while singing a medley of his hits during Sunday’s game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs.
The performance began with the Grammy winner sitting in a sports car, surrounded by what looked like a city skyline. A person dressed in white was slowly lowered to the ground while a choir dressed the same way started singing.
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The Weeknd, decked out in a sequined jacket and holding a pair of glasses, began performing “Starboy,” which then led into “The Hills.”
He appeared to walk into a sort of funhouse while singing “Can’t Feel My Face,” while a group of backup dancers in red jackets, black shirts and black ties — and bandages obscuring their faces — bounced around him.
He returned to the stage, singing “I Feel It Coming,” “Save Your Tears” and “Earned It,” which featured multiple violinists playing along with him.
The dancers with the bandages appeared on the field, marching in place, which led to The Weeknd wrapping things up with his smash hit “Blinding Lights.”
The bandages and the image of his own bloodied face have been a theme The Weeknd has employed over the last year. He wore it in his video for "Blinding Lights," during an appearance on "Saturday Night Live" and on the American Music Awards.
"The significance of the entire head bandages is reflecting on the absurd culture of Hollywood celebrity and people manipulating themselves for superficial reasons to please and be validated," he told Variety last week.