He glides across the stage, glasses in hand, a dancing choir and fireworks in the background, and a red light cast upon him with the confidence and moves of MJ but with his own unique voice and ad-libs. The Weeknd comes out with high energy addressing the Tampa Bay stadium and the 25,000 fans before singing the chorus to вЂњ StarboyвЂќ. However, the angelвЂ™s descent could also signify AbelвЂ™s descent into his personal hell which plays into the following acts. The symbolism here is emphasized by his turning back on the city as if he turned his back on his vices as well as the falling of the angel from above - a coming down from his high so to speak. вЂњCall Out My NameвЂќ as the song choice here, especially the lyrics of the chorus, could point to the longing for the ex-lover - the reason for this crazy, intoxicating adventure. This personal, and possibly spiritual, epiphany is rare for him and thus he is forced to consider the terrible decisions he made to reach this sorry state. Stepping away from his Tesla Roadster, he gazes into the abyss that he has created. The audience is welcomed into the WeekndвЂ™s world of gambling away his pain on a drug-induced bender. In this scene, it changes from the bright lights and sounds of casinos to cooler-colored lights punctuated by the choir and their heavenly voices. The atmosphere is breathtaking and ever-changing (again, as seen in later acts). The cinematography right at the beginning sets the standard for what is to come in the later performances. He then gets out of the car to sit on a ledge overlooking the whole stadium with an angel being lowered from above as the choir sings the chorus of вЂњCall Out My NameвЂќ. The Weeknd sits in a Tesla roadster with a set of Las Vegas in the background. I will be dissecting this performance in two ways, using The Literal (what actually happened) and The Interpretation (what I think he was trying to convey) as well as into various acts with defining titles. There is something for each and every prospective and hardcore fan that they can find here in this performance by the вЂdevil with an angelвЂ™s voiceвЂ™. Within this 14-minute spectacle are various hits over the years, catering to both old and new XO fans (Weeknd fans). Almost as if a statement against being shut out by the GRAMMYs, he put on a 14-minute spectacle during the pandemic.

Led by the record-holding вЂњBlinding LightsвЂќ, it was a surprise to him and his crew to not be considered for numerous honors such as Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year. On the 24th of November last year, Abel Tesfaye, more commonly known as The Weeknd, was snubbed by the GRAMMY Awards from receiving any nominations for his critically acclaimed and commercially successful album, After Hours.

The weeknd super bowl