Super Bowl halftime show: The Weeknd gives ‘brilliant’ performance with dancers in face bandages
'Blinding Lights' star has earned widespread praise for his performance
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Your support makes all the difference.The Weeknd has earned widespread praise for his performance during the 2021 Super Bowl halftime show.
The artist, real name Abel Tesfaye, was the first Canadian to headline solo at the event. He opened his performance on Sunday with the 2016 tune "Starboy". Shortly afterwards, viewers got a glimpse of The Weeknd with a group of dancers whose faces were wrapped in bandages – an aesthetic the artist has explored recently, which he views as a statement on celebrity.
The concert culminated when The Weeknd and a large group of bandaged dancers took over the field for a performance of "Blinding Lights" with an accompanying choreography. Viewers showered The Weeknd with praise on social media, deeming his show "brilliant" and "amazing".
The Independent gave the performance a 4.5-star review, deeming it "a thoroughly produced, brilliantly escapist 10 minutes" that "helped a deeply divided country – however briefly – dance away the pain of this past year".
Earlier in the evening, country star Eric Church and R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan performed the national anthem, while R&B artist HER was on hand to sing “America the Beautiful”. Their performances were also met with appreciation on social media.
Poet Amanda Gorman, who read during Joe Biden's presidential inauguration last month, read a poem during pre-show festivities, paying tribute to a teacher, a nurse, and a Marine Corps veteran during the coronavirus pandemic. Viewers called her performance as "phenomenal", "uplifting", and "inspirational".
In the afternoon, Miley Cyrus performed in front of selected healthcare workers for a special pre-game show. She was joined onstage by Billy Idol and Joan Jett.
Of course, this year's Super Bowl was also a chance for studios to debut high-profile trailers. The first teaser for M Night Shyamalan's Old was unveiled, as well as that of the anticipated Marvel series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
You can follow the 2021 Super Bowl as it happened thanks to our live blog below.
Here's that Instagram post from Mr Chalamet that got everyone all excited, about his new Cadillac ad:
James Corden teamed up with The Weeknd to give him some Super Bowl halftime show tips in a new sketch.
"This year, CBS is hosting the Pepsi Super Bowl 55 halftime show, and I knew sooner or later the network's biggest star would have to pitch in and help out... So when the Weeknd was really struggling with his big halftime show performance, guess who he called?" said The Late Late Show host.
Read all about the segment here:
Face-bandaged James Corden helps The Weeknd with Super Bowl halftime show ideas
The 'Blinding Lights' singer lets the late-night show host 'assist' with halftime show prep in a new sketch
I don't know about you, but I can't stop watching Amazon's Super Bowl ad starring Michael B Jordan...
Timothée Chalamet stars alongside Winona Ryder in a new Cadillac ad unveiled especially for the Super Bowl, inspired by the Tim Burton classic Edward Scisshorhands. You can view the ad in the story below :
Timothee Chalamet and Winona Ryder star in heartwarming Edward Scissorhands-inspired advert
Call Me By Your Name star plays the son of character played by Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's 1990 film
What time does the Super Bowl start in the US? Who's playing and how did they get there? Find the answers to these questions and more right here:
Amanda Gorman, the amazing poet who read during Joe Biden's inauguration, will recite a new poem ahead of the game tonight. The NFL announced that “the recitation of the poem will air nationally on CBS and be featured in-stadium”. Gorman’s poem will pay tribute to three honorees selected by the NFL: a teacher, a nurse, and a Marine Corps veteran.
Find out more here:
Amanda Gorman to recite poem at Super Bowl
Gorman recited ‘The Hill We Climb’ at Biden’s inauguration
Gorman just shared these words of wisdom ahead of her reading tonight:
Miley Cyrus's TikTok tailgate concert was truly something. The Billy Idol and Joan Jett duets, all those rock covers... You can revisit the show here:
Miley Cyrus performs with Billy Idol during Super Bowl TikTok Tailgate
Opening with a rendition of Toni Basil's 'Hey Mickey', Cyrus peppered her set with other covers like Dolly Parton's 'Jolene', Nine Inch Nails' 'Head Like a Hole', Blondie's 'Heart of Glass', and more
Are you wondering what's going on with The Weeknd's face? The artist recently revealed the meaning behind his publicity stunt in which he wore bandages on his face. Read all about it here:
The Weeknd finally reveals what’s happening with his face
Singer described stunt as a ‘compelling narrative’
Meanwhile, The Weeknd has rescheduled his After Hours tour dates, sharing that he would take the stage again starting January 2022.
The Super Bowl halftime show performer last hit the road in 2018, and has rescheduled his After Hours tour twice since the onset of Covid-19.
Read all about the rescheduled performances in the piece below:
The Weeknd reschedules After Hours tour dates to January 2022
The tour will be in support of his After Hours album, which dropped in March 2020
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