{"id":173139,"date":"2021-02-08T05:23:48","date_gmt":"2021-02-08T02:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-weeknd-was-ready-for-close-up\/"},"modified":"2021-02-08T05:23:48","modified_gmt":"2021-02-08T02:23:48","slug":"the-weeknd-was-ready-for-close-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-weeknd-was-ready-for-close-up\/","title":{"rendered":"#The Weeknd was ready for close-up"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#The Weeknd was ready for close-up<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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It was all about the Latina divas \u2014 Jennifer Lopez and Shakira \u2014 last year, back when there was no such thing as social<\/a> distancing happ<\/a>ening between J.Lo and J Balvin.<\/p>\n

But the Super Bowl 2021 halftime show was all about pop\u2019s great man of mystery: The Weeknd.<\/p>\n

After a year in which he bloodied and then completely bandaged his face, and then appeared to have plastic surgery \u2014 all for the sake of his art \u2014 The Weeknd was ready for his close-up on the biggest stage in the biz.<\/p>\n

And with his old mug back, all that you could feel was his music \u2014 with a string of hits such as \u201cCan\u2019t Feel My Face,\u201d \u201cI Feel It Coming\u201d and \u201cBlinding Lights\u201d that have anointed him as the heir to Prince and Michael Jackson in his era.<\/p>\n

But it was also clear from his halftime show \u2014 for which The Weeknd poured in $7 million of his own money \u2014 that the artist born Abel Tesfaye, still only 30, is not yet in the same league as a live performer as either the \u201cThriller\u201d or \u201cPurple Rain\u201d legends, both of whom had more memorable moments on the Super Bowl stage.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Weeknd strikes a dramatic pose during his Super Bowl 2021 halftime performance in Tampa.<\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The show began with a Vegas-y neon set that continued the concept of The Weeknd\u2019s hit album, \u201cAfter Hours.\u201d Indeed, he wore a glittery version of the same red blazer that he\u2019s been sporting as he has remained in character during the LP\u2019s promotion.<\/p>\n

Opening with his 2016 No. 1 hit \u201cStarboy\u201d in the stands<\/a>, he was backed by a gospel-style choir, all appropriately socially distanced from each other.<\/p>\n

But his next number, \u201cThe Hills,\u201d felt too moody for the moment. And \u201cCan\u2019t Feel My Face,\u201d for all of its cool visuals, felt more like a video. <\/p>\n

Indeed, the whole thing was shot through a filter that never made it seem quite live.<\/p>\n

But The Weekend finished strong with his last two numbers: \u201cEarned It\u201d \u2014 his Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated hit from the \u201cFifty Shades of Grey\u201d soundtrack \u2014 put the focus on him and his sensual allure with an orchestra backing him up and ratcheting up the drama.<\/p>\n

And the finale, \u201cBlinding Lights,\u201d did not disappoint. First off, it really helped to have The Weeknd finally come from the stands to the field. At that point, you were reminded that, \u201cOh yeah, this is the Super Bowl,\u201d because the rest of it could have been anywhere else. And with an army of dancers in full-face bandages, his performance art was elevated to something spectacular.<\/p>\n

But he could have used a special guest or two, whether it was his \u201cLove Me Harder\u201d partner Ariana Grande or his \u201cBlinding Lights\u201d remix collaborator Rosal\u00eda. As we learned from J.Lo and Shakira last year, it takes a lot to own the Super Bowl halftime show all on your own.<\/p>\n

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