Last night the Super Bowl LV aired, and R&B artist The Weeknd performed for the halftime show. The performance was met with mixed reviews, but a majority of people enjoyed it. Especially considering the circumstances this year, he did a great job and put on an entertaining show.

The Weeknd played a medley of some of his major hits, all while telling a story. Since his album After Hours came out last March, he’s been following the story line of his album through music videos and live performances. Fans of The Weeknd were able to spot what he was doing during this performance, but non-listeners may have been a bit confused. 

He begins the performance backed up with a choir and portraying an innocent singer chasing his dreams. He then ends up in a hall of mirrors becoming blinded by the lights, a reference to his song Blinding Lights. We then see multiple versions of himself appear with their faces covered in wrap, referring to him getting plastic surgery in order to chase fame in Hollywood. 

After this he appears to be on top of the world, but he quickly becomes out of control and joins the other versions of himself on the field. He overall achieved success, but at the end all the other versions of himself end up “dead” on the field, leading us to conclude that Hollywood has consumed him and ruined his authenticity.

This might seem extremely complex to fit into one performance, but The Weeknd has been working on this narrative for months now. This performance was his grand finale, and he put on a great show.

Something that’s hard to argue is his talent. It’s undeniable that he has great vocals and is a solid entertainer. The performance lasted around 14 minutes, and he performed sections from 8 of his hit songs. The songs ranged from throughout his career with songs from 2011 to 2020. His music is recognized by so many, and most people knew at least one song he sang.

Another thing that’s impressive about the performance were the COVID-19 restrictions. He was able to include so many different people in the show including a choir, an orchestra, and dancers. Everyone was wearing a mask and abiding by the regulations, but they managed to put on a great show.

The Weeknd put so much effort into this performance and included hundreds of people in the show while maintaining safety. His happiness was radiating off of him while he performed, and everyone could see how proud he was to be there.

Although this style of performance and music might not be for everyone, I think he did an amazing job. People will never be 100% happy with these huge performances because everyone has such different taste. Despite this, The Weeknd managed to put on an entertaining family-friendly show, and he proved his vocal talent by staying consistent and smooth throughout his entire performance. I truly believe that this was one of the best Super Bowl performances we’ve seen in recent years.