Are you ready for some football!?!?!
I think we all deserve an epic matchup to kick off 2021 and for Super Bowl 55, the Kansas City Chiefs are set to play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday, February 7.
But let’s get to what we’re allz really tuning in for — the Super Bowl halftime show featuring The Weeknd! With the “Blinding Lights” singer headlining on the world’s biggest stage, it’s set to be a halftime show like we’ve never seen before as the show’s executive producer Jesse Collins is promising some surprises. "We're gonna use the stadium to present the show in a way that it's never been presented before," Collins told Entertainment Tonight. "Instead of focusing on what we can't do [due to the pandemic], it's like, look at what the opportunities are because of the cards we've been dealt."
Super Bowl halftime show secrets:
The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, is known for being a bit mysterious, so we’re sure he won't be revealing any of his Super Bowl halftime show secrets.
A warning for parents of little ones who might stay up late for the halftime show: Lately The Weeknd has been rocking this "tragic rock star" look with a bloody and swollen face covered in bandages that makes him look like he's recovering from plastic surgery or a car accident. It's just stage makeup and bandages — but it is nonetheless jarring — and it's a look he's been sporting in his recent music videos and major performances at the American Music Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. In his most recent video for the song "Save Your Tears," The Weeknd removes the bandages to reveal some pretty messed up looking plastic surgery — again, just prosthetics. So we just don't know what to expect from The Weeknd for his Super Bowl halftime show look.
As far as his music is concerned, we can go out on a limb and say he’ll be singing his biggest hits like, “I Can’t Feel My Face,” “Starboy,” and “I Feel It Coming (featuring Daft Punk)”? Maybe those guys will show up as guests for that song.
Grab your Super Bowl snacks because halftime show producer Collins also made sure to let folks know that The Weeknd won’t be delivering a pre-recorded set. "He's got monster hits, and he really worked hard to make sure that they are presented in a way, in a Super Bowl halftime format, in a live way that's never been done before," Collins told Entertainment Tonight. "The key word is 'live,' like, we didn't go pre-tape this … It's all happening in that stadium, in that moment."
The Weeknd, a native of Canada, has released four studio albums, and has won three Grammy Awards, five American Music Awards, and nine Billboard Music Awards.
Since there will be COVID-19 restrictions in place, this year’s Super Bowl also makes history as the least attended Super Bowl ever. The NFL will host about 22,000 fans, according to a series of plans announced last week, ESPN reports. That total includes free tickets for 7,500 vaccinated health care workers, along with 14,500 Super Bowl tickets for those in paid attendance. All fans will be subject to the NFL’s regular-season stadium protocols, which include mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing through seating pods.
"We started creating this thing back in September,” Collins says of the Weeknd’s halftime performance. “And the message of it really worked out. The world worked out for the message that The Weeknd wants to communicate in this performance. It's really going to be just fun, you know? Just a little over 13 minutes to just enjoy yourself."
Super Bowl halftime history.
In 2020, we watched Jennifer Lopez and Shakira heat up the stage as they headlined the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show in Miami.
Here’s A Super Bowl Halftime Show List From the Last Decade
2021: The Weeknd
2020: Jennifer Lopez and Shakira
2019: Maroon 5, Travis Scott, Big Boi
2018: Justin Timberlake, The Tennessee Kids, University of Minnesota Marching Band
2017: Lady Gaga
2016: Coldplay, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars
2015: Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott
2014: Bruno Mars, Red Hot Chili Peppers
2013: Beyoncé
2012: Madonna
2011: The Black Eyed Peas, Usher, Slash
2010: The Who
We can’t wait to see Super Bowl 55 — and The Weeknd’s halftime show — which will be televised by CBS and streamed on the CBS All Access app.
