The Weeknd put $7 million into the Super Bowl halftime show

In this Oct. 24, 2015, file photo, The Weeknd performs at the 2015 We Can Survive Concert in Los Angeles. The singer is performing for the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday. | Rich Fury, Invision via Associated Press

“We wanted to do something that we’ve never done before”

The Weeknd is apparently going solo for the Super Bowl halftime show.

In a recent interview with NFL Network, the singer said he wouldn’t be bringing in any guest artists.

“I’ve been reading a lot of rumors. I wouldn’t bet on it,” he told NFL Network on Thursday. “There wasn’t any room to fit it in the narrative, in the story I was telling in the performance. So yeah, there’s no special guests.”

This is a departure from the halftime shows in recent years that have featured a number of guest artists, according to CNN.

The Weeknd put $7 million of his own money into the halftime show, hoping to make the 13-minute performance a “cinematic experience,” Billboard reported. The 30-year-old singer also said he will be performing in both the stands and on the field during the show, according to People magazine.

“Due to the COVID, and for the safety of the players and the workers, we built a stage within the stadium,” he said. “And we’re also using the field as well. But we wanted to do something that we’ve never done before.”

Many fans have also been wondering if The Weeknd will be wearing bandages that cover most of his face during the halftime show like he did back in November at the American Music Awards. The bandages are, in part, connected to the storyline of his album “After Hours,” which centers on a man under the influence of drugs and alcohol, according to the Deseret News.

“I will still incorporate some of the storyline,” he said, according to People. “It’s a very cohesive story I’ve been telling throughout this era, and throughout this year, so the story will continue, but definitely, we’ll keep it PG for the families.”

The Weeknd’s halftime show follows Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s performance last year, which drew in 102 million views. The Super Bowl airs Sunday on CBS starting at 4:30 pm MT.

A day after the Super Bowl, tickets for The Weeknd’s newly scheduled concert dates go on sale at TheWeeknd.com/Tour, according to a news release sent to the Deseret News.

His previously scheduled show at Salt Lake City’s Vivint Arena will now take place on March 1, 2022. All previously purchased tickets will remain valid.

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/3pTWibY