Written by Kristina Calhoun
Since March 2020, the world has faced significant changes in everyday life due to COVID-19. However, the Super Bowl still managed to put on a halftime show that was sure to blow people away and bring them together – while socially distancing, of course.
The Super Bowl halftime show is known for performances by high-end celebrities, including Lady Gaga, J-Lo, Michael Jackson, Prince and many more. The 55th Super Bowl took place on Sunday, Feb. 7, with a performance by Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. The Weeknd. The performer has won three Grammy awards, five American Music Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, two MTV video Music Awards, nine Juno Awards and an Academy Award nomination. It does not come as a surprise that the coordinators of the Super Bowl chose this musician to perform.
The artist was humbled by this experience, since he would be performing for an estimated 22,000 fans, 7,500 of which were healthcare workers that were invited by the NFL free of charge. The artist took to social media to explain his investment of 7 million dollars to show viewers “something that has never been done before.” The Weeknd had big plans for the show this year. He did not want to do something similar to what artists before him had done. He went on to add that the money was well spent because he wanted this show to be “everything he had envisioned.”
The opening of the show started with The Weeknd in a car surrounded by many props with a welcome sign. After much dispute last year from viewers with performers J-Lo and Shakira, The Weeknd said he was going to keep his show PG rated. The Weeknd performed his hit songs “Starboys,” “The Hills,” “Can’t Feel My Face,” “I Feel It Coming,” “Save Your Tears,” “Earned It,” “House of Balloons/ Glass Table Girls” and “Blinding Lights.” The thought and hard work that went into the 2021 Super Bowl halftime show proves that COVID-19 does not have to ruin everything. There are still things that can bring people together and distract them from the ever-changing world around them.
