The Weeknd will headline the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021.
The three-time Grammy award winner announced the news this past November.
“We all grow up watching the world’s biggest acts playing the Super Bowl and one can only dream of being in that position. I’m humbled, honored and ecstatic to be the center of that infamous stage this year,” The Weeknd said in an official release.
The performance will be produced in part by Roc Nation, which is also serving as a strategic advisor for the showcase.
The Weeknd’s 2020 album, After Hours, is the No. 1 most streamed R&B album of all time, and his 80s nostalgic track “Blinding Lights” went five-times RIAA-certified platinum, breaking the record for Billboard’s longest-running No. 1 on its U.S. radio chart at 46 weeks and counting. He has also recently made a number of acting appearances, including in the 2019 film Uncut Gems.
Last year’s Super Bowl halftime show, which drew more than 104 million viewers, showcased Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.
Super Bowl halftime performances started as smaller productions, but after Michael Jackson headlined the 1993 show, the league made a more conscious effort to secure big name performers during the longer-than-normal halftime break.
Performances were also crafted around a theme until 2002, but following U2’s tribute to the lives lost in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, themes were dropped from the halftime performances. Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Prince highlight a list of some of the biggest names to perform at halftime of football’s biggest show.
This year, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the league is reportedly planning for a 20% seating capacity at the upcoming Super Bowl, which is set to take place in Tampa, Fla.
The game itself is set to kickoff at 6:30 p.m. ET.
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