The Weeknd's Superbowl Performance
"The Weeknd’s music has always thrived on a sense of isolation, so the darkness of his performance—and to be clear, this was a darker halftime show than usual—hinged on that loneliness. It was this element of the show that appeared to comment on the current quarantined moment. Words like “TOUCH,” “ALONE,” “LONGING,” “ENOUGH,” and “GONE” illuminated the background throughout the set. And then there was the finale: a flash mob of Weeknd zombie-clones wearing masks underneath their bandages, dancing on their own to “Blinding Lights”—the COVID-era smash about longing for touch. Though the spirit was clearly celebratory, even goofy at times, there was never that kumbaya moment we’ve come to expect from modern halftime shows."
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