The Weeknd is going all-in for this year’s Super Bowl halftime show.
The singer, 30, will put $ 7 million of his own money into this year’s performance, according to Billboard.
This comes after Pepsi, which sponsors the halftime show, announced it was scaling back their Super Bowl 2021 commercials along with other advertisers. The soft drink company said it would instead focus on its halftime show featuring the Grammy-winning, TikTok dance-inspired “Blinding Lights” performer.
Last year’s halftime show, featuring the headline of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, attracted approximately 102 million viewers.
But with more fans forced to stay at home this year – and likely glued to their TV – The Weeknd said he hoped to make his show a more “cinematic experience,” he told Billboard.
He ran the show with his own money to “make this rest show what he wanted,” said his manager, Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, 41.
The singer kept Mom on what exactly the money will be spent on, or the set list he expects to play. However, a teaser for the show features a montage of fans enjoying “Blinding Lights,” including a supermarket employee and a pool cleaner dancing to his tune like no one is watching.
Billboard reported on Thursday that the show would last twice as long. However, the singer’s representatives told The Post that this was not true and that he will perform for the usual duration of about 13 minutes. Billboard issued the following statement: “An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that The Weeknd’s halftime performance in the Super Bowl would last 24 minutes. As in previous years, it takes about 12-13 minutes. “
The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, is hosting an extended run-up to his performance at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida, where he appears in public with an increasingly worn-out face. The schtick took part in his latest music video for “Save Your Tears,” in which he had troubling CGI plastic surgery. Although he later appeared to have his old face back in a trailer for the Super Bowl, fans are starting to wonder what new look he could reveal at this year’s show.
The hype surrounding his now longer rest performance follows a disappointing lack of Grammy 2021 nominations, despite the commercial success of his latest album, “After Hours,” which spawned numerous viral dance videos on TikTok with the hit single “Blinding Lights.”
Typically, the halftime show, estimated at about $ 13 million, requires months of planning to get started. This year’s show comes with the added complication of the coronavirus pandemic, which has reduced the stadium’s audience size by about a third.