Super Bowl 2021 halftime show memes: The Weeknd’s hall of mirrors – CNET [CNET]
Singer The Weeknd faced special challenges performing at the halftime show for Super Bowl LV between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday. Due to coronavirus precautions, he performed solo, and fans couldn’t surround him on the the field, as has happened in past games. So he rolled out some tricks and special effects of his own for a performance that had some fans raving and others confused.
One of the singer’s biggest hits is Blinding Lights, and he did indeed perform among some blazing, blinding lights, on a set that resembled a carnival hall of mirrors.
BLINDING LIGHTS 🙌 @TheWeeknd #PepsiHalftime #SBLV pic.twitter.com/Qv9yyW8wED
— NFL (@NFL) February 8, 2021
“The Weeknd looking like he’s livestreaming a haunted house,” tweeted writer Kristin Chirico.
The Weeknd looking like he’s live-streaming a haunted house pic.twitter.com/KfMUzBQGUD
— Kristin Chirico (@lolacoaster) February 8, 2021
The singer has worn bandages and fake blood before as part of an established character, but for the game, he didn’t go with any of those props. His performance did feature a field full of dancers wrapped face in bandages almost like mummies, and otherwise dressed like The Weeknd in black pants and red jackets.
The Weeknd Super Bowl 2021#SuperBowl #SuperbowlnaESPN #TheWeeknd #SuperBowlSnacks pic.twitter.com/JFJE1hcN64
— Sérgio Lionel (@Sergiio_Che) February 8, 2021
Mummy mania
The bandaged dancers drew mixed reviews. “I would admit the Super Bowl halftime show with The Weeknd was pretty colorful and bright,” wrote one Twitter user. “With dancing mummies and less of a stripper party dance show like last year.”
But another wrote, “Ugh. No! The mummy men were so dumb.”
I would admit the #SuperBowl Halftime show with @theweeknd was pretty colorful and bright.
With Dancing Mummies and Less of a Stripper Party Dance show like last year! 🤣 https://t.co/fs9qhdqu7h pic.twitter.com/fhG7RA3H49— Woody and Daffy Duck (@DaffyWoody) February 8, 2021
Ugh. No! The mummy Men were so dumb! pic.twitter.com/nnmS5WTuwa
— Nasty Woman (@NoTrumpJewel) February 8, 2021
wait so the weeknd spent 7 million of his OWN money to have some mummies run around in circles on a football field…………… pic.twitter.com/VKzxC38tQ8
— austin (@methinkspurr) February 8, 2021
Tiny dancers
Some people compared The Weeknd’s dancers with other familiar faces, including Star Wars characters and Star-Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy.
The Weeknd’s backup singers #PepsiHalftime #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/bdJ6yd9yaR
— TrivWorks (@TrivWorks) February 8, 2021
I auditioned for the #PepsiHalftime but didn’t book. Congrats to C3PO & their ancestors. pic.twitter.com/pZR4fkVDuc
— Anna Roisman (@AnnaRoisman) February 8, 2021
I thought it was a bunch of Star-Lords pic.twitter.com/3pVDd0O23p
— Scrummy Dave (@ScrummyDave) February 8, 2021
The weekend’s dancers look like tethered Jason from us pic.twitter.com/5ppKZ7jdMH
— Julian Bass (@thejulianbass) February 8, 2021
I kinda dig the helmets @theweeknd’s choir was sporting at the start of the #SuperBowl halftime show. Looked like a bunch of Ultrons
— James LaCombe (@JamesAtGalvNews) February 8, 2021
Striking angles
Others commented on the swirling angles and striking sets the musician wound his way through. One bit of the performance showing The Weeknd looking almost lost in his own set sparked plenty of jokes.
“Me trying to follow the hostess to my table at the Cheesecake Factory,” snarked one Twitter user.
And another made a game comparison, writing, “The Weeknd doing an impression of the Chiefs, slightly lost and confused.”
When your parents try to talk to you on FaceTime pic.twitter.com/gXMpjOKe6L
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) February 8, 2021
me trying to follow the hostess to my table at the Cheesecake Factory pic.twitter.com/mhB6LKCIiF
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) February 8, 2021
The Weeknd doing an impression of the #Chiefs, slightly lost and confused. #HalfTimeShow #SBLV #SuperBowl #KCvsTB #TheWeeknd pic.twitter.com/dmCfrhdSs3
— AC Junior 😷 (@CamJunior1972) February 8, 2021
when mom says you can pick out one cereal from the cereal aislehttps://t.co/PpOkQ5P5CB
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) February 8, 2021
this is 7 yr old me looking for my mom at the supermarket every time I got lost
— Ms. Nugget (@msnugget__) February 8, 2021
Me wondering where I can go with no viruses!!!
— Susan (@sueyangel) February 8, 2021
Can you hear me now?
The sound would seem to be a vital part of any million-dollar musical performance, yet many viewers said they had trouble hearing the singer.
NBC anchor Maria Shriver tweeted, “I can’t hear the The Weeknd either and my volume is up.”
Another tweet read, “The Weeknd decided to give the best performance he’s ever given and the Super Bowl sound team were like ‘What if we make it so no one can hear him?'”
I can’t hear the @theweeknd either and my volume is up 🔊 #PepsiHalftime https://t.co/j8lu0984tM
— Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) February 8, 2021
The Weeknd decided to give the best performance he’s ever given and the Super Bowl sound team were like ‘What if we make it so no one can hear him?’
— SPORTbible (@sportbible) February 8, 2021
the background music is way too loud i wanna hear the weeknd better 😩 #HalfTimeShow
— ashh (@ashhcaravaglio) February 8, 2021
Yes. I keep saying fix his mic
— Dee (@sunne240) February 8, 2021
The NFL posted the full performance to its YouTube channel right after it aired, so viewers can rewatch and judge for themselves.