Fireworks, jockstraps can’t save The Weeknd’s Super Bowl halftime show

TAMPA, Fla. – The Weeknd’s Super Bowl halftime show opened with a barrage of hymns and chorus singers that made it feel like the pop star was coming to rescue us all. But The Weeknd was no savior on Sunday night.

All the projection screens, fireworks and light displays in the world (and there were A LOT) couldn’t save us from a so-so performance that underwhelmed. The Weeknd is an excellent performer and as much a visionary as any modern artist when it comes to showcasing pop music on a sound and visual scale.

But his art didn’t match the scale he was performing on Sunday. The sound (not his fault) was abysmal at best. The opening performance of “Starboy” set the stage for a wearying set. It didn’t help that The Weeknd carried the early parts of the performance on his shoulders alone, backed by projection screens, backing singers and musicians that faded into the background.

Things got better when he moved backstage and performed “Can’t Feel My Face” while mimicking the light and mirror effects of his recent videos. It’s where The Weeknd works best, at the center of chaos that captures your imagination.

The Weeknd quickly returned to the stage where he held his own from a singing standpoint during a performance of “The Hills.” Still, it felt a bit sedated compared to recent Super Bowl performances from the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, or Lady Gaga. Dancing means a lot when it comes to a concert and that’s not The Weeknd’s trademark.

Still, he picked things up during the final portion, calling upon dozens of bandaged performers (that’s his latest gimmick after all) wearing (um) jockstraps on their faces (Note: They were actually bandages as part of The Weeknd’s “After Hours” gimmick but still...), to join him on the field during “Blinding Lights,” the song the NFL and CBS had embedded in our heads for months. Fireworks followed, but you were left still thinking about those jockstraps bandages (Because how could you not?).

Sadly, the Weeknd’s performance wasn’t as memorable as the pomp and circumstance might suggest. His resume looks the part of a star, but The Weeknd’s Super Bowl performance didn’t live up to the hype.