Yesterday, it was globally announced that The Weeknd will be headlining the 2021 Super Bowl Halftime Show; Easily one of the most watched spectacles in the world, ample speculation had surrounded who’d be immortalized on the grandest stage of them all.

Now, it’s official. Canadian R&B singer “The Weeknd” tweeted he’s got a big gig next year: the Super Bowl halftime show. He tweeted: “Performing on the iconic stage, see you February 7th, 2021.”

The singer will be rocking the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, in Florida. on Sunday February 7; a decision which was reached at because of the pandemic which prompted the NFL to scale back the Super Bowl, and says will be likely only use 20% of the stadium’s seating capacity; unlike the case in most years where the halftime show is set up by hundreds of people who run onto the field to build the stage. Then hundreds of fans, who are chosen in advance, typically rush out to the stage to cheer.

NFL handpicks The Weeknd For 2021 Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show headlining role 1 MUGIBSON
The Weeknd, Super Bowl 2021 LV Halftime Show (Picture: KLAS)

The three-time Grammy winner says he’s humbled, honored and ecstatic to take that stage; Speaking on his colossal engagement, the ‘Blinding Lights’ performer said:

“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 Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show telecast will be produced by DPS with Roc Nation and Jesse Collins serving as executive producers, and Hamish Hamilton serving as director. Roc Nation is also serving as the strategic entertainment advisors of the live performance. The move also marks the second year of the collaboration between Pepsi, the NFL and Roc Nation, which brought Jennifer Lopez and Shakira to the halftime stage earlier this year, with more than 104 million viewers tuning in.

In a statement, the Roc’s founder JAY-Z said: “The Weeknd has introduced a sound all his own. His soulful uniqueness has defined a new generation of greatness in music and artistry, this is an extraordinary moment in time and the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show is going to be an extraordinary experience with an extraordinary performer.”

“We are thrilled to have The Weeknd join us in Tampa Bay on the Pepsi Halftime Stage,” said Brian Rolapp, NFL Chief Media and Business Officer, “Halftime Show performances have a history of excellence and creativity and we look forward to seeing what he will bring to Super Bowl LV.”

Adam Harter, Senior Vice President, Sports, Media and Entertainment, PepsiCo, said: “We can’t wait to welcome multi-award-winning artist The Weeknd to the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show stage. In collaboration with the NFL and Roc Nation, we continue to reimagine what a Pepsi Halftime Show looks like with some of the biggest musicians in the world. We expect The Weeknd will continue to raise the bar, setting a new precedent both musically and visually for the most-watched performance of the year.”

The Weeknd (30), has enjoyed unprecedented success over the course of his career and this year debuted at #1 with March 2020 Mega-selling album ‘After Hours’, which also holds the current record of being the most-streamed R&B album of all time; also taken off of this very LP is The Weeknd’s 1980s nostalgic track “Blinding Lights” which has been certified platinum five times and also broke the record for being the  longest-running No. 1 on its U.S. radio chart at 46 weeks and counting on the Billboard charts.

The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye will be following on from the epic performance rendered by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira at this year’s show and joins the coveted list of the Super Bowl Halftime (annual American football championship game) headliners – including Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Coldplay, Madonna, Janet Jacks on, Prince, Lady Gaga, and Bruno Mars. Suffice to say, he has a tall task ahead of him.

As for who The Weeknd could Have as a Guest Performer at the event; With all eyes on him, he could bring out Kenny G and Doja Cat for a mashup of their “In Your Eyes” remixes. Having Ariana Grande joining him isn’t completely “Off the Table” either, after their latest ‘Positions’ collaboration could be a possibility too.

The Weeknd

The Weeknd at the 2020 MTV VMAs (Picture: Rap Up)

Super Bowl LV will be held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021 and broadcast on CBS.

For now, check out TIME Magazine most influential people list of 2020 named artist The Weeknd’s ‘Snowchild’ 🙃➡️