The message behind The Weeknd’s halftime show performance (2024)

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The message behind The Weeknd’s halftime show performance? ›

"The significance of the entire head bandages is reflecting on the absurd culture of Hollywood celebrity and people manipulating themselves for superficial reasons to please and be validated," The Weeknd told Variety ahead of his big performance.

The simple message at the heart of Rihanna's working mom Super Bowl. Rihanna's decision to become the first pregnant woman to helm the Super Bowl halftime show is a reminder that people giving birth aren't just vessels for new life.

In its inception, the Super Bowl Halftime Show was a modest affair, conceived as a straightforward means to entertain fans during the halftime break of America's most significant football game.

The Weeknd (2021)

He went all the way solo, no guests or duets, in a half-empty stadium. The energy level was mighty low, but at least the flashy set design suited the alienation of “Can't Feel My Face,” especially when he got stampeded by robot-mummy dancers in grotesque facial bandages.

The incident, sometimes referred to as Nipplegate or Janetgate, led to an immediate crackdown and widespread discourse on perceived indecency in broadcasting. Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake immediately after he tore off part of her clothing covering her breast at the end of the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show.

Rihanna Super Bowl Halftime Show Spurs (Weirdly Specific) FCC Indecency Complaints. According to a report, comments referred to the "overtly sexual dancing" and "hand sniffing" by the pregnant singer.

“I just couldn't be a sellout,” the popstar said at the time, “I couldn't be an enabler.” Now, the singer turned beauty billionaire is set to take the stage as the Apple Music halftime act for Super Bowl LVII in front of an estimated 190 million viewers on Sunday.

Rihanna. Rihanna performs during Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show at State Farm Stadium on Feb. 12, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. With 121 million viewers, Rihanna's 2023 performance during Super Bowl LVII is the most-watched halftime show in history.

Despite the lack of a paycheck, the NFL does pay for the costs associated with bringing the show to life, which in 2020 cost $13 million, per Reuters. They also cover the artists' travel expenses. "We do not pay the artists," an NFL spokesperson told Forbes in 2016. "We cover expenses and production costs."

How much does the Super Bowl halftime cost? An elaborate production like the halftime show costs the NFL up to $10m, according to Forbes and in 2021, The Weeknd reportedly spent $7m of his own money on the show.

Who performed the worst halftime show? ›

When asked about preparations for the show, the Weeknd stated, "We've been really focusing on dialing in on the fans at home and making performances a cinematic experience, and we want to do that with the Super Bowl." He contributed $7 million to the halftime performance.

Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction It has become the most infamous halftime show of all time. We all know the story: 2004. Houston, Texas. Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson. An exposed breast. 144 million television viewers. A whole lot of controversy.

Nipplegate (2004)

In 2004, during the televised half-time show, Timberlake was performing Rock Your Body when at the end of the track, as he sang, "I bet I'll have you naked by the end of this song", he went to remove Jackson's corset and accidentally exposed her right breast to the world.

For many viewers, the halftime show is the main event, drawing in even those who may not be avid football fans. It's a chance to see their favorite artists take the stage on one of the biggest platforms in the world, delivering electrifying performances that will become the talk of the town for weeks to come.

Adele talked about turning down the halftime show during a 2016 concert in Los Angeles, per Billboard. After rumors swirled that Adele would perform at the 2017 Super Bowl, she told a crowd at a 2016 concert in Los Angeles that she rejected the offer.

Early on, she rocked a short red coat, but towards the end of her set, Rihanna put on an oversized red puffy coat that looked a lot like one the late fashion icon André Leon Talley once wore. Talley was the former creative director of Vogue and penned several books.

Rihanna surprised fans when she was announced as the headliner for the 2023 halftime show, even though it marked her long-awaited return to live music. In a new interview with British Vogue, Rihanna said she changed her mind because she values Black representation.

Rihanna Did Not Get Paid for Jaw-Dropping Super Bowl Halftime Show — Here's Why. Rachel DeSantis is a staff writer on the music team at PEOPLE.