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DIFFERENCE.Read more The Weeknd has earned widespread praise for his performance during the 2021 Super Bowl halftime show. The artist, real name Abel Tesfaye, was the first Canadian to
headline solo at the event. He opened his performance on Sunday with the 2016 tune "Starboy". Shortly afterwards, viewers got a glimpse of The Weeknd with a group of dancers whose
faces were wrapped in bandages – an aesthetic the artist has explored recently, which he views as a statement on celebrity. The concert culminated when The Weeknd and a large group of
bandaged dancers took over the field for a performance of "Blinding Lights" with an accompanying choreography. Viewers showered The Weeknd with praise on social media, deeming his
show "brilliant" and "amazing". _The Independent_ gave the performance a 4.5-star review, deeming it "a thoroughly produced, brilliantly escapist 10 minutes"
that "helped a deeply divided country – however briefly – dance away the pain of this past year". Earlier in the evening, country star Eric Church and R&B singer Jazmine
Sullivan performed the national anthem, while R&B artist HER was on hand to sing “America the Beautiful”. Their performances were also met with appreciation on social media. Poet Amanda
Gorman, who read during Joe Biden's presidential inauguration last month, read a poem during pre-show festivities, paying tribute to a teacher, a nurse, and a Marine Corps veteran
during the coronavirus pandemic. Viewers called her performance as "phenomenal", "uplifting", and "inspirational". In the afternoon, Miley Cyrus performed in
front of selected healthcare workers for a special pre-game show. She was joined onstage by Billy Idol and Joan Jett. Of course, this year's Super Bowl was also a chance for studios to
debut high-profile trailers. The first teaser for M Night Shyamalan's _Old_ was unveiled, as well as that of the anticipated Marvel series _The Falcon and the Winter Soldier_. YOU CAN
FOLLOW THE 2021 SUPER BOWL AS IT HAPPENED THANKS TO OUR LIVE BLOG BELOW. KEY POINTS Hello and welcome to _The Independent'_s liveblog for the Super Bowl halftime show! We'll be
providing you with all the latest news, comment and video from tonight's show, including analysis of The Weeknd's headline performance plus updates on all the celebrities starring
in the various adverts being rolled out during the evening. The adverts that air during the Super Bowl are a pretty big deal, and despite the ongoing pandemic, this year looks to be no
exception. Earlier this afternoon, _Call Me By Your Name _star Timothee Chalamet announced that he would be starring as "Edgar Scissorhands" in a campaign spot for Cadillac,
presumably inspired by Tim Burton's classic film,_ Edward Scissorhands_. Roisin O'Connor7 February 2021 18:38 The Weeknd has been looking pretty roughed up lately. Wondering why?
Here's the explanation in his own words Roisin O'Connor7 February 2021 19:01 You may have noticed that The Weeknd's recent _After Hours _campaign has a certain cinematic
quality to it. Here's a piece I wrote earlier about his Hollywood fixation. Roisin O'Connor7 February 2021 19:19 'Before “I Can’t Feel My Face”, The Weeknd had established
himself as a cult R&B figure thanks to his 2011 mixtapes, including _House of Balloons_ and _Echoes of Silence._ There, he revelled in a hedonistic shadowland of his own making; singing
in that piercing falsetto about his lack of feeling, and his inability to love or be loved. On _After Hours,_ he still delves into a sadboy persona but there’s a tinge of remorse that runs
through, in comparison to the cold and often cruel tone of earlier cuts.' Read our full review of The Weeknd's album After Hours here: Roisin O'Connor7 February 2021 19:41 Hi
everyone! Clémence here, assisting Roisin with this here live blog. I just tuned into the NFL’s TikTok Tailgate, a pre-game broadcast that will culminate with a Miley Cyrus concert. Clemence
Michallon7 February 2021 19:44 If, like me, you're not exactly a TikTok wunderkind, here's how to watch the Tailgate. You have to be located in the US or Canada in order to do so.
If you're not, fear not – we'll watch and give you all relevant updates live as they happen. _If_ you are in the US or Canada, open the TikTok app on your phone (not on the
desktop website), pull up the NFL's account, and hit the "live" button. And voila! Clemence Michallon7 February 2021 19:48 Miley Cyrus shared this rather adorable throwback
photo ahead of her concert for the TikTok tailgate: Clemence Michallon7 February 2021 19:50 Judging by these Twitter photos, Miley Cyrus is READY to perform, and so is Billy Idol. The
concert should start in around half an hour. Cyrus will be singing in front of 7,500 healthcare workers who have received the coronavirus vaccine and were selected by the NFL for the special
event in Tampa, Florida. Clemence Michallon7 February 2021 20:00 If you need a refresher on some of the all-time greats who have graced the Super Bowl stage in the past, here's our
ranking of the top 10 Roisin O'Connor7 February 2021 20:01 Miley Cyrus said ahead of today's concert: “I can’t wait to put on a show for the NFL’s honoured guests before the game.
Healthcare workers from Tampa and around the country!” You can read more about her comments announcing the show here: Clemence Michallon7 February 2021 20:02