Many The Weekend fans were looking forward to this year’s Super Bowl halftime performance. After releasing many great hits this year in his new album “After Hours,” there was just no way the performance could fail…right? Well, according to many viewers and even fans, the show was just mediocre. It wasn’t bad, but it could’ve been a lot better. Here’s what could have been improved.

The Weeknd’s biggest mistake, that most people agree upon is the fact that there were no guest performers. If there were guest performers, the show would have been a lot more lively and less sluggish. It’s become standard in recent years for artists to bring in guests during their Super Bowl performances. The Weeknd’s performance of “Blinding Lights” was one of the only memorable highlights in the show, seeing that it was more of a high energy song with lots of choreography and chaos going all around him. Ariana Grande could have helped the show entirely if she was included in the performance, and their  song “Love Me Harder” would’ve been a sensational addition to the show. Kendrick Lamar also could have been a game changer if he and The Weeknd’s song, “Pray For Me” was performed.

The Weeknd’s performance seemed to be a continuation/saga of the story told through his album “After Hours.” While most fans are experts on the story behind “After Hours,” the general public (which made up most of the Super Bowl’s audience) knows nothing about it. This was his first mistake. The general public really just wants to hear his hits, not the low-key and subtle messages he portrayed in most of the songs from “After Hours.” While he did play some classic hit songs, it wasn’t his main focus.

While The Weeknd might have not had the greatest Super Bowl performance of all time, he did a good job with the conditions that were given. While performing, he followed all COVID-10 protocols, and had his mic on for the whole show (meaning all the songs were performed completely live with amazing vocals). He also poured $7 million out of his own pocket into the performance. Overall, this performance was a step up for the artist The Weeknd, but underwhelming for a Super Bowl halftime show.