In the weeks leading up to Weeknd’s performance at the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show this Sunday, many people commented on the bandages he wore in recent photos and during his performance at the American Music Awards. Variety followed Weeknd this week during a Super Bowl rehearsal break and asked a few questions about them (their answers appear below), but first, a little background story:
In November 2020, Weeknd released its “After Hours” album cycle with a couple of songs – the singles and videos “Blinding Lights” (which was VarietyHitmakers Record of the Year) and “Heartless” – which kicked off the character in the red jacket and upturned nose and his bad night Las Vegas story that continued in many of his videos, TV and award appearances.
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The Weeknd spoke to Variety about the videos in our April cover story, but it didn’t reveal much: “This character is having a really bad night, and you can come up with your own interpretation of what it is.” That bad night starts with a few more drinks and a fight, but then the story becomes more surreal, apparently involving possession by an evil spirit, beheading and more.
And just when the bandaged nose started to look normal, Weeknd appeared with his face totally wrapped in bandages during his literally explosive appearance at the American Music Awards in November, as a person who had just had plastic surgery – and the “Save The Video Your Tears ”made it look like that was exactly what happened. However, his new Super Bowl ad, released on Tuesday, shows him looking completely normal.
In the past few weeks, the internet has been full of chatter, memes and confusion, with many fans wondering what the bandages mean and whether he will continue the theme in the Super Bowl. What is happening? The Weeknd answers some – but not all – of our questions below.
His character “After Hours” is increasingly bandaged, with an entire bandage on his head in the AMAs, and is now evidently after plastic surgery. People have been speculating on this for weeks – what does it symbolize or mean?
The meaning of all the bandages on the head is reflected in the absurd culture of Hollywood celebrities and in people who manipulate themselves for superficial reasons to please and be validated.
Can you give any idea how the bandages fit into the original “bad night in Las Vegas” story?
It’s all a progression and we see the character’s storyline reach high levels of danger and absurdity as his story continues.
What can we take away from the fact that you seem to be intentionally making your face less and less attractive while promoting your biggest album?
I suppose you can understand that being attractive is not important to me, but a compelling narrative is.
Sometimes you appear in photos or on TV and videos in the character, sometimes you don’t. Why?
Why not play with the character and the artist and let those lines blur and move?
Are you in character now?
I don’t know, I would have to ask him.
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Originally published