Why The Weeknd Paid $7 Million to Perform at the 2021 Super Bowl Halftime Show
The Super Bowl is one of America’s most beloved sporting events. Every year, fans tune in to not only watch two major football teams go head to head but also to enjoy a no-holds-barred Halftime Show, which always features one of the world’s biggest musical artists.
This year, record-breaking performer The Weeknd is the musical act booked for the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and while fans are excited, a lot of questions are swirling around the big event. According to recent reports, The Weeknd is pulling out all the stops to make sure that the show will be one to remember, even shelling out a significant amount of his own money.
Who is The Weeknd?
The Weeknd first rose to fame in 2015, with the release of the album Beauty Behind the Madness. Although the artist, who was born in Canada, had been in the music business since around 2010, his song “Can’t Feel My Face” shot him to worldwide renown.
In the years following his big debut, The Weeknd collaborated with some of the biggest artists in the business and received major critical acclaim. The Weeknd has won multiple awards, including three Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards.
Fans love The Weeknd for his socially conscious music, his innovative lyrics, and his utter commitment to creating shows that stand out. To that end, thousands are excited for his upcoming Super Bowl Halftime Show performance, where the artist will undoubtedly bring his A-game and put on a show that fans will remember for years to come.
Artists are not paid for appearing in the Super Bowl Halftime Show
Although The Weeknd is a major recording artist, who sells out stadiums on a regular basis, he is not receiving any payment for his performance at Super Bowl. This is due to the fact that traditionally, no artist receives a salary for performing at the Halftime Show.
In fact, it is considered to be a tradeoff deal, with the featured artist receiving a massive amount of publicity in the weeks leading up to the event.
According to a report by CNBC, performers still usually enjoy financial benefits, with their music sales often skyrocketing during and after their Halftime Show performances. This will likely be the case with The Weeknd’s performance as well — although, according to People, the bestselling artist has actually spent money in the pursuit of making his show the best that it can be.
Why did The Weeknd pay to perform at Super Bowl?
A recent report from People details how The Weeknd has totally committed to his Super Bowl Halftime Show performance.
“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,” the artist admitted. “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.”
In the same report, The Weeknd’s manager stated that he is so dedicated to creating a once-in-a-lifetime show that The Weeknd actually invested $7 million of his own money into the show’s production.
