Odds on Who Will Appear with The Weeknd During 2021 Super Bowl Halftime Show – Ariana Grande, Drake, and More
- Super Bowl 55 will take place on February 7, 2021, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida
- The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will defend the championship against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with musician The Weeknd delivering the Halftime show
- Will COVID-19 impact The Weeknd’s performance and break the tradition of a special guest during the Halftime show? See below for odds and best bets
With Super Bowl LV right around the corner on February 7, it’s not just athletes who are readying for the big day. Canadian pop superstar The Weeknd is warming up for the big stage as he sets to step up for the Halftime Show.
While fans can definitely expect an onslaught of R&B-pop bangers without question, one mystery is still uncertain. Will The Weeknd be bringing out any special guests during his performance? If so, who?
Aside from Lady Gaga’s show-stopping solo Halftime Show in 2017, most modern Super Bowl Halftime Shows feature a special guest. Will The Weeknd bring out one of his frequent collaborators, or will COVID-19’s restrictions force him to go solo?
Odds to Appear With The Weeknd During Super Bowl Halftime Show
| Singer | Yes Odds | No Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Doja Cat | +450 | -850 |
| Drake | +500 | -900 |
| Kenny G | +525 | -950 |
| Ariana Grande | +625 | -1300 |
| Bella Hadid | +750 | -1550 |
| Michael Jackson Hologram | +1500 | -6600 |
Odds as of January 25
In recent years, most Super Bowl Halftime Show artists have featured at least one special guest. Last year, Jennifer Lopez and Shakira brought out Bad Bunny and J Balvin. The year before, Maroon 5 featured Travis Scott and Big Boi.
Even Justin Timberlake featured the late Prince in 2018 with a pre-recorded video feature. But these performances all happened in a world before COVID-19 ravaged North America.
With the world of sports heavily affected by health and safety regulations, this year’s live Super Bowl will house only 22,000 live fans in Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium– only a third of the venue’s capacity. With capacity and travel regulations in place, will this curb a guest spot during The Weeknd’s show?
In short: no. We’ve seen celebrities opt to show up across the globe for appearances and performances. Though they’ve been criticized on occasion, COVID-19 hasn’t stopped the world of television entertainment. I mean, live concerts have been stopped for almost a full year. Celebs need to pay their rent too, you know?
Working With The Weeknd
Out of the prospective guests, it’s helpful to look at who The Weeknd has actually worked with before. That is, who out of the odds has actually recorded material with him that would be suitable for performing on national television?
One of The Weeknd’s most collaborated with artists is actually Drake. This pair of Canadians have been jumping on each other’s tracks since The Weeknd’s career started taking off back in 2012. With nearly a decade of guest spots under their collective belt, Drake would make a fitting Super Bowl partner. He’s also the most rumored and discussed guest that both fans and journalists seem to have their eye on.
Ariana Grande featured The Weeknd on her 2014 single “Love Me Harder” before pairing together again on last year’s “Off The Table”. Doja Cat jumped on a remix of The Weeknd’s recent single “In Your Eyes” before Kenny G did the same months later.
performing on the iconic stage. see you 02/07/21 @pepsi #pepsihalftime #SBLV pic.twitter.com/oYlQyvKRwh
— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) November 12, 2020
The Late and the Lover
And while The Weeknd never squeezed in an opportunity to record with Michael Jackson, his voice has definitely been compared to the late pop star’s. Even though the Super Bowl didn’t mind pulling the late Prince into Justin Timberlake’s set, this isn’t the opportunity for Michael Jackson to come back.
It also isn’t the year for non-musicians to show up on the Super Bowl stage. So for those of you waiting for The Weeknd’s long term girlfriend Bella Hadid to show up, you’re probably out of luck, too.
Blinding Lights, Solo
The Weeknd’s biggest tracks– “Blinding Lights”, “Can’t Feel My Face”, “The Hills”– are all solo tracks. He’s also in the middle of promoting After Hours, a narrative concept album that features no guests.
After Hours is based around a stark cinematic aesthetic in which his face first appeared bandaged and bruised and now, in the most recent music video for “Save Your Tears” shows a manipulated extreme post-plastic surgery look.
If The Weeknd were to include a guest during the Halftime Show, it would disrupt the tone and vibe of the performance as a chapter of this musical journey. He’s a very serious artist, in case you didn’t know.
Between the narrative arc of After Hours, the fact that The Weeknd earned this performance spot on his own without the help of any guest, and that little Covid-19 excuse thrown in for good measure, it’s probable that the only artist stepping onto the Halftime stage this year will be The Weeknd himself.
Get ready for an extended megamix from your favorite Canadian pop superstar, Super Bowl fans.
Pick: All No
As an active entertainment aficionado, the former Editor-in-Chief for the Capilano Courier, JJ also co-founded Lords of Dogwood, a Vancouver-based entertainment site in 2013. His writing has been found in ION Magazine, the North Shore News, and The Strand.
