The Weeknd Ends Grammys Boycott With Fiery Performance
The Weeknd ended his boycott with a fiery performance at the 67th Grammy Award Show.
On Sunday (Feb. 2), Harvey Mason Jr., the Recording Academy’s CEO, hit the stage for a special announcement calling attention to the Toronto native’s previous boycott of the show.
Mason declared that The Weeknd’s words hurt, but that the Academy took them in stride and worked for the past four years to revamp the committee that decides who takes home a coveted Grammy award. After asserting that the Grammys have taken actions to right their wrongs, with more work to do, Mason then introduced the singer to the stage for his first performance since boycotting the show in 2021.
The Weeknd performed two cuts from his latest LP, Hurry Up Tomorrow, including “Cry For Me” and “Timeless,” complete with the dystopian and unsettling visuals from his previous album, Dawn FM. Dancers wrapped in faceless garments appeared like a wave of ligaments on stage as Playboi Carti grabbed the microphone for his verse on “Timeless.”
As previously reported, The Weeknd vowed to boycott in 2021, saying, “because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys.”
Due to the singer’s LP, After Hours, being shut out from the award show, Abel Tesfaye declared that the ceremony was “corrupt” and operated from hidden agendas. But he was hopeful, telling the New York Times that maybe the Academy’s “admission” of guilt would lead to change.
“Even though I won’t be submitting my music, the Grammys’ recent admission of corruption will hopefully be a positive move for the future of this plagued award and give the artist community the respect it deserves with a transparent voting process,” Tesfaye said at the time.
Watch the performance above.
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