The Weeknd has claimed his Super Bowl halftime performance will not feature any special guests, as he plans on headlining completely solo.
The “Blinding Lights” star appeared on NFL Network on Thursday 4 February to give a few hints about what to expect from the show.
Fans had guessed that some of his collaborators – an impressive list that includes Kendrick Lamar, Nick Minaj, Travis Scott, SZA, Lil Uzi Vert and Daft Punk – might turn up for certain songs.
“I’ve been reading a lot of rumours... I wouldn’t bet on it,” the artist born Abel Tesfaye said, of speculation over guest artists who might appear.
“There wasn’t any room to fit it in the narrative, in the story I was telling in the performance. So yeah. There [are] no special guests,” he said.
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Tesfaye is the first Canadian artist to headline a solo halftime show at the Super Bowl, ahead of other major Canadian stars including Drake and Justin Bieber.
He is apparently planning to try and make his performance as PG as possible out of respect for the families tuning in – and likely due to the network's strict requirements when it comes to lewd or explicit material. Artists who violate the broadcast’s decency standards can risk heavy penalties.
“I definitely want to be respectful to the viewers at home,” he said.
“I will still incorporate some of the storyline – it’s a very cohesive story I’ve been telling throughout this era and this year. The story will continue but definitely will keep it PG for the families. I’ll try my best.”
Tesfaye was also asked about his favourite Super Bowl halftime shows, to which he answered Diana Ross’ performance in 1998: “She was just so glamorous and the show just made me smile.”
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The last Weeknd album, After Hours, was released last year to critical praise.
His hit single “Blinding Lights” went on to become the most-streamed song of the year.
