The Weeknd’s performance at the 2021 Super Bowl LV halftime show received lots of mixed reactions from fans. Although the show seemed perfect at a glance, the Grammy-winning singer took lots of people by surprise.

Being the only performer this year, The Weeknd sang eight songs including his hit song “Can’t Feel My Face”. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing restrictions placed at the stadium where the Super Bowl was held, the show opened with back-up dancers that looked like robots in the stands.

Continuing with his performance, the Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, entered a gold room fixed with a maze of mirrors and performed shockingly close to the camera at times. This prompted Twitter users and meme-creators around the world to produce memes comparing Tesfaye’s awkward movements to real-life scenarios. The Weeknd then made his way out onto the football field, accompanied by bandaged backup dancers who took over the entire field for the finale. 

The Weeknd ended up spending more of his own money than the National Football League itself; he used $7 million to produce the halftime show we saw and kind of loved. The reactions Tesfaye received were all over the place, ranging from memes about his awkward camera interactions to parody videos being made of his performance. Overall, the Weeknd put on a show that fans won’t be forgetting about for years to come — but is that a good thing?