The Weeknd Reaches Instant Meme Status

After an absolutely amazing Super Bowl Halftime Show performance, The Weeknd is going to see some meme superiority for a long while. This is all thanks to his unique show that was full of quirks and twists. While he continued in his medley of his incredible discography, the time came for “Can’t Feel My Face” off his 2015 album Beauty Behind the Madness, arguably one of his most popular songs. As Abel sank $7 million of his own money into the show, it was time to mix things up after showing his face to the crowd for the first few songs.

The Weeknd went into the inside of his display, with a worried, confused look around his surroundings. This short shot was prime territory for meme impact, as any combination of a frenetic search could be substituted into this short six-second shot from the live feed. It was immediately utilized in my Twitter feed, with some greats coming out of the woodwork in a matter of minutes after the occurrence of the halftime show. There really is no delay when it comes to primetime meme usage, and The Weeknd is seeing a success that I have never seen before in almost a decade of meme tracking.

I’m supremely glad that Abel Tesfaye, who has deservedly grown to international stardom after a decade of impressive, memorable songs, gets to enjoy yet another boost in his career. Meme virality really means a lot because it can be interpreted and enjoyed by the masses without any prior knowledge of the artist. The Weeknd put on a memorable show in more ways than one, and I couldn’t be happier that Mr. Tesfaye is as relevant as ever in 2021. This is only a decade separated from his Trilogy which he got to explore in this halftime show. Here’s hoping this doesn’t wear out its welcome in a few days!