![]() Though he eventually removed his robot mask, we still didn’t get a sense of who Abel Tesfaye really is. ![]() Over a two-hour set that had everything including the kitchen sink, one thing missing was the emotional connection that lifts a gig above the flames and smoke and into the realm of collective magic. But he’s not finished yet, and as dusk sets in and the light show becomes more intense, Tesfaye continues with Tears in the Rain and Creepin’ before closing the show with a double whammy of In Your Eyes and Moth to a Flame. Halfway through the set, Tesfaye takes off the mask, to loud cheers, but the priestesses keep their veils firmly in place as the show draws inexorably towards its finale, propelled by Save Your Tears and that streaming juggernaut, Blinding Lights. Whatever, it all looks suitably awe-inspiring, and when the flames, lasers and smoke kick in, it gives plenty of bang for the young bucks and buckettes. The tour is titled the After Hours til Dawn tour in reference to his two most recent albums, After Hours and Dawn FM, and the stage concept is meant to be a theatrical representation of The Weeknd’s musical journey through these two hugely successful releases. Finally, there’s a giant inflatable moon, completing the mixed-up stage concept. In the middle of the catwalk is a giant revolving female robot statue which lights up throughout the show and may or may not be a figure of worship for the Dune dancers. With so many burnt-out buildings crowding the stage, you wonder where the performer will fit, but the musicians are strategically positioned among the metallic ruins, and Tesfaye himself spends much of the gig creeping up and down a long catwalk cutting through the middle of the venue, stalked by a troop of white-clad dancers who look like desert priestesses from the novel Dune. Performing in a metallic mask in tribute to the late DJ MF Doom, on an elaborate backdrop of a ruined, apocalyptic cityscape (complete with CN Tower, the iconic building from Tesfaye’s hometown of Toronto), The Weeknd sets out to display the talent and showmanship – and impressive string of hits – that has fuelled his unstoppable rise over the past decade. ![]() So you’d expect Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, to put on a bit of a show, and he certainly doesn’t disappoint on the pyrotechnic front. As of March, he had the most monthly listeners on Spotify, and he has the most-streamed song in Spotify’s history (you know the one – it sounds a bit like A-Ha’s Take on Me). He’s officially the world’s biggest pop star right now, with Guinness World Records rating his popularity ahead of Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran and even the mighty Taylor Swift. ![]()
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