The Weeknd announced Thursday he will headline the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show next year in Tampa, Florida.
“Performing on the iconic stage,” the 30-year-old Canadian singer tweeted. “See you 02/07/21.”
In a statement, The Weeknd said: “We all grow up watching the world's biggest acts playing the Super Bowl and one can only dream of being in that position. I'm humbled, honoured and ecstatic to be the centre of that infamous stage this year.”
The Weeknd will be the first Canadian to perform in the halftime show since Shania Twain in 2003 and the first Canadian male since Dan Aykroyd, who performed in 1997 as part of The Blues Brothers.
It's been a good year for The Weeknd, whose single "Blinding Lights" became a record-setting hit.
Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation launched a partnership with the NFL this year, said in a statement: "The Weeknd has introduced a sound all his own. His soulful uniqueness has defined a new generation of greatness in music and artistry. This is an extraordinary moment in time and the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show is going to be an extraordinary experience with an extraordinary performer."
This year’s halftime show featuring a sizzling performance by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira with guest Bad Bunny, J Balvin and Lopez’s daughter Emme Muñiz. In recent years Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga and Maroon 5 have headlined the spectacle.