Talk:Super Bowl LV halftime show

Sources

• https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/arts/music/super-bowl-halftime-show-weeknd.html
• https://www.deseret.com/indepth/2021/2/6/22264654/will-super-bowl-halftime-show-be-family-friendly-the-weeknd-jackson-lopez-shakira-chiefs-buccaneers
• https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/05/entertainment/weeknd-super-bowl-guests/index.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/04/arts/the-weeknd-super-bowl-halftime-show.html
• https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/05/sport/super-bowl-halftime-show-the-weeknd-cmd-spt-intl/index.html

---Another Believer _(Talk) 20:44, 7 February 2021 (UTC)

More Possible Sources

• https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/02/07/sports/super-bowl-chiefs-bucs#the-weeknds-halftime-spectacle-features-a-hall-of-mirrors-and-bandaged-dancers
• https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/07/sports/football/two-halftime-views-one-inside-the-stadium-one-watching-on-tv.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/07/arts/music/the-weeknd-super-bowl-halftime-review.html

74.73.230.232 (talk) 01:55, 8 February 2021 (UTC)

Attempts to sanitize the critical reception section

I've brought it up on their talk page, but @Mgkrulez: appears to have repeatedly attempted to sanitize the critical reception section to give the appearance of a more favorable reception than the performance was actually afforded by review. They have removed key context from mixed reviews in order to make them appear outright positive, and have removed some negative reviews entirely, among other problematic edits. This needs to stop. SecretName101 (talk) 07:11, 10 February 2021 (UTC)

Summarizing critical reception

Some seem to take issue with calling the reception "mixed". The current cited source says it is "mixed". If we reach a consensus disagreeing, we can remove that citation and summarize it otherwise. I'd argue the reception was pretty mixed. A handful positive, many lukewarm/mixed, and some incredibly negative. SecretName101 (talk) 17:29, 10 February 2021 (UTC)

I'm now okay calling it mixed–to–positive, with additional positive reviews coming through. Do we have a consensus supporting calling it this? SecretName101 (talk) 18:58, 10 February 2021 (UTC)

SecretName101, Maybe, for now, we not say negative, mixed, or positive and just jump straight into commentary? We can always summarize at a later date. Just a thought, until clear trends in comments emerge. ---Another Believer _(Talk) 18:59, 10 February 2021 (UTC)

I think "mixed" is perfectly suitable, because reviewers pointed out both the good parts and the gaping problems. The issue we have here is not whether "mixed" is appropriate, it is the behavior of one editor: J.O105-The Weeknd. J.O105-The Weeknd has been edit-warring to convey an overly positive image, which is a violation of WP:Neutral point of view. Half of J.O105-The Weeknd's edits are to put a positive spin on the Weeknd. Binksternet (talk) 17:54, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

What the sources say

To get a sense of the critical reception, let's look at a bunch of sources and see what they say. I have evaluated the following reviews to summarize their stance. Binksternet (talk) 01:31, 23 March 2021 (UTC)

Very negative

• Chicago Tribune – "Review: The Weeknd’s Super Bowl halftime performance was an expensive nothing". "There was no amount of spectacular visuals for the at-home viewer that could make up for what Tesfaye lacks in vocals, stage presence and charisma. ...it was often difficult to hear Tesfaye sing. But that was not enough of a factor to explain the utter weirdness of the set."

Negative

• NJ.com – "Super Bowl 2021 halftime show review: The Weeknd dims under blinding lights". "The problem: He’s just not a particularly dynamic live entertainer. Sure, his smash singles spoke for themselves during his pseudo-explosive spectacle Sunday night in Tampa, but beyond the mindless sing-alongs, the rest dimly flickered, devoid of exciting choreography, outrageous vocal moments... Instead, it was a 30-year-old man in a sequined crimson sport coat playing to the camera with all the charisma of a dental hygienist who just got into TikTok."
• Associated Press – "Review: Yawn, is it Monday yet? The Weeknd bores at Super Bowl LV halftime". "His name is the Weeknd, but his Super Bowl performance felt like a dreary Monday morning... overall his performance felt limited and inadequate."
• Sporting News – "Super Bowl 55 halftime show review: The Weeknd goes solo, leaving no one else to blame". "Maybe the Weeknd needed another day or two to put it all together... For the most part, the show was unique and high-energy, but it wasn't received as well as it probably should have been..."

Mixed-to-negative

• Pacific San Diego – "The Weeknd, though underwhelming, made history with first Super Bowl halftime show held during a pandemic". "...a visually arresting but musically tepid performance... The Weeknd’s meh of a performance, which was visually sleek, slickly delivered and largely devoid of musical (as opposed to actual) fireworks... Alas, his pleasant but decidedly drama-free vocals on Sunday sounded so processed for much of his set that it was questionable exactly what he meant by 'live.' "
• USA Today "The Weeknd delivers a charismatic Super Bowl halftime show, but he was no Beyoncé or Prince". "...the halftime show underwhelmed as a whole..."
• The Mercury News – "Review: The Weeknd is solid, not super at Super Bowl LV halftime ". "...the whole thing just wasn’t jelling the way it should."

Mixed

• Fox 5 DC – "The Weeknd's Super Bowl LV halftime show gets mixed reviews from fans". "It didn’t take long for viewers to take to Twitter to pan the performance, which saw the singer merely jump from song-to-song with little showmanship or surprises. In fact, he didn’t even leave the stands to perform in the field until the very end.... However, not everyone was in agreement that the performance wasn't up to par for the Super Bowl." (Followed by examples of positive tweets.)
• Esquire – "The Best Social Media Reactions to The Weeknd's Super Bowl LV Halftime Show" "...this year's show wasn't the star-studded adrenaline rush of year's past. ..obscure narrative... Social media took note, too." (Examples of positive and negative social media reactions.)
• Slate.com – "The Weeknd’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Needed Giant Lions". "The Weekend put on a good show, but..." (Long list of ways that the Weeknd's performance was not quite up to par for the Super Bowl.)
• ET Online – "The Weeknd Inspires Instant Memes Following Super Bowl LV Halftime Show: See the Reactions". "Some viewers wondered where the money went... Of course, others loved the performance and praised The Weeknd's vocals as well as his artistic vision."
• Vulture.com – "So Now the Weeknd Is Our Collective Escape From Hell?" 'Jamming nine songs into a 14-minute set, the Weeknd made a case for himself as a pop phenomenon with staying power but also highlighted some of the least-interesting moments in his catalog... this show nailed its aesthetic with ease, but it struggled to make you feel anything."
• Pitchfork "The Weeknd’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Was a Fever Dream for the Whole Family". "And while it wasn’t anywhere near the Weeknd’s edgiest showing to date, even after going through the NFL’s blandification process he remained strangely adept at code switching between mainstream and underground pop tropes. ...there was never that kumbaya moment we’ve come to expect from modern halftime shows."
• FTW – "Super Bowl halftime show review: The Weeknd wasn't great (but it's not all his fault)". "...the sound mix on the first song was so bad that many fans at home were left turning up the volume or wondering what was even happening.... moments that felt more disorienting than inspiring or cool... The Weeknd’s one true shining moment of the halftime show... 'Blinding Lights' ...a great song playing and a bunch of people all running around at a concert, dancing their faces off. "
• NY Post – "The Weeknd’s Super Bowl 2021 halftime show review: Best and worst moments ". "But it was also clear from his halftime show... that the artist born Abel Tesfaye, still only 30, is not yet in the same league as [Prince or Michael Jackson]"
• Entertainment Weekly – "The Weeknd, pop's anti-pop star, glides through the Super Bowl halftime show". "It was a greatest-hits setlist, and it might have worked well if the sound wasn't off; the Weeknd's voice often felt lost in a thicket of lush strings and synths... Even the few fun creative elements... couldn't quite get over the show's lack of tech-savvy pageantry..."

Mixed-to-positive

• The New York Times "The Weeknd Emerges From the Shadows at the Super Bowl Halftime Show". "sturdy, sometimes impressive"
• GQ "The Weeknd’s Super Bowl 2021 Halftime Show Dazzled And Overwhelmed". "Did it pay off? Yes and no. The Weeknd’s halftime show set was certainly dazzling and visually overwhelming, with chaotic choreography... Tesfaye was drowned out, physically and sonically (thanks to some obvious mixing issues), by nearly everything around him. He didn’t even come close to commanding the stage the way previous performers had..."
• The Atlantic – "The First Super Bowl Halftime Show About the Depravity of Halftime Shows". "[the audience was] left slightly amused, slightly bored, a little disturbed, and a lot confused... The sound improved over time, and Tesfaye managed to flaunt his significant vocal chops while mugging at the camera with impressive hamminess. Still, he did not quite prove himself as a standalone superstar capable of holding an audience with pure charisma."
• AZ Central – "The Weeknd didn't need guests to make his Super Bowl Halftime Show special". "...crowd-pleasing spectacle... That narrative is way too dark for the sort of family viewership the NFL is chasing.... rousing finale 'Blinding Lights' ".
• Los Angeles Times – "The Weeknd’s chilly pop makes for a socially distant Super Bowl halftime show ". "Spooky yet darkly funny, this appealingly bizarre spectacle reflected the COVID era in both mood and logistics... And because he stuck so closely to his signature vibe, he seemed incredibly at ease as he performed for the tens of millions of people watching at home. He grinned; he winked; he took opportunities to look deep into the camera..."
• Tampa Bay Times – "The Weeknd’s disorienting Super Bowl halftime show in Tampa felt right". "He wove through a maze of lights and sang into a dizzying fisheye lens, transfixing and disorienting, like the Weeknd himself."
• Billboard – "No Lights Too Blinding For The Weeknd With Superstar Set at Super Bowl 2021 Halftime". "But no matter how strange the song or staging, The Weeknd's showman energy never wavered..."

Positive

• NBC Chicago – "Super Bowl 2021 Halftime Show: The Weeknd's Set List, Every Song Played ". "The Weeknd rocked... The Weeknd put on a tremendous show. He had a grand entrance with incredible visuals."
• Complex.com – "People Are Raving About The Weeknd’s Futuristic Super Bowl LV Halftime Show". "As Twitter is wont to do, they had thoughts about the impressive concert... " (Examples of positive and negative tweets.)
• Independent – "Super Bowl halftime show review: The Weeknd unites a divided country on the dance floor with a slick, hyper-stylised halftime show". "...a thoroughly produced, brilliantly escapist 10 minutes... All the while, Tesfaye showed off his effortless stage presence, proving that he really could hold the halftime show by himself – and make it look easy at that."
• Yahoo.com – "He’s a Starboy: The Weeknd pulls off massive live Super Bowl LV spectacle in middle of pandemic". "...he just went for it. And it worked, aside from some sound issues at the start of the performance. The shape-shifting pop star ultimatelly pulled off one of the most dazzling halftime shows in recent memory..."
• Vox – "Watch: The Weeknd’s Super Bowl halftime show was mellow but satisfying". "All in all, even though this was an unlikely halftime show featuring an unlikely performer at an uncertain Super Bowl, it was exactly the halftime show we needed. The Weeknd strode through it with confidence and charm..."
• The Guardian – "The Weeknd's Super Bowl half-time show: mood-lifting party music". "An understandably censored yet slickly realized medley of hits from the R&B pop star made for a successful escape during an unusual night".

Very positive

• Revolt.tv – "The Weeknd performs epic set for Super Bowl LV halftime show". "The Weeknd lit up the stage. ...people watching the show... loved every single minute... social media reacted with positive reviews about the set, as everyone gave Weeknd props..."
• Deadline.com – "The Weeknd’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Scores A Touchdown – Review". "[The Weeknd] swooped in to take America’s great sports spectacle up a notch or two... the savvy singer tore through his greatest hits like a post-modern R&B legend in the making. ...which is exactly what you want out of a great halftime performance."

This list makes it plain that various sorts of mixed reviews are the median, leaning in the positive direction. Definitely not purely positive. Binksternet (talk) 01:31, 23 March 2021 (UTC)