After a performance that took place by storm in Rio, the Canadian The Weeknd took the stage at the Allianz Parque in São Paulo this Tuesday 10 for a soldout show with 48,000 spectators. In fact, it was a stage created specifically for the After Hours Til Dawn Tour, which practically traversed the entire stadium and featured a strategic game with special effects.
The Weeknd took the stage this Tuesday 10 at Allianz Parque in São Paulo. Photo: Iris Alves / Disclosure
The artist returned bigger and much more mainstream than the first time he set foot on Brazilian soil. He performed a show at in 2017 Lollapaloozaa time in which the with hits like Starboy It is I can’t feel my face.
The Weeknd created a presentation that caught the eye, but with so many resources there was a risk that the visual spectacle would draw more attention than the music itself. But he managed to use it all to his advantage. Abel Tesfaye has created a dystopian spectacle. It’s as if Michael Jackson from whom the singer clearly draws inspiration for the modulation of his voice was singing in a futuristic parallel universe in the 1980s.
The difference, however, is that The Weeknd doesn’t stand behind his inspirations or abuse synthesizers. He shows that he knows how to weave everything he has ever created into a show so urban that it seems tailormade to harmonize with the jungle of São Paulo.
The return to the city even took place with some delay. The After Hours Til Dawn Tour which initially only featured the name of the singer’s penultimate album, After Hours, from 2020, had to be postponed due to the Covid19 pandemic and the announcement was also changed due to the start of war in Ukraine.
But the singer didn’t limit himself to After Hours and Dawn FM, the 2022 album that gives the tour its name. Abel created a narrative that ran throughout his career, perhaps as a farewell to The Weekend rumored to be the singer’s last tour under his stage name.
A huge moon and the Japanese artist’s sculpture Hajime Sorayama, inspired by the film Metropolis, added to the visual spectacle. The runway choice brought The Weeknd closer to the audience and the charismatic interactions distanced him from the “evil” character he had created since After Hours.
A certain concern about following a script prevented the artist from exploring this proximity further. However, he separated moments where he left the stage like in Out of Time and even passed the microphone to the fans.
The singer took a risk by maintaining a partnership with La Fama Rosalia chosen for the shows in Latin America, which displeased Brazilian fans upon opening, but the futuristic tone made it all fit together. With a mask Daft Punk and an arm wrestling match, which was also intended for Latin shows, he spent half of the show “hidden” and a little further away.
Last Saturday the 7th, The Weeknd held a concert in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Paty Sigiliano/Disclosure
The Weeknd or would it be Abel Tesfaye? He took off his mask just before singing Faith and then After Hours. The tone became more danceable and the artist managed to maintain it until the last song.
Fair show for the trajectory
The singer decided to keep the same script as the Rio show, choosing songs specifically for the Brazilian audience, including “Love me Harder”, a partnership with Ariana Grande.
It was a fair show for his career. Released in the context of a pandemic, After Hours and Dawn FM are albums that deserve to be sung live.
Abel He knew how to put together 42 songs, some of which were limited to small excerpts, to create his own narrative. The highlight are the transitions between songs and the lights that change color depending on your preference.
There are few artists who can turn a show into a spectacle. And The Weeknd showed that he is able to explore colors and even choose the right moment to “light up” the stage.
The artist returned bigger and much more mainstream than the first time he set foot on Brazilian soil. Photo: Iris Alves / Divulgaç
There was a big time gap between ticket sales for the After Hours Til Dawn Tour and The Weeknd’s arrival in Brazil. The presentations were announced in December 2022 and since then the artist has taken a break to devote himself to his second passion: cinema.
However, the singer’s foray into dramaturgy sparked a series of controversies. He starred in the production “The Idol” on HBO Max, which received a wave of criticism due to the hypersexualization of the protagonist canceled after the first season.
During the show, Abel separated his “personality” from the controversial character’s music on the show and limited mention of “The Idol” to “Popular,” a partnership he formed with Madonna for the production.
Even if his film career stumbles, Abel knows exactly where he wants to go and where he wants to go, at least in the already familiar territory of music. The singer is still in Brazil this Wednesday the 11th for an additional performance at Allianz Parque.
- LA FAMA
- False alarm
- Party monsters
- Take my breath away
- sacrifice
- How do I make you love me?
- I can’t feel my face
- Lost in the fire
- hurricane
- The hills
- Kiss Land
- Often
- Crew love
- Starboy
- Pray for me
- House of Balloons
- Heartless
- Low life
- Memory
- CIRCUS MAXIMUS
- Stargirl interlude
- Believe
- After hours
- Deserved it
- At night
- Love me harder
- Out of time
- I feel it coming
- Dying for you
- Is there anyone else?
- I’ve never been there
- Crazy games
- Call my name
- The morning
- Save your tears
- Less than zero
- Blinding lights
- Tears in the rain
- Creepy
- Popular
- In your eyes
*Intern led by Charlise de Morais