The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, is an incredibly popular and influential artist in the music industry. He rose to prominence in the early 2010s with his unique blend of R&B, pop, and alternative music. His popularity has continued to soar, making him one of the most successful artists of his generation.
Last weekend, Stockholm was shaken up with yet another one-of-a-kind summer event. This time, the blinding lights of Tele2 Arena were on The Weeknd. He swept the stage with a two-hour performance including all the hits and engaging the young audience.
Once again, the Canadian singer came back to Stockholm and crashed a two-day sold-out stadium. The first-day tickets were gone with impressive speed, so the second-day show announcement came in shortly. At the end of the day, who wouldn’t want to see the northern star live?
And indeed, there was something to see! All the attendees got a gentle reminder that it is forbidden to camp in front of the stadium before 7 am on the day of the concert to avoid street obstruction. Yet, lots of devoted fans started queuing up first thing in the morning.
Surprisingly, The Weeknd decided to pay the same attention to the audience and travelled around the constructed podium. This inclusive decision was highly appreciated by the fans located further from the stage and demonstrated once again the modern despise towards favouritism and unequal opportunities.
The whole performance serves as an anthem to diversity: the supporting dancers dressed in niqabs, ramp accesses to the stadium and the dancefloor, sexuality embraced in the lyrics of the artist and an all-ages crowd.
Being the fourth most streamed artists on Spotify of all time (42.8 billion streams as of May 2023), The Weeknd kept a laid-back and chill mood while delivering a top-notch energetic experience to the fans gathering from all over Sweden.
One of the spectators reflected on The Weeknd’s starlight trajectory: “He is an inspirational artist with his own identity who truly knows how to connect with the audience. All of his songs are pleasant to hear and showcase the great singing skills supported by the recognisable soundtracks”.
The photos are courtesy of The Weeknd website and Facebook page.
