Music

The Weeknd says his Super Bowl halftime show won't feature any guests

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Published on February 5, 2021 01:01AM EST

Some of the best Super Bowl halftime shows in recent memory have featured special guests (Beyoncé with Destiny's Child in 2013 comes to mind!), but the Weeknd will be shining solo this Sunday.

In an interview on the NFL Network this Thursday, the artist put to rest any speculation of other stars joining him on stage.

"I've been reading a lot of rumors. I wouldn't bet on it," the artist said. "There wasn't any room to fit it in the narrative and the story I was telling in the performance. So, there's no special guests, no."

Last year, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez put on a hell of a show, which featured special appearances from Bad Bunny, J Balvin, and even Lopez's daughter Emme. And the year before that, Maroon 5 brought on the likes of Travis Scott and Big Boi to help them entertain the crowd at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Still, many artists have pulled off spectacular halftime shows all on their own, like Lady Gaga with her much lauded performance in 2017, which was the first to have no special guests since 2010.

Ahead of the big game, the Weeknd teased that fans should expect a "cinematic" experience when he takes the stage on Sunday.

"We've been really focusing on dialing in on the fans at home and making performances a cinematic experience," he told Billboard about his 13-minute long show. And though the organizers are covering production costs per usual, he's putting up $7 million of his own money to "make this halftime show be what he envisioned."

While the Weeknd might be a main draw on Sunday (well, besides the actual football game), other artists will also be performing at the Super Bowl. Before kickoff, R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan and country star Eric Church will sing the national anthem as a duet. They'll be preceded by Grammy winner H.E.R. performing "America the Beautiful."

Miley Cyrus will perform at the first TikTok Tailgate, the NFL's pregame event for the healthcare workers attending the big game. And poet Amanda Gorman, who delivered a rousing recitation at Joe Biden's inauguration, will do a reading honoring three pandemic heroes before the coin toss.

Check out EW's roundup for more information on Super Bowl LV, including how to stream the game and what commercials are rolling out.

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