The Weeknd Announces He Will Perform at Super Bowl 55 Halftime Show

The Weeknd announced Thursday he'll perform during the Super Bowl LV halftime show Feb. 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

"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, honored and ecstatic to be the center of that infamous stage this year," he said in the NFL's official announcement.

The Weeknd, real name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, drew praise from rapper Jay-Z, the founder of entertainment agency Roc Nation that works with the NFL to pick the halftime act.

"The Weeknd has introduced a sound all his own. His soulful uniqueness has defined a new generation of greatness in music and artistry," Jay-Z said. "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."

Brian Rolapp, the NFL's chief media and business officer, added the league was "thrilled" it was able to secure the standout Canadian singer for the halftime show.

The Weeknd is a three-time Grammy Award winner, having won the Best Urban Contemporary Album category in both 2016 (Beauty Behind the Madness) and 2018 (Starboy).

He's also amassed a massive following on social media with 25.2 million followers on Instagram and 13.4 million followers on Twitter.

He'll join a recent list of halftime show performers that also includes many of the biggest names in music, including most recently Shakira and Jennifer Lopez this past February.

An estimated 103 million viewers tuned in for the 2020 halftime performance during the Kansas City Chiefs' victory over the San Francisco 49ers.