Super Bowl 2021: Chiefs vs. Buccaneers Halftime Show Entertainment, Predictions

We know neither Tom Brady nor Patrick Mahomes will be blinded by the lights Sunday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs meet in Super Bowl LV.

Neither will halftime performer The Weeknd.

The "Blinding Lights" crooner headlines this year's most watched concert, for which details remain scarce.

Who might join the talented singer for what will arguably be the most significant performance of his still-young career, and what should viewers expect when Brady and Mahomes lead their teams into the tunnel after 30 minutes of play?

Visual Artistry

The Weeknd recently had fans buzzing about potential plastic surgery when he showed up to the American Music Awards on November 20 in bandages, with his eyes bruised. When he debuted the music video for his latest single, "Save Your Tears," social media exploded with reactions to his "new look."

What they assumed was plastic surgery was, in fact, the latest in a narrative that began with the "Blinding Lights" music video and continued through "Until I Bleed Out" and "After Hours," a myth debunked by Reuters. In his latest production, he sports prosthetics to heal the broken, battered face that progressively worsens over the course of its predecessors.

The visual artistry within, and the performer's dedication to it, suggests a storyteller that is not content to just let the music speak for itself. He is a master performer with his eye on platforms beyond sound. Viewers of this year's big game should expect a show that does not just settle for strobe lights and pyrotechnics.

With just 22,000 fans permitted at Raymond James Stadium for Sunday's game, there is greater opportunity to utilize the venue in ways other halftime shows could not. Super Bowl executive producer Jesse Collins told Entertainment Tonight: "Instead of focusing on what we can't do [due to the pandemic], it's like, look at what the opportunities are because of the cards we've been dealt."

More venue makes for a larger canvas for the artist to work with. He told Billboard: "We've been really focusing on dialing in on the fans at home and making performances a cinematic experience, and we want to do that with the Super Bowl."

Based on his previous work, expect a spectacle the likes of which halftime has not seen since Prince belted out "Purple Rain" in the middle of a rainstorm—one of the most visually stunning performances in the game's history.

Special Appearances

While he is a star in his own right, The Weeknd has collaborated with his fair share of artists, any of whom could make a surprise appearance Sunday.

From Ariana Grande to Kendrick Lamar, Future and Travis Scott to Sia and Drake, there are a wealth of potential surprises to choose from.

There is certainly precedent. Last year's show featured appearances from Bad Bunny and J Balvin while Beyonce, Missy Elliott, Bruno Mars and Lenny Kravitz have all joined headliners in unadvertised appearances in recent years.

Perhaps the greatest surprise would be for Weeknd to take Lady Gaga's approach and play solo, allowing himself to shine on the grandest stage in music.

One thing is for certain: In a year of the unprecedented, anything is possible for a performer who has made a career out of keeping fans guessing with conceptualization and visual storytelling, all while stunning with his vocal range.