The Weeknd in Chile: an apocalyptic and futuristic reunion

What would the remains of a post-apocalypse city look like? Ruins, destruction, fires and the latency of a clear sky which is reborn, freed from the artificial lights which previously dazzled it.

This is partly what the staging of The weekend during his tour in Latin America: destroyed buildings, a 10 meter high moon floating in a second floor and the presence of a 6 meter high female robot created by Japanese illustrator Hajime Sorayama installed in the center of the room . The future is dystopian and it is here, ready to host the two-hour concert with which the Canadian musician travels this part of the continent.

It took six years to Abel Tesfaye , the man behind the artist, will arrive in Chile with a personal exhibition. His debut in the country took place in Lollapalooza 2017 when he was already among the most successful artists in the English world.

But what happened night of October 15 at the Bicentenario stadium in La Florida It was different. What was then a decent presentation of the festival – shorter, focused on a diverse audience and with a repertoire oriented towards hits – now carried the expectations of a large-scale event that had already dazzled audiences in Mexico and Brazil, and who would land in Chile with two dates sold out.

This wait doubled during the fifteen minutes of delay accumulated before the start of the show. A few minutes before 9 p.m., the public was already beginning to show its impatience. The whistles and applause that started as a rumor soon gained momentum. Everything, channeled into a cry which demanded the departure of the musician, calling on his first name. The same one that The Weeknd claims for the last time on his social networks in an effort to shed the distinctive moniker that has accompanied it for over a decade.

It took 15 minutes before the lights went out. Almost instantly, the scene of a futuristic, destroyed metropolis greeted the dancers. Patient and focused, dressed in a beige fabric suit that covered their face and body. A sort of uniform that conveyed the ceremonial trance of which they were a part acting more like an escort than just a dance troupe.

When the first verses of Famethe fruitful collaboration of the Canadian with Rosalie sung entirely in Spanish, the musician made his way between buildings wearing a silver helmet and a metal arm with which it was impossible not to think stupid punk , his usual collaborators. And suddenly, a euphoric “hello Santiago” unleashed the enthusiasm of the audience.

The hit he shared with the Spanish artist was followed by False alarm, Party Monster And Take my breath. The latter, particularly applauded and chanted by the respectable. Even with Sacrificewhich the musician introduced with a request addressed to the audience, mixing English and Spanish: “Raise your handsthat!”.

“Chile, it’s been a long time…”, suddenly says the musician, aware that several years have passed since his first visit to the country and revealing his enthusiasm to reconnect with his Latin American audience. Soon it happened I can’t feel my faceone of his definitive hits, and which unleashed collective karaoke.

Lost in the Fire, The Hill, Crew Love, And star boy were there other songs played during the night, in a setlist consistent with what was heard a few days ago in Mexico and Brazil . Almost halfway through the concert, CIRCUS MAXIMUS This is the song with which The Weeknd took off his headphones, leaving his face uncovered and facing his Creole fans. Applause, shouts singing the classic “mijito rico” and a few minutes of contemplation that the artist took to look around him.

out of time marked another of the highlights of the recital, with the musician lowering the platform to approach the fans posted on the fence which separated the field from the stage . He did the same thing when immediately afterwards it started ringing I feel it coming, another of his great themes. In both cases, he handed the microphone to some attendees who chanted the lyrics with a mixture of shock and happiness. He even gave a few hugs.

The singer’s good disposition was a constant. Throughout the concert, the Canadian maintained a warm and grateful attitude towards the audience. . On several occasions he addressed the audience, sometimes in English, sometimes in a precarious but gentle Spanish, and almost always between the verses of his songs (for example by changing part of the lyrics of faith For ““more pain in Chile, more pain in Santiago”).

Expectations were high, and rightly so. For the weekend, 2023 was a year of successes and failures . A few months ago his name filled the specialized portals due to the negative impact left by the premiere of The idolthe HBO series with which he shares the screen Lily-Rise Deep and this, despite the initial enthusiasm, ended up disappointing a large part of the public.

The truth is, at least for this night, none of it mattered much. During his first show in Santiago, the musician made it clear that his success is based on a long repertoire that positions him today as the most listened to artist on Spotify in the world. . An idol who was humble, at least during his time in Chile, and who left his fans hoping that this time the occasion would not take long to repeat itself.