It’s been quite the start to 2021 for The Weeknd. Not only did he have a very successful 2020, but he was also surrounded by controversy. Mainly for being snubbed at The GRAMMYs and getting no nominations for After Hours.
In a cover story for Billboard, he spoke about this:
“I use a sucker punch as an analogy. Because it just kind of hit me out of nowhere. I definitely felt … I felt things. I don’t know if it was sadness or anger. I think it was just confusion. I just wanted answers. Like, ‘What happened?’ We did everything right, I think. I’m not a cocky person. I’m not arrogant. People told me I was going to get nominated. The world told me. Like, ‘This is it; this is your year.’ We were all very confused.
If you were like, ‘Do you think the Grammys are racist?’ I think the only real answer is that in the last 61 years of the Grammys, only 10 Black artists have won album of the year. I don’t want to make this about me. That’s just a fact.”
But he’s looking to move past the controversy:
“Look, I personally don’t care anymore. I have three Grammys, which mean nothing to me now, obviously. It’s not like, ‘Oh, I want the Grammy!’ It’s just that this happened, and I’m down to get in front of the fire, as long as it never happens again.”
He also talked about taking stage at the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show in Tampa, FL
The 30-year-old superstar is now less than two weeks away from performing on the world’s biggest stage, the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The Weeknd is the first Black artist to headline halftime since Roc Nation partnered with the NFL on last year’s show, which drew 102 million viewers.