The Weeknd ends Grammys hiatus with an electrifying performance with Playboi Carti

After a four-year hiatus from the award ceremony, The Weeknd (born as Abel Makkonen Tesfaye) made a shocking and triumphant return on stage at the 67th Grammy Awards. He performed two records off his latest Hurry Up Tomorrow, including Cry For Me and Timeless.

The performance was met with rave reviews from fans who legitimately questioned whether he would ever attend the event again, let alone grace its stage. It was a visual and sonic treat like all his sets, and if his presence alone wasn't enough, Abel also brought out Playboi Carti as a surprise guest to perform his verse on Timeless.

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The Weeknd is back after a 4-year hiatus.

This surprise comeback looks to be the end of his 4-year public boycott, while also hinting at a pronounced shift in his relationship with the show’s governing committee. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. was transparent about the criticisms levied by the artist and elaborated on the efforts undertaken to rectify the issues that The Weeknd managed to bring to the forefront thanks to his immutable platform.

“What we all want is an organization dedicated to the well-being of all music makers, underscoring the Academy’s commitment to reflecting the entire music community.”

Mason Jr. went on to further his claims by bringing the Academy’s recent initiatives to light, including the creation of the Black Music Collective, Women in the Mix, and Academy Proud programs. This seemingly denotes a more concerted effort to promote diversity and inclusion across all levels of the multifaceted and complex industry.

"There's still work to be done, but I firmly believe we're on the right path."

The Recording Academy CEO ended on a highly positive note, with kind words for Abel.

“I am so honored to leave you with a sentence, that I wasn’t sure, would ever be said on the GRAMMY stage again: My friends, my fellow music makers, please join me in welcoming back, none other than, four-time GRAMMY-winning artist, and global superstar, The Weeknd.”

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How We Got Here

It has been well documented that The Weeknd promised to boycott the event going forward in 2021, claiming,

“Because of the secret committees, I will no longer allow my label to submit my music to the Grammys.”

Once the Canadian sensation’s After Hours album was excluded from the award show, Abel made the assertion that the entire system and ceremony were “corrupt” and existed only to further their undisclosed hidden agendas through shadow play.

It is of note, however, that at the time he was open to the idea of this change eventually coming to fruition. The artist told the New York Times back in 2021,

“Even though I won’t be submitting my music, the Grammys’ recent admission of corruption will hopefully be a positive move for the future of this plagued award and give the artist community the respect it deserves with a transparent voting process.”

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The collaboration between The Weeknd and Playboi Carti added an extra layer of excitement to the already electrifying stage. The Weeknd's comeback at the Grammy Awards strengthened his status as a music industry powerhouse.