The Weeknd to headline Super Bowl half-time show

NEW YORK • Canadian R&B singer The Weeknd will perform at this season's Super Bowl half-time show, the National Football League (NFL) announced on Wednesday, a coveted slot likely to face restrictions due to the pandemic.

The NFL's selection of the star, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, is in line with American football's efforts in recent years to shake off its reputation for prioritising ageing classic rock acts over younger, more diverse artists.

"We all grow up watching the world's biggest acts playing the Super Bowl and one can only dream of being in that position," The Weeknd, 30, said in a statement.

"I'm humbled, honoured and ecstatic to be the centre of that infamous stage this year," continued the star known for hits such as Blinding Lights and Starboy, a collaboration with French dance-pop duo Daft Punk.

It is the NFL's second half-time show production partnership with hip-hop mogul Jay-Z's Roc Nation.

Last year, the NFL tapped Jay-Z to steer its musical performances - the half-time show is among pop's most visible gigs - which the league hailed as a move to promote social justice.

The artist said it would allow the NFL to advance from protest to action, after it struggled to secure performers last year over the treatment of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whose kneeling protests against social injustice and racial inequality drew international attention and controversy.

But many criticised Jay-Z's deal with the NFL, with some calling it a "money move".

The Weeknd has supported the Black Lives Matter movement and also donated US$200,000 (S$270,000) to Kaepernick's legal defence initiative.

It is unclear how the pandemic will shift plans for the singer, who in the past has gone for elaborate and high-production stagings.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said "our intent is to have as many fans at the Super Bowl as can be done safely" for the event slated for Feb 7 in Tampa, Florida.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE