This past weekend saw the monumental 42nd season kickoff of the revered sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. Being that this is also an election year, the Margot Robbie-hosted season opener was rife with political humor as presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were rightfully skewered and satirized for the late-night audience. Of course, SNL is also known for luring top musical talent to its esteemed stage, and this week's spotlight stealer was the newly coiffed Canadian singer The Weeknd. He broke up the presidential nominee skewering with rather interesting performances of his two latest singles, "Starboy" and "False Alarm."
The crooner rocked his signature all-black look for the night and utilized a starkly designed stage to deliver his performance of "Starboy." Lit by a neon cross above the stage, he stood in front of a lone mic as smoked billowed in from below and two guitarists provided support (though it's unclear if they were just there for dramatic effect or if they were actually playing). Despite the moody track, though, The Weekend actually looked to be having fun, occasionally cracking a smile and pumping the mic stand in the air for good measure.
For the pop-punk leanings of "False Alarm," the stage was lit in shades of neon blue and pink as he clung closely to the mic. As the energy of the song picks up, however, he loosens up and steps away from the mic enough to spastically hop around the stage while the band keeps the rhythm. At song's end, the lights fade to black and blue and the screams of his fans can be heard as the notes fade.
Overall, is a was a solid showing for The Weeknd (whose live stints have been known to be hit or miss). If you happened to miss SNL's season opener, check out the performances below.
