How are the concerts of the most popular artist in the world?

How are the concerts of the most popular artist in the world? Are you holding on to your dismal statistics? The Weeknd is the most listened to artist on digital platforms, Number one on Spotify with over 106 million monthly listeners. How can one transfer this almost divine magnificence, in a physical stroke of cake, to the earth? With this mission, the 33-year-old Canadian opened his sold-out performance at the Estadio Civitas Metropolitano de Madrid, his first tour in Spain outside of festivals, and his first in Madrid, with a second stop at the Estadio Olímpic Luis Co in Barcelona this July.

We exude a divine magnificence, and that idea serves to describe the character, more than a decade ago with a mix of modern, sexy, and sophisticated R&B backed by her blind ambition. Therefore, he wanted to be pop above all else, reach a massive audience and be the center of a larger-than-life show. And that takes us to Madrid tonight at Atleti Stadium. From the very beginning, we are transported not to a concert, but to a universe that has sprung from your mind: A city of skyscrapers and grandiose towers, dominating all views, hides the band, which blends among the metal buildings like a chronological reflection.

The weekend symbolizes the sign of your time. It matters little what happens at the instrumental level, the technical expertise. A la banda, just se la ve. concept is necessary Performance – it is very difficult to translate this Anglicism exactly -, what is around. In this case, more than 20 dancers were covered from top to bottom with tunics that may well have been supporters of the ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ sect, but in white tones. They bring their choreography to life with huge pasillo that sways the crowd of fans. There, in the center, stands a robotic superhero figure looking up to the sky, menacingly, his arms outstretched behind him. and a moon that changes color at the end of the pasillo is an allegory for the mood of the concert.

All this work is at a focal point. The giant screen will practically be in focus during the entire show. Believe it or not, there are new tricks that follow the logic of capitalism: more, always more. The screams of fire, overpowering, spit out the heat that hits you in the face. The games of lights range from a disco to more than 50,000 people, who dance to the sound that marks a plastic bracelet that they receive with the entrance and change of color – a trick that I had already introduced Coldplay a few years ago, making sure they feel part of what happens, to be another – a game with the moon and with the lights that emerge from the stage as the musicians cross.

The disco concept is important. With this tour, The Weeknd has overcome the disappointment of releasing his most danceable and party album, ‘After Hours’ in 2020 with the pandemic. These songs and the most recent ‘Don FM’ of 2022 dominate the repertoire, which reaches without restriction His first peak with one of the older singles ‘The Hills’ from 2015. The same thing happens with ‘Starboy’, from the 2016 album of the same name, a song originally recorded with Daft Punk that conveys the feel of a massive dancefloor infectious, hedonistic affirmation that has always accompanied an elusive and controversial figure – the overwhelmingly negative reviews of his series ‘The Idol’ for HBO, the last millennium epitome of sexy nihilism.

Son More than 30 songs in few hours, Where the biggest problem is that The Weeknd, an artist who likes himself very much, In the end it is being hidden by the grandiose proportions of the show, With the public ‘Where’s Wally?’ To have him in the midst of all these people whose repertoire sums up his career – memorable themes like the ballad ‘The Morning’, karaoke hits like ‘Blinding Lights’, some disco sabdon and many more perfect but forgotten, is the worst thing pop can say. Decision? It’s impossible to satisfy those millions of digital listeners when they act out in the real world.