Well, well, well… look who finally decided to forgive, forget, and flex those vocal cords on music’s biggest stage!
After years of giving the Grammys the cold shoulder—think full-on “ex who ghosted you but still watches your Instagram stories” energy—The Weeknd shocked absolutely everyone by making a grand return at the 2025 awards. The I Can’t Feel My Face singer (probably from side-eyeing the Recording Academy for years) popped up on stage at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday (February 2), leaving fans, haters, and probably even the Grammys producers in collective jaw-drop mode.
Why Was He Boycotting Again?
Oh, just the usual: music industry drama, secret committees, and a nomination snub so outrageous it made 2020 even worse. Despite having the biggest song in the universe that year—Blinding Lights, which practically had a residency in everyone’s ears—the Grammys decided to reward him with a whopping zero nominations. Nada. Zilch. Not even a “Best Use of Red Jackets in a Music Video” nod. Furious, The Weeknd said “Thanks, but no thanks” to the Recording Academy and vowed never to submit his music again.
Fast forward to 2025: What changed? Maybe it was the Academy’s rule changes. Maybe it was a really good catering menu backstage. Or maybe The Weeknd just realized it’s fun to perform for millions of people. Whatever the reason, Grammy boss Harvey Mason Jr. gave a heartfelt introduction, basically saying, “We promise we’ve changed, please come back.” And boom—The Weeknd stepped onto the stage like a long-lost reality show contestant returning for a redemption arc.
What Did He Perform?
Like a man who just walked back into his ex’s life looking more successful than ever, The Weeknd delivered “Timeless” and “Cry for Me” from his brand-new album, Hurry Up Tomorrow. No word yet on whether the album title is a commentary on how long we all had to wait for him to get back on that stage.
Does this mean he’ll start submitting his music to the Grammys again? Who knows. Maybe he just wanted to prove a point. Maybe he just wanted to perform for the first time in years without having to dodge lasers in a music video. Either way, one thing is clear: The Weeknd and the Grammys are back in each other’s lives.
For how long? Well… that’s the real cliffhanger.
📺 Watch inside… if you haven’t already fainted from the shock.
The Weeknd performs at the 2025 #Grammys pic.twitter.com/wE3Rp1xp6G
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 3, 2025