A viral meme and those... face masks: The 5 biggest moments from The Weeknd's Super Bowl half-time show.

No one knew quite what to expect from this year's Super Bowl half-time show, on account of - sorry, I'm going to say it - these 'unprecedented' times.

The performance, usually one of the biggest of the year, took place in front of just 22,000 live fans, the smallest crowd for a Super Bowl ever due to the pandemic.

But that's really all we can say about the pandemic, because The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye, put on a  performance that was just as epic as any we'd seen before.

Watch part of The Weeknd's full performance below. Post continues after video.

I mean, duh. It's the Super Bowl.

Here are some of the very best moments from The Weeknd's Super Bowl halftime performance.

The Weeknd's... face.

The Weeknd has displayed some eerie and uh, occasionally gory facial makeup and prosthetics during appearances and performances in the past year.

The Weeknd at the Video Music Awards in August 2020. Image: Getty.

The Weeknd at the American Music Awards in November 2020. Image: Getty.

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It's supposed to be a commentary on the absurdity of celebrity culture and cosmetic surgery/filters, so naturally, there was major interest in what his face would look like onstage.

Well, here it is:

Image: Getty.

Pretty normal, huh. 

But the bandages weren't gone for good, with all the backup dancers wearing them instead (and they also doubled as face masks, so that's handy).

This viral meme.

The Weeknd performed 'I Can't Feel My Face' in a mirrored room, looking directly into the camera and you bet it's 2021 newest meme.

Me searching for my phone and keys in a morning with a minute to go until the bus to work arrives..#SuperBowl #HalfTimeShow #TheWeeknd pic.twitter.com/AMBJQ2og9L

— Division Order (@divisionorderuk) February 8, 2021

Me trying to find the bathroom every time I go to a restaurant #PepsiHalftime #SuperBowl
pic.twitter.com/vLA5ICpt8W

— Austin Burke (@theBurk3nator) February 8, 2021

When you go to take a picture but you accidentally open the front-facing camera pic.twitter.com/njsxXz9mAD

— The Ringer (@ringer) February 8, 2021

A zoom call with horrible internet connection pic.twitter.com/F95T9zkJ6e

— Miles Garrett WSBT (@MilesGarrettTV) February 8, 2021

When my dad tries to FaceTime. #SuperBowl #TheWeeknd pic.twitter.com/3XGKAIhVa9

— Harrison (@TheHarriC) February 8, 2021

Losing my mom in the grocery store as a kid pic.twitter.com/5HqVNRz5XL

— The Wooderboys Podcast (@wooderboys) February 8, 2021

Me looking at food heating up in microwave. #TheWeeknd #SuperBowl #HalfTimeShow pic.twitter.com/w8maT7jMBJ

— Pranit Keny (@Pranitkeny) February 8, 2021

me and my cousin making a home video in 2007 #PepsiHalftime #TheWeeknd pic.twitter.com/T5OuZHkcIq

— Chloé (@chloescupoftea) February 8, 2021

You'll be seeing this everywhere for days, we just know it.

The light up words.

Words including 'long enough', 'alone', 'touch', 'feel nothing' and 'your mind' were lit up on the main set throughout the performance which... look:

Image: Getty.

We don't know if there's actual meanings behind the word choices, but in the context of 2021 they're all a little... confronting, actually.

The creative masks.

Speaking of confronting!

We are still in a pandemic and uh, this took place in Florida. so obviously masks were a pretty important part of the performance, for everyone's safety.

But these were not ordinary masks. They were cool masks.

Image: Getty.

Image: Getty.

Image: Getty.

Where would one find that sparkly full-face number? Asking for a friend.

'Blinding Lights'.

Okay, he definitely saved the best till last... and maybe gave the Grammys a taste of what they were missing out on after the award show's major snubbing of one of 2020's biggest songs.

the weeknd put literal crack in blinding lights because i could not tell you how many times i’ve heard it and i’m STILL not sick of it #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/BdMuNZDOro

— RISARAZZI (@WASMINYGRANDE) February 8, 2021

Hundreds of dancers entered the playing field dressed in face bandages and holding literal blinding lights and it was bloody awesome.

I mean, they missed an opportunity to do the infamous TikTok dance moves, but we can't always get everything we want.

The Weeknd really went literal with the blinding lights there in that fun house of nausea and light bulbs. My heads still spinning

— Brian Sutterer MD (@b_sutterer) February 8, 2021

I don't think we'll ever get sick of this song.

Feature Image: Getty.