At Gillette, the Weeknd made his case for being the reigning male artist in pop music
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
On Tuesday night at Gillette, Tesfaye continued the heavy lifting, piling platinum songs atop diamond singles during the first of two nights in town for his 'After Hours 'Til Dawn Stadium Tour.' The current slew of shows toasts the artist's last three records: 'After Hours,' 'Dawn FM,' and this year's release, 'Hurry Up Tomorrow,' all chapters of a trilogy that Tesfaye has been fleshing out since 2020.
Advertisement
The Weeknd performs at Gillette Stadium.
Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
'I said, 'next time I come back, we're doing this [expletive] twice,'' Tesfaye said, referencing a thought from his one-show visit to Foxborough in 2022.
Advertisement
If manifesting
Such supersized production elements could only be dwarfed by the magnitude of Tesfaye's catalog. While the evening focused largely on material from the aforementioned trilogy of albums, all seven of the artist's No. 1 songs surfaced throughout the night. Most notably, 'The Hills' set the catwalk ablaze with timed pyrotechnics as Tesfaye prowled through the hedonistic hit, and he later transformed the fluttering synths of 'Die For You' into a touching devotional for the crowd.
And while era-defining chart-toppers like 'Can't Feel My Face' or 'Blinding Lights' would have been natural choices for an ecstatic finale, Tesfaye offered the two dance songs earlier in the set, and instead chose to stick the landing with a smaller hit, the Swedish House Mafia collab 'Moth To A Flame' ('smaller' here meaning it boasts 'only' one billion Spotify streams).
'Like a moth to a flame, I'll pull you in, I pulled you back to what you need initially,' he sang, harnessing the devotion that earned him two consecutive shows at Gillette – and could very well earn him a third on his next tour.
Your move, Sheeran.
THE WEEKND
Advertisement
With Playboi Carti and Mike Dean
At Gillette Stadium, Tuesday
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Which Album Has Been Your Favorite of 2025 So Far? Vote!
We're only six months into 2025, but already a number of artists have dropped albums that have topped the charts, sparked discourse and shaped this year's culture as we know it. And with that in mind, it's difficult to choose a favorite. Bad Bunny reasserted his status at the forefront of Latin pop with Debí Tirar Más Fotos, while Lady Gaga made her return to dark dance-pop with the critically acclaimed Mayhem. Miley Cyrus, The Weeknd and Morgan Wallen also reemerged with new products in the first half of the year, dropping Something Beautiful, Hurry Up Tomorrow and I'm the Problem, respectively. More from Billboard The 50 Best Albums of 2025 So Far (Staff Picks) Cold Chisel Announce 'Big Five-0' Live Album to Celebrate 50-Year Legacy Lorde Fans Say 'Virgin' CD Doesn't Work in Most Players But in addition to those already established artists, multiple up-and-comers have scored breakout moments with new LPs as well. Addison Rae unveiled her first-ever full-length, Addison, while Tate McRae scored her very first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with So Close to What. One soundtrack also made waves in 2025: Sinners, which featured music from the film's leading lady, Hailee Steinfeld, as well as Rhiannon Giddens, Brittany Howard, Buddy Guy and more. But despite the high volume of great releases, Billboard staff still managed to assemble a list of our favorite LPs of the year thus far, from high-profile pop and hip-hop drops to less splashy but equally mighty indie and alt-rock albums. Now, it's your turn — we want to know which of those albums grabbed your ears the most in the past six months. Tell us which set has been your favorite in the first half of 2025 by voting in the poll below. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Boston Globe
Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular: How to watch, who's performing, and everything you need to know
A view of Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular from the roof of MIT's Green Building on July 4, 2024. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff What time are the fireworks? There's nothing quite like the grand finale of the annual Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, as the show closes out with a performance of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture as cannons blast and fireworks ignite the sky over the Charles. The big ending is scheduled to take place around 9:40 p.m. this year. Advertisement Who's performing? The 2025 concert is a milestone one for conductor Keith Lockhart, as this year marks LeAnn Rimes headlines the 2025 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular. Courtesy Joining Lockhart this year is two-time Grammy winner LeAnn Rimes, with the 'How Do I Live' singer set to headline the show. Fresh off of his Advertisement What you need to know before seeing the concert live The free concert draws hundreds of thousands of people to the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade each year, so if you plan on attending in person, make sure to get there early. According to Revelers enjoying the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on July 4, 2024. Erin Clark/Globe Staff Bag and item screenings will be in place at the entrances, which will be closed once capacity is reached, with no re-entry allowed. Attendees should plan to leave backpacks and coolers on wheels at home, as well as glass containers and drones. Other prohibited items include firearms, weapons, and sharp objects; fireworks; canned, alcoholic, and pre-mixed beverages; plus grilling equipment, propane tanks, and open flames. Attendees, however, are allowed to bring liquids that are in sealed, clear plastic containers that are no more than two liters in size; pop-up tents and canopies with no sides and no bigger than 10' by 10' (tents must be taken down by 6 p.m. to not obstruct views of the concert); blankets and tarps that are no larger than 10' by 10'; folding and beach chairs; as well as coolers that have a single handle or a shoulder strap (no wheels). Bicycles will only be allowed outside of the Oval and island sections, but must not be left unattended. Advertisement Matt Juul can be reached at
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
Fireworks designer Matt Shea orchestrates the skies over the Boston Pops July 4th celebration
Last week, Shea was in Somerville setting up the first of many displays of the season. If Boston's Fourth 'is the matriarch of fireworks shows,' he said, 'think of this as a baby brother.' Advertisement Matt Shea of Pyrotecnico stands in front of one of his barges in Somerville. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff Where to find him : Age : 58 Originally from : Andover Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Lives in : Jaffrey, N.H. Making a living : As Pyrotecnico regional manager, Shea works in sales and oversees some of the more than 200 fireworks displays the company stages in the Northeast this week. Empty mortars wait for firework shells as fireworks company Pyrotecnico prepares for a show. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff How he started : In 1991, Shea helped Steve Pelkey of 'I started doing what a lot of the people who work for me today do,' Shea said. 'They're part-time hobbyists. They get paid. It's a part-time job for them.' In 1998 he joined Pelkey's company. 'Pyromusicals were new, and I started working with clients on their music. Then it became understanding the scripting side,' Shea said. 'I fell into the design part just because I was on the ground floor.' Advertisement Pelkey sold the company to Pyrotecnico in 2022. Becky Plotkin (left) and Josiah Polese, both of Boston, watch the 2024 fireworks show designed by Matt Shea of Pyrotecnico at the Charles River Esplanade. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff What he makes : 'We design oohs and ahhs,' Shea said. Materials : Firework shells are humble-looking paper packages handmade in China. 'A shell is basically a papier-mâché ball,' said Shea. 'Inside of it are what we call stars. They're black powder that's mixed with different metal salts to create the different colors.' 'They're kind of like little Everlasting Gobstoppers,' he said. Shells holding fireworks are loaded into mortars as the fireworks company Pyrotecnico prepares for a show. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff How he works : To prep, Shea revisits last year's show. 'I watch the commands, the cues, the types of fireworks I used, and the sequences,' he said. Then he goes to work on the new one. After about 100hours, 'I submit it to my team. The team builds it, puts it in boxes, packages it, and it sits in our magazine.' In late June, he confirms the music is in place. 'Then I spend probably about eight hours uninterrupted, and I just clean it up, clean it up, clean it up.' This week, the barges go in the water Monday. It takes a couple of days to load shells into mortars, and Shea's team leaves wiggle room. 'We always want to make sure we have the 3rd of July, and we're 100% ready to go,' he said. The finale of the 2024 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular performance designed by Matt Shea of Pyrotecnico at the Hatch Memorial Shell along the Charles River Esplanade. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff Advice for pyrotechnic designers : Learn the basics. 'Before you can figure out what you're going to put in the sky,' Shea said, 'you have to know what's on the ground that's going to shoot it.'
