The Weeknd is the second most listened to artist in the world, with 111 million monthly listeners. Whether it’s “Blinding Lights” or “The Hills,” almost everyone has heard one of his songs. However, nobody could have been prepared for the sheer energy that the number two artist brought this past weekend to Miami, Florida.
To witness the musical icon perform live, students of Pembroke Pines Charter High School (PPCHS) gathered at the Hard Rock Stadium. Following the concert, PPCHS students had many thoughts to share:
“The concert was ethereal! I literally felt like I was floating when he started singing ‘The Abyss.’ I don’t think there was a moment when I wasn’t dancing. My favorite moments were when he sang ‘I Was Never There,’ ‘One Of The Girls,’ and ‘São Paulo.’ I love those songs so it was like an out-of-body type of moment when he sang them. I was shocked that he cut ‘Wicked Games’ [out of the set list] because that song is so good and I was looking forward to it.” – Amina Stark, senior
“It [the concert] was such an amazing experience, and I’ve been a fan [of him] since before COVID, so hearing everything live was so surreal. I remember listening to ‘Blinding Lights’ during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I thought, ‘Wow, I love this.’ Since then, I’ve loved The Weeknd. I preordered the tour shirt online [because] I really wanted something to remember the concert [by], because it is his [Abel’s] last tour as The Weeknd.” – Sanjana Balla, junior
“My favorite part [of the concert] was the visuals that were used, like the lighting and the wristbands that lit up. If he had another concert, I would love if he had new guest performers, but overall it was such an amazing performance and [the crowd] was never too loud or too silent.” – Victoria Eason, senior
“My favorite song on The Weeknd’s set list was ‘Timeless’ and ‘Rather lie’ since both songs were performed by The Weeknd and Playboi Carti. Seeing both of them on stage together was truly so special and so much fun! I would go again because [Abel] says that this will be his last tour as ‘The Weekend,’ so experiencing him in another era of his career would be so fun.” – Julianna Hernandez, senior
“I have been a huge fan of The Weeknd’s music since fifth grade, so going to one of his shows has always been on my bucket list. I knew I needed to go when I found out that this was going to be his last concert going by the name ‘The Weeknd.’ My favorite moment was when Future came out as a surprise guest. It was an unexpected surprise, and it goes to show how much Abel loves Miami!” – Alisha Lenka, junior
“I loved [the concert]! It was my first concert ever, and I’ve always loved The Weeknd, so it was perfect. My favorite song was ‘Less Than Zero’ because it’s my favorite song on that album, and hearing it live was even better than I expected.” – Gabriana Bravo, senior
