Music
The Weeknd Stirs Up Anticipation For His Super Bowl Halftime Show In A New Pepsi Commercial
Pepsi also revealed they won’t have any ads during the big game this year and will instead ‘double down’ on the halftime show. …
While The Weeknd was understandably peeved about not securing any Grammy nominations for this year, he’s getting ready to do something that no other Grammy nominee will do in 2021: headline the Super Bowl halftime show. The big game is set to go down on February 7, and ahead of then, The Weeknd has teamed with Pepsi (the sponsor of the halftime show) for a new ad to get fans hyped about the performance.
The 60-second spot shows people at home and in various other everyday environments singing along to “Blinding Lights.” It ends with The Weeknd himself pulling up to a toll gate, much to the surprise of the employee in the booth. Variety notes this is “the first time the musician at the center of the [halftime show] has taken part in a Pepsi ad campaign in advance of the effort.”
Meanwhile, Pepsi also revealed that they have decided to not air any ads for their flagship drink during the big game this year (that’s not to say that other PepsiCo brands like Gatorade and Doritos won’t have a commercial presence).
Todd Kaplan, Pepsi’s vice president of marketing, told Variety, “We are going to double down on our existing 12 minutes in the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show in the middle of the Super Bowl, and we are going to build it out like we have never built it out before.” He said that while Super Bowl advertisers “are talking and fighting for 30 seconds” of attention, Pepsi wants “to focus our efforts on making [the halftime show] a critical moment for the brand.” Kaplan also said of the game and halftime show, “There is a desire for a bit of escapism and surface-level entertainment, not being constantly reminded [of the pandemic]. We think that’s the role that sports and music play for us, providing that sense of normalcy.”
Check out the new ad above.
Artist Spotlight
“the wash” by SUUNCAAT turns an ordinary chore into a surreal journey through time
SUUNCAAT’s new single “the wash” dives into new depths of one of life’s most common routines. The track turns the weekly chore of laundry into a surreal setting where time, identity, repetition, and the odd details of daily life start to bleed into each other. It’s a bright, complexly melodic song that makes you return to moments they might otherwise have skipped.
“the wash” is built on the dance of repetition and time. The routine might be the same week after week, but the person living it is constantly changing. That tension gives the single an interesting emotional depth. It’s a familiar act, returning to the same task, and it reminds us that time moves on, even when life can seem as though it has stopped.
The tune is complex enough to support its unconventional point of view musically. “the wash” isn’t simply about washing clothes, but a larger statement about mundane moments signaling a personal shift. The music is full of a sense of discovery that begs listeners to find their own meaning in the repetition.
Adding a visual layer to SUUNCAAT’s investigation of the ordinary and the uncanny, Tokyo-based photographer Tiana Suzuki created the visuals and music video for the track, with Lew Husbands mastering. SUUNCAAT’s new single shows that even a weekly chore can be a way to learn about ourselves and how fast time goes by.
Artist Spotlight
“Sing-Along Songs (Album Version)” finds new energy for Arn-Identified Flying Objects and Alien Friends
Arn-Identified Flying Objects And Alien Friends returns to “Sing-Along Songs (Album Version),” with an album version more consistent with the track’s original creative vision. The song came out in 2024 and featured an unusual mix of upbeat music and ironic lyrics that contextualized dark times.
This new version keeps that distinction but makes the arrangement a little spikier, punkier, and more playful. It blends indie pop and pop punk, fusing punk and power pop with a dash of folk rock. The more upbeat music works especially well against the darker outlook at the heart of the writing, creating a tension that keeps the track interesting rather than too serious.
The most obvious change is the intro, which now feels more in line with the original direction the song was meant to take. Co-producer David Myhr’s background vocals add some lift to the second and third choruses. Another key revision is the updated production.
The different parts of the track have more room to play off each other, with a stronger cohesive overall presentation and a more consistent, clear mix from beginning to end. “Sing-Along Songs (Album Version)” feels like a deliberate refinement, and Arn-Identified Flying Objects and Alien Friends take the new version and grind the song’s contrasting moods for a more polished, playful take on an already upbeat tune.
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