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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.”

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Artist Spotlight

Cheryl Craigie reimagines “What’s Going On” through a classic soul lens

Cheryl Craigie

Some songs belong to an era, and others keep talking to every generation. Cheryl Craigie’s cover of “What’s Going On is a prime example of the latter, imbuing a classic soul sensibility into a song whose themes of compassion, understanding, unity, and concern for others are as relevant today as ever.

Cheryl Craigie is an independent singer, songwriter, and musician, and she has a strong artistic purpose with this release. She does Marvin Gaye’s beloved original justice while letting the timeless message sing in her own voice. Craigie’s approach is to speak to the need for kindness and human connection.

“What’s Going On is rooted in a timeless identity that is soulful and classic in style, and emotionally it’s about reflection and empathy. This approach relies on the vocal performance, which injects a unique element that helps magnify the song’s bigger message. The production does not detract from the themes that make the song so long-lasting, but rather supports the release by reinforcing its classic character.

What’s particularly interesting about Cheryl Craigie’s release is the balance she strikes between respecting the source material and asserting her own artistic presence. She knows the power of a song already part of music history and uses her interpretation to reconnect listeners with its core ideas. For Craigie, “What’s Going On” is a manifestation of an artist in love with music, with emotional and social weight, and of using her voice to carry the ageless soul message forward.

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Artist Spotlight

With “Who Am I Now” Intaluks explores identity, healing, and renewal

Intaluks

“Who Am I Now” is the Intaluks’ method of shifting the atmospheric emotion, an introspective melodic trance on loss, identity, healing, and the hard work of rebuilding when life takes an unexpected turn. The musical direction is a slow emotional journey, starting in darkness and gradually opening to hope and renewal.

This production frames that journey with expressive male vocals, emotional piano, and trance textures. “Who Am I Now” leaves its mark in the feel department through progression and atmosphere, not with a dramatic festival-type drop. The arrangement gives the song a reflective feel but still maintains the forward momentum of melodic trance.

The male delivery lends a human presence to the themes of uncertainty and self-reconstruction in the song’s vocals. The track tells of an inner journey, accompanied by the piano, the cinematic production, and the experience of confronting a changed reality, asking yourself who you are now, and slowly finding the strength to move forward.

Rather than relying on spectacle, Intaluks focuses on emotional development, letting the song’s mood build organically rather than through a traditional climax. The result is a trance piece so cinematic it feels as much about reflection as it does about forward motion, connecting electronic atmosphere with a highly personal theme. In “Who Am I Now,” Intaluks offers a release defined by transition rather than closure. The sound is its greatest triumph, reflecting that journey and making darkness the beginning of a brighter artistic path.

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