As expected, The Weeknd did not disappoint when he opened Sunday's MTV VMAs [1]. Clad in his now-signature red and black suit, a bloodied and bruised The Weeknd performed his hit "Blinding Lights" from over 1,000 feet above Manhattan on the observation deck from Edge at Hudson Yards.
The song is about drunk driving [2], and in a recent interview with Esquire, The Weeknd explained, "'Blinding Lights' [is about] how you want to see someone at night, and you're intoxicated, and you're driving to this person and you're just blinded by streetlights, but nothing could stop you from trying to go see that person, because you're so lonely. I don't want to ever promote drunk driving, but that's what the dark undertone is."
It's a big night for The Weeknd, who scored six nominations at this year's ceremony [4], including artist of the year and best R&B for "Blinding Lights." It also marked his second time performing at the show following his fiery debut in 2015 [5].