The Weeknd Makes Surprise Appearance At 2025 Grammys With Performances Of “Cry For Me” & “Timeless” With Playboi Carti

Photo Credit: Richard Saethang

The Weeknd famously began boycotting the Grammys in 2021 after his blockbuster album After Hours received zero nominations, surprising snub that saw him accuse the Recording Academy of corruption. As of tonight, the boycott has been lifted, Stereogum reports.

The Weeknd – real name Abel Tesfaye – took to the stage at Crypto.com Arena to sing two songs from his freshly released album Hurry Up Tomorrow, “Cry For Me” and “Timeless.” Playboi Carti, who will open for the Weeknd’s upcoming tour, showed up to perform his verse on the latter song.

The performance was preceded by a speech in which Grammys CEO Harvey Mason Jr. acknowledged Tesfaye’s criticisms and pointed to his return as evidence that, A) the Recording Academy can learn and grow, and B) music can bring us together. Watch clips of both songs below:

Lauren Rettig: Lauren is a writer and student at York College of Pennsylvania. Her creative work includes collaborations with The York Review and The Rough Draft Podcast, while her academic work has taken her to the Mid-Atlantic Writing Centers Association's 2024 conference. When she's not writing, Lauren spends her time listening to COIN and playing The Sims 4.
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