The Weeknd, as a digital avatar, teased a new song and played his After Hours hits during TikTok’s “The Weeknd Experience” Friday, the Trump-targeted app’s “first-ever interactive augmented reality broadcast.”
The 20-minute performance featured virtual renditions of “Pray for Me,” “Blinding Lights,” “Save Your Tears,” the remix of “In Your Eyes” complete with a cameo by Doja Cat as her cat avatar and, at the seven-minute mark, a minute-long snippet of an unreleased song.
Throughout “The Weeknd Experience,” Abel Tesfaye’s avatar — dressed in his After Hours persona — embarked into a neon dream world as TikTok users interacted in the comments integrated into the action.
The Weeknd also used the show to fundraise for the Equal Justice Initiative, with TikTok matching donations that fans made in the app before the show airs. Proceeds for exclusive merchandise for the concert will also go to charity.
wishing you could watch @theweeknd‘s virtual interactive experience again? don’t worry, we gotchu. #TheWeekndEXP @TheWaveXR pic.twitter.com/XY0iuz8c0G
— TikTok (@tiktok_us) August 8, 2020
