‘SNL’: Here’s Why The Weeknd Was Sporting a Bloody Nose During His Performances

While The Weeknd put on an impressive set of performances this past weekend on SNL in a re-run of the March 7 episode from the award-winning NBC sketch comedy series, the Canadian singer raised some eyebrows with his latest look. Many viewers were left wondering about his apparent bloody nose, which made quite an impression with audiences. The singer-songwriter sported gauze over his face and dried blood around his nose, prompting many to wonder if he had really been hurt. As die-hard fans know, it is all part of his act.

Promoting his upcoming album, After Hours, the release comes with a very distinct visual aesthetic, linking all of the album art and music videos so far. He began his performances on the show with his recent single “Blinding Lights,” which has been out since January. The music video begins of a shot with him wearing bloody gauze over his nose, then depicts how he got the injury within the loose story told by his work.

Other songs seem to follow the same story, including his latest, the “After Hours” short film. He carried this same visual aesthetic over to his SNL performances, bringing a level of depth rarely seen in SNL‘s musical guest performances.

The overall story of the videos follows The Weeknd in his red suit out on a night on the town. The injuries to his face come from an encounter with some bouncers, who leave him worse for wear. However, that is far from the end of his night.

For those that were not expecting it, however, The Weeknd’s bloody visage was a shock. Many posted about it on social media, wondering if it was real or not. If it was, some thought it should have been cleaned up better before he got on live TV.

“OK… I guess I’m too old, but what’s with the blood all over [The Weeknd’s] face?” one person tweeted. “I’m sure it means something, but I have no clue what. That being said, he sings great live.”

“[The Weeknd] need to have the #snl Team change his Bandages [and] Clean his FACE UP!” added another.

“Wait, why is the Weeknd performing like he’s broken his nose with other blood coming down his face?” wondered a third.

The Weeknd wore his bloody costume for his other SNL performance as well, where he sang his song “Scared to Live.” The episode is available to stream now on Hulu or to watch in clips on the Saturday Night Live YouTube channel. It is unclear when the next episode of SNL will air in light of the coronavirus pandemic, but stay glued to PopCulture.com for the latest updates!