The Weeknd premiered some new music during a virtual concert over the weekend.
Abel performed as part ofThe Weeknd Experience, an interactive concert presented by TikTok. During the show, his avatar took the audience “on an epicAfter Hoursjourney” included whatComplexdescribed as “trippy creative effects” and hashtag challenges. It was a big hit, at one point even crashing the TikTok app when 200,000-plus people were live-voting on whether a virtual Weeknd should lick a frog.
The concert for a cause also raised funds for the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit with the goal of ending mass incarceration. TikTok matched those funds, and allowed fans to donate through the app or buy exclusive merch inspired by the experience.