Top 5 iconic moments in music in 2021: From Adele’s comeback to The Weeknd’s Superbowl debut
The world became unbearable in 2021 as the deadly coronavirus pandemic hit us hard but it was music that helped us sail through the strenuous times. Some of the top global artistes made sure the world became a better place — all thanks to their heartwarming music and a few surprises that became some of the top iconic moments of this year.
Live performances returned and award shows were attended. Whether it was The Weeknd’s mind-blowing performance at Super Bowl LV Halftime Show in February or Adele’s stunning comeback with her new album ‘30’ after a gap of six years or Britney Spears finally getting free from her conservatorship after 13 years, these emotional moments will surely be etched in our minds for a long time. As the year ends, we reflect at these iconic moments one last time.
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The Weeknd’s debut at Super Bowl LV Halftime Show
Weeks after The Weeknd ensued chaos after boycotting Grammys for not nominating his album ‘Blinding Lights’ at the coveted award ceremony, the R&B crooner gave an enthralling kickstart to the year with his Super Bowl LV Halftime Show. His debut at the renowned stage came with his impressive catalog. The Weeknd performed for 14 minutes and made sure the fans got hooked to his bangers like ‘Starboy’, ‘The Hills’, ‘Can’t Feel My Face’, ‘House Of Balloons’ and ‘Blinding Lights’ among others.
The highlight of the showcase was The Weeknd marching at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida with hundreds of background dancers wearing the same red suit and bandaged face the singer made popular by wearing at every public appearance.
Adele makes much-awaited comeback
Adele made her fans wait for six years before she finally dropped her fourth studio album ‘30’. The British crooner had started dropping hints about the album in 2020 but it was not until November 2021 that music lovers finally got to hear her sad and heartbreaking tunes. The album focused on divorce, motherhood, the scrutiny of fame, while also shedding light on heartache, acceptance and hope. Adele followed up the album’s hype with a thrilling performance for a televised UK concert special called ‘An Audience With Adele’.
Britney Spears tastes freedom from conservatorship
Britney Spears got into a legal conservatorship in the year 2008 that made her father the decision-maker of all the major aspects of her life but thanks to her loyal fans, she finally tasted freedom from the conservatorship after grueling 13 years. The singer’s conservatorship ended in November 2021 that proved to be one of the biggest music moments of 2021. A campaign started by Britney’s fans called the ‘#FreeBritney’ movement was one of the main reasons why the singer could walk out of her father’s dark shadow.
The singer had also shared a short clip of her first time flying a plane right after she tasted the freedom from conservatorship. She had captioned the post as, “On cloud 9 right now!!!! First time flying a plane and first time in a prop plane!!! Geez I was scared!!! Pssss bringing the ship home, JL ... Stay classy beautiful people !!!! New pics coming soon.”
ABBA returns to music after 40-year hiatus
One of the biggest music moments of 2021 was undeniably ABBA shocking the world with their return to music. The iconic Swedish pop-rock band took music lovers by storm after they dropped a brand new album called ‘Voyage’ in November 2021 nearly 40 years after they split up. ABBA even shared digital avatars of the members and took it to Instagram with the caption, “Meet the digital avatars of Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid, as they will appear in the @ABBAVoyage concert. Link in bio for last chance to pre-order ‘Voyage’ before midday.” The album ended up reaching the top 10 make it a first for the group in decades. It even scored a Grammy nomination making it a perfect comeback.
Kanye West vs Drake: The iconic clash
Hip-hop too squeezed in to make one of the biggest music moments of 2021. Hip-hop fans were in for a treat when Kanye West hyped his 10th album ‘Donda’ with multiple livestream events and eventually delaying the album with an intention to clash it with his then-rival Drake. All is good between the two now after they recently performed at Free Larry Hoover’s benefit concert. Kanye’s album ‘Donda’ proved to be a surprise drop on August 29 as Drake’s sixth album called ‘Certified Lover Boy’ aka CLB dropped a week later. The two also took subtle digs at each other on social media giving hip-hop fans the beef they were looking for.
Honorable mentions:
Olivia Rodrigo’s debut with ‘drivers license’ in January, Ariana Grande getting married to Dalton Gomez in May, A$AP Rocky and Rihanna making their relationship official in May, and ‘The Beatles: Get Back’ documentary getting released in November.