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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The Weeknd returned to the Grammy stage at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on February 2, 2025, performing “Cry For Me” and “Timeless.” It was his first Grammy appearance since 2017, but the performance alone does not establish that he has permanently resumed submitting music for Grammy consideration.
What The Weeknd performed at the 2025 Grammys
The Recording Academy described the surprise segment as a medley of “Cry For Me” and “Timeless.” Both songs are singles from Hurry Up Tomorrow, which was released on January 31, two days before the ceremony. Playboi Carti, a collaborator on “Timeless,” featured in that part of the performance. The Recording Academy’s February 3 recap called it The Weeknd’s first Grammy appearance since 2017; CBS News’ contemporaneous report also covered the return.
Why The Weeknd stopped submitting music
After receiving no nominations for the 2021 Grammy Awards, The Weeknd criticized the Recording Academy and stopped submitting his music. The Academy later described his objections as concerns about “a lack of transparency and fairness in the awards process.” CBS reported that he had called the Academy “corrupt.” Those are criticisms attributed to The Weeknd, not independently established findings about how Grammy voting operated.
What the Academy said had changed
Before introducing The Weeknd, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. spoke about the organization’s response to criticism and changes to its membership and voting process. In the Academy’s recap, Mason said: “Criticism is ok. I heard him, and I felt his conviction. What we all want is an organization dedicated to the well-being of all music makers, and one that reflects the entire music community, for now, and for future generations.”
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Mason also cited changes to the voting membership. These figures are his statements in the Academy’s 2025 ceremony speech, rather than independently audited estimates established by the cited coverage:
- More than 3,000 women voting members had been added.
- Nearly 40 percent of the electorate were people of color.
- Sixty-six percent of members were new since the transformation began.
- 13,000 voting members nominated peers and voted for winners that year.
CBS reported that the Academy said nominees were then based solely on member votes. In its account, review committees had previously selected top nominees in several major categories from candidates ranked by member votes. That description is CBS’s account of the Academy’s explanation; it does not by itself establish every voting rule or show that the changes resolved the fairness concerns.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Did the performance end the boycott?
It ended The Weeknd’s absence from the Grammy stage, not necessarily his decision about future submissions. The Academy presented his return after Mason’s remarks about reforms, but the sequence does not prove that The Weeknd endorsed every change or that he had agreed to resume submitting music.
There is also a plausible album-promotion reading. In an Associated Press analysis of the ceremony, music journalist Peter A. Berry said, “He performed to promote his new album.” That is Berry’s interpretation of the timing, not a confirmed statement of The Weeknd’s motive. The appearance was a return to perform; the cited coverage does not establish a permanent change in his submission policy. The Associated Press analysis discussed the performance in the context of the album release.
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- Limited EDITION: Special release of The Weeknd's 'Dawn FM' album featuring a uniquely signed insert, making it a must-have for dedicated fans
- EXCLUSIVE CONTENT: Double CD format containing the complete 'Dawn FM' album along with additional bonus tracks
- PACKAGING: Premium album packaging featuring striking cosmic artwork with an orange-tinted face design against a starlit background
- PARENTAL ADVISORY: Album carries explicit content warning, ensuring buyers are informed about mature lyrical content
- AUTHENTICITY: Includes genuine artist-signed insert, adding significant collectible value to this special edition release
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