In the weeks leading up to the Weeknd’s performance at the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show this Sunday, many people have commented on the full-face bandages he’s worn in recent photos and during his performance on the American Music Awards. Variety caught up with the Weeknd this week during a break from Super Bowl rehearsals and asked a few questions about them (his answers appear below), but first, a little backstory:

Back in November of 2019, the Weeknd launched his “After Hours” album cycle with a pair of songs — the smash singles and videos “Blinding Lights” (which was Variety‘s Hitmakers Record of the Year) and “Heartless” — that began the red-jacketed, busted-nose character and his bad-night-in-Las-Vegas storyline that has continued through many of his videos, TV and awards show appearances.

The Weeknd spoke with Variety about the videos in our cover story back in April, but didn’t reveal much: “This character is having a really bad night, and you can come with your own interpretation of what it is.” That bad night starts off with a few too many drinks and a fight, but then the story becomes more surreal, apparently involving possession by an evil spirit, decapitation and more.

And just when the bandaged-nose started to seem normal, the Weeknd appeared with his face fully wrapped in bandages during his literally explosive appearance on the American Music Awards in November, like a person who’d just had plastic surgery — and the “Save Your Tears” video made it look like that’s exactly what happened. However, his new Super Bowl ad, released Tuesday, shows him looking completely normal.

Over the past few weeks, the internet has been full of chatter, memes and confusion, with many fans wondering what the bandages mean, and whether he will continue the theme at the Super Bowl. What’s going on? The Weeknd answers a few — but by no means all — of our questions below.

The significance of the entire head bandages is reflecting on the absurd culture of Hollywood celebrity and people manipulating themselves for superficial reasons to please and be validated.

It’s all a progression and we watch The Character’s storyline hit heightened levels of danger and absurdity as his tale goes on.

I suppose you could take that being attractive isn’t important to me but a compelling narrative is.

Why not play with the character and the artist and let those lines blur and move around?

I don’t know, I’d have to ask him.

A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast