The Weeknd did not read the room — or the news cycle — when some poorly timed tweets were published on his account.The “Blinding Lights” singer tweeted “LET’S GOOOOOOOO” on Wednesday night right as news broke that Russia was launching an attack on Ukraine.The tweet, which initially had no context, didn’t look great paired with the breaking news that Russian President Vladimir Putin was carrying out a long-feared invasion of the former Soviet republic.It seems that the 32-year-old Canadian musician was hyping some mysterious project that was to be announced on Thursday because, not long after the initial tweet, more clueless posts soon followed.it’s FINALLY HERE ! It’s time .. TOMORROW !!!— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) February 23, 2022
It is unclear if these tweets were published in real time or had been scheduled to post, but about two hours later, The Weeknd tweeted an acknowledgment of his ignorance. “unfortunately i’m just now seeing what’s happening with the conflict,” he tweeted, adding that he would postpone his announcement.“I pray for everyone’s safety,” he concluded.unfortunately i’m just now seeing what’s happening with the conflict and will pause on tomorrow’s announcement. i pray for everyone’s safety. 🙏🏾— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) February 24, 2022
Reports of the international crisis Thursday include horrifying details about the wide-ranging attacks that left destruction and fatalities in their wake, including video footage of Ukrainian civilians in Kharkiv sheltering in subway stations during airstrikes. The Weeknd was by no means the only celebrity to publish social media posts that came off as insensitive or oblivious to the invasion as news about it was unfolding.Amazon Prime Video also got scolded for its social media mishap.And we’re not even sure what former “90210” star AnnaLynne McCord was trying to accomplish in her bizarre “Imagine”-like fiasco video about mothering Putin that she published on Thursday on Instagram — but in her case, she does seem very much aware of the news.