In an incredibly badly timed social media moment, The Weeknd tweeted his excitement about an upcoming announcement just as reports emerged that Russia had begun a missile assault on Ukraine.
"LET’S GOOOOOOOO," the 32-year-old singer wrote on Wednesday. For some users, the tweet appeared on their timelines at the exact moment a barrage of media outlets broke the news of the invasion being escalated.
@ricksavage @theweeknd This is what I saw 😂
A series of explosions rocked multiple cities across Ukraine, with Russia predominately targeting airports, residential areas, and military targets. Videos showed the bombings starting across the country and Russian troops invading. A humanitarian crisis is beginning, with millions of lives at risk. Photos emerged of long traffic jams of people trying to flee Kyiv, and of Ukrainians desperately hiding in subway stations from the rocket attacks.
Which made it not an ideal moment for a flippant "LET’S GOOOOOOOO" tweet.
Two hours later, The Weeknd apologized for the timing.
He said in a tweet: "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 🙏🏾."
He posted earlier that day to build anticipation for a big announcement, but it's still not clear what it was, though some think it could be related to the upcoming HBO show he's producing. He released an album, Dawn FM, on Jan. 7.
And people immediately pointed out that the tweet wasn't the best marketing campaign.
@theweeknd Bro tweeted this while WW3 going on 😭
@theweeknd aye man this is the worst time to say this
@theweeknd you just got drafted ?
@theweeknd the weeknd pro putin era, little surprised ngl
@theweeknd this ukrain’t it
One user noted that The Weeknd tweeted a similar message when his album After Hours came out in March 2020.
The Weeknd wasn't the only major account to face backlash over their social media posts during the beginning of a land invasion.
A poorly timed post from Prime Video might not have even been an accident, since it was shared via iPhone.
(now is the time to turn off your scheduled tweets)
Andy Cohen brought Wordle into the discourse on his Instagram story (it wouldn't even be a good first word since it repeats the "E").
Andy? 😭😭😭😭
John Cena promoted the character he plays in a new HBO Max show.
If I could somehow summon the powers of a real life #Peacemaker I think this would be a great time to do so.
It's hard to discern what's socially acceptable to share online as a potential war unfolds before our eyes, but vague excitement and self-promotion probably aren't it.