Miguel put on a spellbinding performance that still has everyone talking days after he hit the stage. The singer put on a four-song set on Aug. 25 to promote his upcoming album “VISCERA” at Sony Studios in Los Angeles.
However, fans who were expecting him to belt out new music got far more than they ever could have imagined.
As he prepared to preview his new record, “Ropes,” a topless Miguel had assistants place two hooks into his back, just above the top of his shoulder blades, and suspend him over the stage.
For four minutes, he sang the song, which was written in 2018 during a period of depression, with emotional grovels of pain. The lyrics include,“ I’m hanging on to nothing / I’m hanging from the ceiling / Rope around my neck.”
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2018 also marked the year he married his longtime girlfriend Nazanin Mandi. They were together for a total of 17 years when they pulled the plug on their relationship in October 2022. Their divorce was finalized this past July.
The shock of the stunt provoked a range of reactions from social media users. “Miguel pierced his back and put hooks in it to perform mid-air and promote his upcoming album. This level of dedication to art is INSANE,” tweeted one person.
A second person declared, “Miguel… you ain’t got no songs out that calls for you to act like this!!”
Another user comically wrote, “Bruh want wings so bad be fr dude.” While a fourth commented, “This can’t be a SURE THING.”
More than a few claimed the body suspension fit the narrative of the music industry being “demonic” and opted to pray that the crooner be covered by the “blood of Jesus.”
In an early August feature for the Los Angeles Times, Miguel spoke about the “Viscera Experience” concert and the temporary piercings.
“Initially it was a bit of, ‘What is the most extreme way to push outside of what’s expected?’ How far can I go in demonstrating how far I’m willing to go for art, for conversation?” he told the outlet. “I couldn’t have known how committed I was to the real purpose of this s—t until I had hooks in my back.”
Though the album’s release date has not been announced, Miguel certainly has all eyes on him. “Viscera” will mark his first project release since 2017’s “War & Leisure.”