The Weeknd is the biggest music artist in the world right now. That much you may have divined already, but – for anyone who was there – the star's Wednesday night Dublin concert surely confirmed that he really has earned that title.

He's always been a grafter. Deploying mixtapes and online videos to superb effect, The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfaye) rose to the heights by continually pushing the boundaries of his music and his art. He has confounded expectations along the way, and occasionally exasperated audiences. But he has been endlessly creative and resourceful.

The stage set in Marlay Park – the gig was part of his After Hours Til Dawn tour – was truly something to behold. A vast metallic cityscape stretched across the stage, filled with avatars of ruined yet recognisable landmarks, including the Empire State Building, the Toronto Tower and St. Paul's Cathedral.

From the front of the main stage, a runway stretched the length of the park, along which at different moments spotlights, pyrotechnics, a large glowing silver robotic figure and an enormous inflated moon played. Clearly, we were in for a spectacle.

A single synth note heightened the sense of anticipation as – amid a cloak of smoke – dancers dressed all in white, emerged on stage. The singer, of course, is no stranger to using synths, and increasingly draws on 80s-inspired sounds for his music.

Then Tesfaye himself materialised amid the fog, launching into a rip-roaring, synth-filled version of 'Take my Breath'. The Weeknd had started with a winner.

The ground seemed to be shaking as virtually everyone in the audience shifted forward to get as close as possible to the star, also dressed all in white. The dancers in white body robes enigmatically struck poses which had more in common with performance art than choreography.

The Weeknd at Marlay Park on June 28th, 2023. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

For the first two songs, he donned a metallic mask that covered his entire face, equal parts MF Doom and The Phantom of The Opera. Following a fantastic rendition of another Dawn FM classic 'Sacrifice', the mask was removed. He dispensed with the long white trench coat too, going on – fashion fans please note! – to perform the rest of the set in what looked like comfortable loose-fitting combat gear.

"I wanna know what it feels like to be in Dublin!" the singer screamed, revelling in the crowd-worship, after his opening two hits. You could tell that he was enjoying himself: throughout the performance, the Weeknd regularly spoke to the audience. The music may rely on sombre stage sets, cold synth sonics, and lyrical explorations of the dark corners of the soul, but that doesn't stop The Weeknd making sure that you know he’s having lots of fun.

The Weeknd at Marlay Park on June 28th, 2023. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

There's fun for the audience too. During a magnificent performance of Kanye West's 'Hurricane' (on the original of which Abel features), the runway shoots out towering beams of fire at strategic moments. Even the harshest cynics couldn't but be impressed by what was an impressively dramatic display.

While synth-pop informs the singer's sound in After Hours and Dawn FM, and he is capable of a delicate croon, The Weeknd equally embodies the spirit of hip hop, and – on this evidence – truly follows its one mic ethos. Pacing back and forth down the runway, he frequently appeared to be more of an MC than a pop singer.

Overall, he delivered a staggering 37 hits in quick succession, including 'Starboy', 'Heartless' and 'Out of Time', played back-to-back as the rain fell.

The Weeknd at Marlay Park on June 28th, 2023. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Tesfaye has recently been heard discussing the possibility that this might be his final tour, at least in the guise of the character that is the Weeknd. If that is indeed what comes to pass, you could see his performance as both a perfect summation of what the Weeknd was about, and a powerful and impressive way to bow out.

The singer hit real high points with the global No.1 smash hit 'Blinding Lights', as well as pop meisterwerks like 'I Feel it Coming' and 'Kiss Land', the title track of a debut album that nearly saw the Weeknd's career derailed.

By the end, the concert felt like a victory lap, celebrating his status as the new King of (post-hip hop retro-futurist neo-cold wave alternative R&B) Pop. And if The Weeknd’s vocals are as live as they appear to be, this was also an enormously impressive display of his gifts as a vocalist as he shifted from a quivering falsetto to soaring passages with a laser-like precision.

On one level, the Weeknd may draw on the same well as the biggest stars in pop music history, but the real beauty of it is that Abel Tesfaye exists in a singularity of his own invention. Hopefully, there'll be more to come from him, in whatever guise he chooses next.