ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½

Those who attended the phenomenal return of ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ prodigal son Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. The Weeknd, to the Rogers Centre for the first time in almost three years Sunday night, witnessed an awakening, if not a rejuvenation, of sorts for the performer.

Over his two-hours-and-change, extended “After Hours Til Dawn” extravaganza, which thrilled an estimated 40,000 diehards for the first of four shows, the demeanour of the Scarborough-born superstar seemed somewhat removed from his 2022 appearance around the launch of “Dawn FM,” the second album of a trilogy that includes 2020’s “After Hours” and its conclusive “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” released earlier this year.

Whereas the initial leg of the “After Hours Til Dawn” tour found Tesfaye conveying a more earnest tone in concert with the concept he was presenting, he’s certainly lightened up on the preciousness with this current jaunt.

That’s not to say the theatrical aspect of other tours was ignored, but there were some noticeable changes.

The landscape of buildings that dotted the main stage were back; only now, they were decimated and lay in ruins.

Instead of the giant moon of 2022, there was a towering, gilded statue of a woman — a hybrid between the robotic figurine of Fritz Lang’s 1927 sci-fi classic “Metropolis” and a Golden Globe Award — that was positioned and occasionally rotated at the centre of a massive, cross-shaped catwalk that stretched the length and width of the stadium.

For the first time, Tesfaye’s backing band — synths player Mike Dean, drummer Ricky Lewis, bassist/keyboardist Ledaris “LJ” Jones and guitarist Patrick Greenaway — shared the stage with their leader, instead of being tucked away behind the scenes, and there was a sizable increase in the songs played: from 29 in 2022 to 40 for this current trek.

Also reprising their appearance: the 28 or so masked female dancers outfitted in long, red gowns and hints of mythological Greek tragedy, executing their lockstep marches but also enacting more animated dances.

Tesfaye himself played into the myth: as the women stood motionless onstage during the opening strains of “The Abyss,” The Weeknd — wearing a black, rhinestone-covered robe and a mask with glowing eyes — walked between them while unleashing a handful of his electronic R&B classics, each song melting into another through the connecting sinew of Lewis’s driving, pounding beats.

Thanks to interactive LED wristbands handed to patrons walking into the venue, the audience provided the galaxy to The Weeknd’s “Starboy,” one of many dazzling visual effects that included heaps of pyrotechnics ranging from shooting flames and fireworks to criss-crossing beams of multicoloured laser light.

An enormous screen and multiple cameras throughout the venue, some aerial, projected Tesfaye’s every move, so there was never a moment when the centre of attention wasn’t the centre of attention.

It wasn’t until he was about to dive into “Take My Breath” that Tesfaye, 35, slowly removed his mask. The hometown crowd, who were on their feet the entire show, gave him his props: a lengthy ovation, during which he scouted the arena, pounding his hand on his heart.

“Well that’s a warm welcome home, isn’t it?” he asked as he basked in the adulation, his spirit probably already buoyed by Mayor Olivia Chow’s Friday proclamation of “The Weeknd Weekend” in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, presenting him with the key to the city for his career achievements.

He’s reached the echelon of global pop music popularity — and his philanthropy, which ranges from donating $6 million for various food programs as a United Nations goodwill global ambassador to co-founding the local non-profit HXOUSE, which empowers entrepreneurs, and in partnership with Live Nation providing creative spaces for ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ youth.

Rattling off the Canadian destinations he’s already played — Vancouver, Edmonton, a pair in Montreal — Tesfaye turned his attention to his hometown.

“Four nights at the Rogers Centre, that’s because of you,” said the grateful star.

For the rest of the gig, The Weeknd played the role of gracious host, performing with his onlookers rather than at them, his mellifluous tenor parading both hits and deep cuts that weren’t carbon copy renditions of the recordings.

He would switch into a lower register for certain songs and often encouraged singalongs, wielding an imaginary baton as he conducted his vocal orchestra through such classics as “Can’t Feel My Face,” “The Hills” and “Cry for Me,” the camera capturing the elation of beaming fans accompanying the maestro at the top of their lungs.

And unlike the last time around, the sound was excellent, undoubtedly aided by the opening of the stadium’s roof after introductory sets by Mike Dean and Polaris Music Prize winner Kaytranada. (Original opener Playboy Carti had “border issues” that precluded him from appearing.)

As he ran through such monster hits as “Blinding Lights” and “Save Your Tears” — and reached as far back as 2011’s “House of Balloons” for the nuggets “Wicked Games” and “High For This,” to name two — Tesfaye displayed a comfort that wasn’t present in his prior spectacles, and it was extremely appealing.

It was no stretch to declare that this run was twice as good as his 2022 jaunt. Save for one brief moment where he disappeared while the “Stargirl Interlude” gave him a breather, he was onstage for every minute of music.

In a number of interviews, Tesfaye — who returns to the Rogers Centre Monday night before concluding his ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ run with shows on Aug. 7 and 8 — mentioned that he’s contemplating either retiring or rebirthing his Weeknd character with this tour.

Maybe he should hold off: why quit the persona that brought you to the dance, at the zenith of one’s showmanship?