The 'Ladies and Gentlemen, The Weeknd' meme originates from a March 2020 episode of Saturday Night Live, where host Daniel Craig introduced the musical guest, The Weeknd, with a distinct sense of relief and a signature shoulder shrug. While the clip was initially just a standard introduction, Twitter users quickly repurposed it as a celebratory announcement for the arrival of the actual calendar weekend. Its popularity skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to mark the passage of time and the relief of finishing a long work week. The meme is now a cultural staple every Friday, symbolizing that universal feeling of letting go and finally entering a period of rest and entertainment.