In an unexpected reconciliation, The Weeknd is back at the Grammys.

The Grammy-winning R&B star, who previously boycotted the awards show after being snubbed in 2021, gave a surprise performance at Sunday’s 67th annual Grammy Awards.

The singer’s performance was previewed in a speech from Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., who referenced The Weeknd’s past criticism while speaking about the Academy’s continued efforts at diversity.

“I remember waking up to the headlines that The Weeknd called out the Academy for a lack of transparency in our awards,” Mason said. “But you know what, criticism is OK. I heard him. I felt his conviction.”

Mason added: “What we all want is an organization dedicated to the well-being of all music makers and one that reflects the entire music community, for now and for future generations.”

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For his performance, The Weeknd delivered a moody mashup featuring tracks from his latest album “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” The pop crooner’s smooth tenor vocals soared over the songs “Cry for Me” and “Timeless,” the latter of which featured an appearance from rapper Playboi Carti.

In November 2020, The Weeknd was shockingly snubbed in every single category he was eligible for at the 2021 Grammy Awards, despite the commercial success of his fourth album “After Hours” and booking a headlining slot at the 2021 Super Bowl halftime show.

In March 2021, days before the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, the singer announced in a statement to The New York Times that he would no longer submit his music to the Grammys because of “the secret committees.” In response, Mason said, “We are going to take a hard look at how to improve our awards process, including the nomination review committees.”

Two months later, The Weeknd maintained his anti-Grammys stance after the Recording Academy announced its decision to have categories be “determined by a majority, peer-to-peer vote of voting members of the Recording Academy,” instead of the Nominations Review Committees.

The “Blinding Lights” singer told Variety in a statement at the time that he would continue to withhold his music from consideration for the awards, explaining that he remains “uninterested in being a part of the Grammys, especially with their own admission of corruption for all these decades.”

“The trust has been broken for so long between the Grammy organization and artists that it would be unwise to raise a victory flag,” he told the outlet. “I think the industry and public alike need to see the transparent system truly at play for the win to be celebrated, but it’s an important start.”

The Weeknd has won four Grammy Awards to date, including best urban contemporary album (2016 and 2018), best R&B performance (2016) and best melodic rap performance (2022).

Contributing: Patrick Ryan, Charles Trepany and Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY