JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE’s halftime show was pretty basic but isn’t that what most people wanted? He did a medley of his hits, opening with his new song “Filthy” then SexyBack”, “Can’t Stop the Feeling”, and “Cry Me a River” .
It was all very non-controversial but he biggest set piece was a giant, projected image of PRINCE with whom Justin sang a duet of “I Would Die 4 You”. Justin was obviously playing to the home crowd, since the Super Bowl was in Prince’s hometown of Minneapolis. and at one point showed an aerial view of the city around stadium bathed in purple light which formed the Prince symbol.
A lot of people thought the inclusion of Prince was disrespectful. One woman even posted an excerpt from a 1998 interview where Prince called duets with dead artists, quote, “the most demonic thing imaginable” and claimed it would NEVER happen to him.
Here’s the 1998 interview in which Prince said the prospect of digital duets with dead artists was “the most demonic thing imaginable” and “that’ll never happen to me” https://t.co/AidX9zH31G pic.twitter.com/cXUKSMwx7U
— Jessica Lustig (@jessicalustig) February 5, 2018
On a more positive note, a new star was born last night: Selfie Kid.
*Googles "Was Justin Timberlake in Backstreet Boys" * pic.twitter.com/dYtTufWe7r
— Candy 95 (@Candy95) February 5, 2018
#SuperBowl #HalfTimeShow pic.twitter.com/x0O5P7V9v7
— catnip (@MrCatnipp) February 5, 2018
AND HERE IT IS.#SelfieKid with @jtimberlake!#HalftimeSelfie#SuperBowlSelfie#SuperBowl #PepsiHalftime pic.twitter.com/Edww4CSSm7
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 5, 2018
#SuperBowlSelfies pic.twitter.com/LKabieKCfg
— NBC Entertainment (@nbc) February 5, 2018