Justin Timberlake sings ‘duet’ with Prince during Super Bowl half-time show
Speculation had been rife ahead of the event that Timberlake would pay tribute to the late singer.
Justin Timberlake paid tribute to Prince during the Super Bowl half-time show by performing a “duet” with the late singer.
Appearing on stage at a piano, Timberlake sang I Would Die 4 U as a video of Prince also singing the hit was projected onto a huge piece of white material.
Rumours had been circulating ahead of the event that the pop star would cover a Prince song, with some even suggesting his performance would feature a hologram of the late singer.
In the end, his stripped-back tribute marked a reflective moment in his otherwise high-octane performance, as the US Bank Stadium in Minnesota was lit up in purple.
Timberlake had begun his performance with a rendition of Filthy, before singing a medley of some of his greatest hits, including SexyBack, Senorita and Cry Me A River.
INCREDIBLE, @JTimberlake! #PepsiHalftime #SBLII pic.twitter.com/dWkGTdyvnA
— NFL (@NFL) February 5, 2018
His show featured an orchestra, large brass brand and dozens of backing dancers, as well as his new band, the Tennessee Kids.
Fans on social media gave a mixed reaction to the performance, with some describing it as an “amazing” show, while others were not as impressed.
Sean Larkin said: “What a half time show! Justin Timberlake is a one of kind talent. That little piece with Prince was so cool for Minnesota!”
What a half time show! Justin Timberlake is a one of kind talent. That little piece with Prince was so cool for Minnesota! #HalftimeShow
— Sean Larkin (@Sean_C_Larkin) February 5, 2018
And Rhonda Dunn said: “Amazing, awesome, and beautiful #Prince tribute!”
Amazing, awesome, and beautiful #Prince tribute! #JustinTimberlake #JTSuperBowl
— Rhonda Dunn (@rhondunn) February 5, 2018
I know some people didn't like it but you can't be in Minneapolis and not do something pertaining to Prince pic.twitter.com/y2XvQ7KqnS
— Jasmine (@JasmineLWatkins) February 5, 2018
Timberlake’s former band N’Sync also congratulated the singer on Twitter, saying: “Well done @jtimberlake you killed it!”
Well done @jtimberlake you killed it! #nfl #pepsihalftime
— *NSYNC (@NSYNC) February 5, 2018
But @RyleeChillson said the performance was “the concert equivalent of one slice of wonder white bread”.
the Justin Timberlake performance was the concert equivalent of one slice of wonder white bread
— rylee (@RyleeChillson) February 5, 2018
And others complained about not being able to hear the performance properly.
Yashar Ali said: “What’s going on with Justin’s audio?”
What's going on with Justin's audio? #Superbowl
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) February 5, 2018
What's going on with JT's audio? working theory: AV team on Team Janet
— Julia B. Chan (@juliachanb) February 5, 2018
Timberlake’s show marked his return to the Super Bowl following a controversial performance with Janet Jackson in 2004.
Speculation had been rife that Jackson might join Timberlake on Sunday, 14 years after their nipplegate moment overshadowed events on the field.
But she wrote on Twitter on Saturday: “To put to rest any speculation or rumours as to whether I will be performing at the Super Bowl tomorrow: I will not.
“Thank you for your support and I do look forward to seeing you all very soon.”
#SBLII #PepsiHalftime @Pepsi @NFL #MOTW pic.twitter.com/EwZnemHzWU
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) February 5, 2018
It was the third time Timberlake took to the stage at the sporting event, after first performing in 2001 with his N’Sync bandmates and then three years later with Jackson.
His fifth solo album, Man Of The Woods, was released on February 2.
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