Mixed Reactions To Half-Time Show

J-T (Reuters photos)

Justin Timberlake headlined the halftime performance, delivering a high-energy medley of his classic hits, including “Cry Me A River,” and “Mirrors,” along with newer songs like "Can't Stop The Feeling" and "Filthy," which is off his newly released Man of the Woods album.

He opened the 13-minute set flanked by laser lights and dancing with fans backstage. Timberlake danced onto the field for "Suit & Tie" and a medley of slow jams, which featured him playing the piano for “Until the End of Time.” Since the show was in Minneapolis, Timberlake also sang Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” in front of a projection of Prince as a pseudo-duet. An overhead shot showed the arena was covered in purple lighting that morphed into Prince's trademark symbol in a touching tribute.

Timberlake then delivered a handclap-buoyed “Mirrors” and “Can't Stop the Feeling,” which included the singer scaling stairs in the venue to greet the audience. Dancers dressed in colorful outfits kept the energy up on the field, concluding the halftime.

Timberlake’s set marked his record-setting third time playing the Super Bowl, following appearances at Super Bowls XXXV and XXXVII. The latter performance, in 2004, became infamous when Janet Jackson joined the singer onstage and Timberlake, during a rendition of “Rock Your Body,” reached and pulled off a piece of Jackson's bustier, exposing her breast.

One of the best moments was when one lucky kid got a couple of selfies with Timberlake at the end of the performance. The young man has been deemed “Selfie Kid” online and he has shared his photo. Selfie Kid got to dance with Justin, take a selfie with him, and will also appear on Good Morning America today. “Super Bowl selfies,” Justin said after the pictures were taken.

Timberlake wore clothing by top British designer Stella McCartney – daughter of former Beatle Paul McCartney – a jacket made out of a leather substitute called Alter Nappa, along with a shirt that features a landscape artwork by British artist Martin Ridley. Also part of the look: a glen plaid and camouflage splatter-print trouser and matching jacket. The outfits are made of organic cotton and repurposed wool.

Timberlake's performance drew mixed reaction across the Twitterverse, but there's no denying that Prince fans weren’t too happy with JT’s tribute to the iconic Minneapolis musician, who died in 2016. After Sheila E, a close Prince friend, tweeted that Timberlake assured her there would be no Prince hologram in his show, many expressed relief on social media. But Prince fans DID not like the tribute, with one tweeting: “The Prince tribute would’ve been cool... except Prince specifically said he didn’t want that, right? Even in death, Prince continues to be misunderstood.” Meanwhile others complained about the audio quality.