After much ado, Justin Timberlake performed at the 2018 Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Drawing on an array of production bells and whistles, the 37-year-old star delivered a set comprised of classics such as ‘Rock Your Body’ and ‘Cry Me A River’ and new tracks from his recently released album ‘Man Of The Woods.’ Also, with the game taking place in Minneapolis, Timberlake seized the moment to salute hometown hero Prince.
With much controversy surrounding JT’s return (in light of the fallout from his 2004 appearance with Janet Jackson and her unfair treatment), did JT deliver?
As of time reported, legendary singer/songwriter Prince is trending thanks to his inclusion in Justin Timberlake‘s epic Super Bowl showing (which aired moments ago).
The JT performance – which aired live from The Purple One’s hometown of Minneapolis – not only featured a visual interpolation of the late legend performing one of this top hits, ‘I Would Die 4 U,’ but also included a light show that lit up an entire region of the The Twin City in the purple Prince symbol.
Many took to Twitter to praise Timberlake for the touching tribute while others, well aware of Prince’s stance on his image being used after death AND outlook on Justin in particular, were well displeased with the ‘Filthy’ singer’s decision.
As we celebrate Janet Jackson’s legacy on what has been christened #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay, we journey you back to 2004, when the diva released fan favorite ‘All Nite (Don’t Stop).’
Built on a Herbie Hancock sample, the track was produced by Jackson alongside Swedish producers Bag & Arnthor. Longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis alsohelped cook up the cut.
Interestingly, the Samba-infused jam was initially intended to be the lead single from the artist’s eight album ‘Damita Jo,’ but was instead issued as the LP’s third offering.
Serviced at a time when Janet was unfairly pegged public enemy #1 – after the infamous “wardrobe malfunction” – this plausible radio hit never even entered Billboard’s Hot 100.
Indeed, not even its slick, choreography driven Francis Lawrence video could save its chart trajectory. Still, it still delivered many a moment.
Armed with an army of funky dancers, Janet leads the “kidz” as they rehearse in the dark after a blackout. Perhaps to offset any potential backlash and encourage mass play, a clean version (sans some of the “edgier” moments) was also rolled out.
‘Til this day, the visual remains a much appreciated gem in Jackson’s videography.
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Unlike numerous artists of her caliber, Janet never lost what made her so special in the first place. Hence, why it was frustrating seeing songs such as ‘All Nite’, ‘So Excited’ and (to a lesser, but still notable extent) ‘Feedback’ given the cold shoulder by radio and music shows at the time of their release. All because of an issue that was (purposefully) blown out of proportion and seemed rooted in both sexism and racism.
As Janet’s guest Justin Timberlake readies his own Super Bowl performance, it’s clear the world is a wholly different place than it was 14 years ago. With the rise of (Black) Twitter and the power of the #TimesUp movement, it seems people are finally waking up to the injustice that played out in the aftermath of “Nipplegate’ and the unjust ramifications it had on Jackson’s releases and career more broadly.
A bit late if you ask us, but better late than never, right?
The 38-year-old star took vocal flight with a turbo-charged rendition of the US National Anthem – the ‘Star Spangled Banner.’
Though revealing that she was battling a flu, the Pop rebel defied the odds to deliver a solid performance at the US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
What are you waiting for? Watch Pink power through her hurdles after the jump…
Janet Jackson has been a fixture in the headlines in recent weeks. For, Justin Timberlake‘s selection as headliner for this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show has forced many to take a long hard look at the blatant disparity in treatment the pair received following the 2004 “wardrobe malfunction.”
Indeed, all signs pointed to Jackson being “banned” from the platform, while JT has been invited back with open arms.
The injustice has caused for an interesting development on game day.
A celebratory hashtag, #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay, has been erected and is exploding! So much so that it’s outpacing the #SuperBowl equivalent.
After months of speculation, Janet Jackson has shut down the rumors. Per the Pop queen herself, she will not be performing at the Super Bowl with Justin Timberlake.
As we reported here, nearly as week after the 60th annual Grammy Awards aired the show is still very much a hot topic. Initially, viewer complaints harped primarily on the lack of diversity among winners, specifically a poor celebration of nominees that were female and/or people of color. However, once the Grammy president – Neil Portnow – weighed in on the backlash with some interestingly worded remarks the fallout shifted to him directly.
Taking to press, Portnow indicated women needed to ‘step up’ in order to see more inclusion – a statement most believe insinuated he thinks their contributions were less worthy of recognition than their male counterparts. Sending shockwaves throughout the industry, female artists like P!nk, India Arie, Katy Perry, and Vanessa Carlton immediately sprung to action, with the latter even promoting a petition which aims to see him relieved of his leadership position in the Recording Academy.
As if that’s not enough, female executives – including some of Portnow’s own cohorts – are calling for similar action. Details inside:
As his latest top 10 single, ‘Filthy,’ proclaims…”haters gon’ say it’s fake, but it’s so real.”
That’s right, jaws dropped at news Justin Timberlake‘s new album – ‘Man of the Woods’ – is set to deliver the lowest first week sales of his nearly two decade long solo career. Preceded by the cuts ‘Filthy,’ ‘Supplies,’ ‘Say Something’ (featuring Chris Stapleton), and its title track, the album is his first to only produce one top 10 single among its first quartet of singles.
Add to this the tunes’ respective poor performances on streaming charts (while faring fairly well on the sales side of the coin), industry analysts have used that information – in conjunction with its reported sales after the first 24 hours of its availability – to predict how many units the project is set to shift by next week’s end.
If their predictions ring true, ‘Man of the Woods’ will go down as the singer’s worst first week sales performance ever. See the info inside:
Atlantic Records is said to have spent $3 million on the promotional campaign for Kehlani‘s debut album ‘SSS’ and today, over a year after its release, the exciting star gears up for its follow-up.
How she’s generating interest in the set?
By releasing a soothing new jam named ‘Again.’
I swore I washed it off in the waves . I wish I was sorry, damn, I wish I was sorry That I don’t know how to stay away.
Press play to meet the singer’s thoughts and feelings below…
