Justin Timberlake brings the hits back to the Super Bowl - and Prince?
Last Sunday night, the pop star brought the hits ("Can't Stop the Feeling", "Suit and Tie") but failed to bring any heat
Last Sunday night, there was one televised event that no one could take their eyes off, and it wasn't for a good reason - it was thanks to Justin Timberlake's lukewarm halftime show.
There was a solid start with "Rock Your Body", one of his early aughts hits that hasn't aged terribly, as well as renditions of "Suit and Tie" and "Can't Stop the Feeling." What followed was a controversial cover of "I Would Die 4 U", with Timberlake's own vocals as a projection of Prince performing the track engulfed the purple lights. The city of Minneapolis died and lived again, drenching everything in the color purple in honor of the late Prince. With the two pop singers having an infamous spat in the news, many fans were angered and felt like Prince would've hated the tribute - his sister Tyka Nelson, however, has told TMZ that she was pleasantly surprised and felt that her brother would've enjoyed it. Her brother wasn't one to hold grudges, she said.
In a post-show interview with Jimmy Fallon, Timberlake gave some insight into his decision to perform a Prince tribute. ""It's a moment for me, if I'm being quite honest, because he's always been the pinnacle of musicianship for me," Timberlake said. "When we decided that the serendipity and synergy that we would be in Minneapolis and that, you know, he's such a special thing here, aside from what he is all over the world, I just felt like I wanted to do something for this city and something for him that would be the ultimate homage to what I consider the GOAT of musicians." He explained how they acquired the footage: "We got the actual vocal stems from 'I Would Die 4 U,' the actual recordings, and then we got uncut footage from his performance of it in Purple Rain, and somehow, some way, by the grace of probably Prince looking down on us, it synced up. It was like this crazy serendipitous moment. I just wanted to use that opportunity to do something special for this city, but most of all, for my favorite musician of all time."Critics have panned this performance, accusing Timberlake of "phoning it in" with a mediocre catalog. To that, I riddle you this - Timberlake's half time show was never going to be great because his discography is, aside from a crowning gem here and there, mostly empty and forgettable. There was nothing of substance being said here. The New Yorker's Amanda Petrusich brought up a good reasoning for this: "As dancers flooded the field, Timberlake eventually made his way into the stands. He cajoled a child into filming a cell-phone video with him. Many more phones turned in his direction. For someone so aware of the way news travels now, his performance was oddly benign—expert, sure (in his decades of pop stardom, Timberlake has never been anything less than expert), but eerily un-self-aware. In 2018, eyeballs do not necessarily equal adulation. It seems fitting that the last thing Timberlake said, before sprinting away, his forehead glinting, was "Super Bowl selfies!" In the end, that was all that mattered."
Vanessa is a music and culture writer. Follow her on twitter.
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Artist, Author, and Comedian Anna Akana Is Now a Bonafide Musician
The internet star talks debut album, new single, and her transition into the music scene.
Anna Akana is no stranger to fame.
Her comedy vlogs have made her an internet sensation with 2.6 million subscribers to her channel and many of her videos raking in millions of views. She crafts relatable, personable comedy, and now she hopes her music will have the same accessibility. As Akana gears up to release her debut album, Casualty, the 30-year-old creative sat down with Popdust to talk more about her transition to music and her new single "Let Me Go."
From comedy to music. how has that transition been for you, both personally and professionally? Any lessons you've had to learn along the way?
It's been an incredibly fun transition. I've been doing comedy music for over a decade, so most of my focus has been lyrical (no one cares if you're off pitch when you're delivering a punch line). So the confidence and presence that stand up has given me, plus having been an actor for so long, I feel very comfortable on stage in the emotion of a song. I've definitely had to learn about the business side of music more—the inner workings of what this industry's structure is and how it differentiates from the fields I've been in for so long. But I've found the whole journey to be incredibly creative and fun.
Anna Akana - Let Me Go (Official Music Video)www.youtube.com
What can we expect from your debut record? What was the creative process like?
There are 13 tracks and accompanying music videos that hone in on the message of overcoming. This album was experimental and cathartic and touches on various aspects of myself in new ways. It's dark indie pop with a very intimate feel. The creative process was suspiciously easy, but I feel like when an artist approaches a new platform you have so much energy ready to go.
What made you decide to combine spoken word and singing? What appeals to you about spoken word?
I'm an avid fan and writer of poetry. I haven't shared a ton of it online, just two animated versions ("toothbrush" and "palindrome"). But I feel like spoken word is just the right delivery for some songs, and it decides where it belongs. Most of the ones that turn out that way are written in a stream of consciousness flurry that come tumbling out, and I feel they're the most raw that way. Spoken word is an amazing avenue for story, for emotion, and to communicate powerful pain.
Anna Akana - Not My Proudest Moment (Official Music Video)www.youtube.com
What do you want fans to take away from your music?
I hope that fans feel less alone in some aspect of their struggles.
Any tour plans? Do you ever plan to return to comedy?
I'm currently headlining Mercury Lounge on Dec 6 in NYC. Would love to do a national tour but the plan is to hit spot dates for now to hone in the show. No plans to return to comedy but ask me in ten years!