Black Twitter wasted no time going in on Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl halftime show. The man responsible exposing Janet Jackson’s breast took the stage Sunday, Feb. 4 and although he didn’t have the singer or Prince included the way it had been rumored he would, he still managed to nod to the two in ways that didn’t sit well with many.
Jackson confirmed Saturday that she definitely will not be joining Timberlake during his performance, but Black Twitter celebrated her anyway by declaring Super Bowl Sunday #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay. They honored her by discussing their favorite videos and songs — and even ex-boyfriend Jermaine Dupri got in on the action.
#JanetJacksonAppreciationDay
I stayed up till 3 a.m. waiting for this video to premiere on BET. That's The Way Love Goes…1993 pic.twitter.com/LlQxadicBG— The_Black_Escape (@tboogie34) February 4, 2018
Velvet Rope might be my favorite Janet album. She explored her sexuality and everybody else’s and I Stan. #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay pic.twitter.com/hatwTaMpZt
— April (@ReignOfApril) February 4, 2018
#JanetJacksonAppreciationDay pic.twitter.com/GdyOyewBAG
— Jermaine Dupri (@jermainedupri) February 4, 2018
Yet Jackson wasn’t completely absent from Timberlake’s show.
The singer performed “Rock Your Body” — the same single he did 14 years earlier with Jackson as a feature. Except for this time, he stopped short of singing the infamous lyric, “Bet I’ll have you naked by the end of this song,” at the 2:43 mark.
Naturally, folks were fired up.
https://twitter.com/katricelamorrai/status/960322704980267015
So, to add insult to injury, Justin Timberlake is performing Rock Your Body – the very song he performed when he exposed Janet Jackson's breast. Disgusting. #TimesUp #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay
— Elgin Charles (@ElginCharles) February 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/ellaceron/status/960323127069761536
Timberlake had also been rumored to be including a hologram of Prince in his show, as Super Bowl LII was hosted in Minneapolis, Minn., the Purple One’s hometown.
Long-time Prince collaborator and ex-fiancée Shelia E. expressed disdain for the idea and later assured fans there won’t be a hologram included in the mini concert.
Prince told me don’t ever let anyone do a hologram of me. Not cool if this happens! https://t.co/khtCjXr2mY
— SheilaEdrummer (@SheilaEdrummer) February 3, 2018
Family, I spoke w/Justin 2nite and he shared heartfelt words of respect for Prince & the Purple fans. I look 4wrd 2 seeing what I’m sure is going 2 be a spectacular halftime show. There is no hologram. 🙏🏽💋 pic.twitter.com/mhVXBfBa1B
— SheilaEdrummer (@SheilaEdrummer) February 4, 2018
She also told Entertainment Tonight Sunday, that Prince “thought [a hologram] was very demonic and that’s his spiritual beliefs.”
That’s also something Prince spoke to himself in a 1998 interview with Guitar World.
“That’s the most demonic thing imaginable,” he said. “Everything is as it is, and it should be. If I was meant to jam with Duke Ellington, we would have lived in the same age. That whole virtual reality thing… it really is demonic. And I am not a demon.”
Yet, Timberlake still included Prince in his show, sitting down at the piano at the 8:57 mark and duetting with a projection of Prince on “I Would Die 4 U.”
It didn’t go over well with fans.
Okay punkass justin Timberlake. You was cool till you pulled that Prince bullshit. You dissed Prince on a track of yours and you dissed him onstage when you lowered the mic stand onstage when prince won an award. Later for ya ass
— Sinbad (@sinbadbad) February 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/KaraRBrown/status/960324431301132288
Meanwhile Prince is in heaven like pic.twitter.com/lcsjAufAUF
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) February 5, 2018
