Justin Timberlake Reportedly “Finalizing” Super Bowl Halftime Deal

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Justin Timberlake Reportedly “Finalizing” Super Bowl Halftime Deal

Donald Miralle/Getty Images

The last time Justin Timberlake performed at a Super Bowl Halftime Show, things did not go well. But it looks like he’ll get another shot at it. Us Weekly reports that Timberlake “has been asked to” perform at next year’s Super Bowl in Minneapolis and that he’s “finalizing” the deal to make it happen. There’s some chance that the show will also include Timberlake’s occasional collaborator Jay-Z, but right now it’s more likely to just be Timberlake.

On a lot of levels, Timberlake seems perfectly suited to the Halftime Show. He’s a galactically popular star who may or may not be on the downslope of his career, and he’s got hits for days. He’ll likely have a new album out around then, and the Halftime Show will give him a huge platform to promote it. I saw Timberlake perform — in a football stadium, no less — on Sunday night, and I can confirm that he’s still a pretty amazing live act. And he’s been smoothing out his sound for years, so he probably won’t do anything to make anyone too uncomfortable.

But! There is the matter of Nipplegate and of Timberlake’s role in it. Janet Jackson’s career was essentially destroyed by that moment, and Timberlake continued to thrive, even if he was the one doing the ripping. He is literally the reason the Super Bowl is broadcast on a five-second delay. So:

Maybe that should be the final word on the subject.

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