UPDATE
Justin Timberlake has officially signed on as the halftime performer, making the announcement along with Jimmy Fallon:
I DO have the time. Half the time…#PepsiHalftime #SBLII @Pepsi @NFL @JimmyFallon @FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/4Z4Dz29l3X
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) October 23, 2017
ORIGINAL
It’s been just a week since Jay-Z reportedly turned down the opportunity to headline the 2018 Super Bowl halftime show, in a move rumored to stem from his support of Colin Kaepernick’s protests of police brutality and his subsequent banishment from the NFL. Now, it appears that his former tour mate, Justin Timberlake, could be going it alone as the musical entertainment for Super Bowl LII.
Us Weekly reports that Timberlake is in the final stages of signing on as the musical performer for the February event, joining the likes of recent performers Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Beyonce, and Bruno Mars. The booking is not a complete surprise, as some of the speculation surrounding the Jay-Z potential booking regarded a collaborative performance between him and Timberlake. The source confirms this rumor, saying that at the moment the deal is for just Timberlake and not Jay-Z.
This would not be Timberlake’s first time performing at the Super Bowl, as the pop star famously collaborated with Janet Jackson in 2004 and created controversy when he exposed Jackson’s breast, making the term “wardrobe malfunction” a household phrase. Timberlake’s most recent contribution to the music world came in the form of “Can’t Stop The Feeling” from the film Trolls, a song that managed to top the Billboard 200, win a Grammy, and receive both Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.
Super Bowl LII takes place on February 4th in Minneapolis and will be broadcast on NBC.
