Timberlake sang 10 songs in 13 minutes and traversed ramps, runways, stairways, stages and the field itselfGETTY IMAGES
Justin Timberlake's Super Bowl LII halftime show was "energetic, but also entirely lacking in live excitement," according to Daniel Fienberg of the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The show felt "much more like the sort of performance you're treated to at halftime of the NBA All-Star Game and not the Super Bowl." It was a "loud, energetic set concentrating on dancing and noise and crowd energy, filmed in a glossy cinematic style that made the whole thing feel overly polished and not especially like a live performance at all." Timberlake's performance "won't be remembered" for his singing, as it sounded like he "didn't sing a single note live." The sound mix "was just dreadful and Timberlake's lead vocals were buried" for several songs (HOLLYWOODREPORTER.com, 2/4). The AP's David Bauder noted Timberlake "seemed intent upon involving everyone in the stadium." He opened the set in the "bowels of the stadium" and soon "climbed steps out into the stadium." He was "constantly surrounded by dancers, enthusiastic musicians and jumping audience members, so much so that it made the star of the show seem small." He danced on the NFL 's midfield logo and also "brought out a marching band." Timberlake sat at a piano and "performed a 'duet' with the Twin Cities' late star, Prince, whose image was projected on a giant scrim beside Timberlake." It was a "touching tribute, particularly when cameras outside the stadium caught Prince's insignia in lights" (AP, 2/4).
NICE TRIBUTE: In Minneapolis, Chris Riemenschneider notes Timberlake avoided controversy by "not using a Prince hologram, a much-derided gimmick that reportedly had been enlisted in rehearsals." Sources said that a hologram "was used during Timberlake’s rehearsals Friday." But he "may have benched the idea after backlash on Saturday" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/5). In St. Paul, Ross Raihala writes Prince’s appearance "brought the first real spark to the halftime show, but Timberlake had to jump right in and made it a duet, ruining what should have been a moment for Prince and Prince alone" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/5). The Prince tribute was the "best part of the show." The most "moving part" was when the NBC "cut away from what was going inside the stadium and showed overhead images panning across Prince’s home city of Minneapolis, lit purple in his honor" (PHILLY.com, 2/4). The Prince tribute was a "nice touch" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 2/5). It was a "stirring moment, but it's questionable if Timberlake was the best person to deliver it" (DETROIT NEWS, 2/5). The "merciful bit of good judgement" with the Prince tribute "hardly redeemed Timberlake's lackluster performance" (L.A. TIMES, 2/5).
ALWAYS BETTER BUSY? In Minneapolis, Jon Bream writes under the header, "Justin Timberlake Gets Busy At Halftime -- Way Too Busy." Covering 10 songs in 13 minutes, he "traversed ramps, runways, stairways, stages and the field itself, and ended up romping up an aisle in the stadium, slapping hands with fans and taking selfies" with others. The show "was dizzying and not in a good way." It was "too busy" and the vocals "weren't loud enough." Timberlake "kept moving, but it was more about finding new settings rather than showcasing" his dancing (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/5). The show was "marred by audio problems," and fans let Timberlake "hear it on social media" (NYPOST.com, 2/5). It was "dizzying" and "loud, cluttered" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 2/5). The show was "heavy on dance spectacle, light on vocal authority." Often, it sounded as if Timberlake was "merely providing accent riffs to his own songs" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/5). In DC, Chris Richards writes it was "hard to make out the precision of Timberlake's android dancing," and it was "even harder to hear his voice." He seemed to "deploy it only in interstitial bursts" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/5).
PLAYING IT TOO SAFE: THE RINGER's Rodger Sherman lists Timberlake as one of his "losers" of the night. The show "was OK," which is the "rudest thing you can say about a Super Bowl halftime show." They are "supposed to be over-the-top tours de force." Timberlake's "was all right" (THERINGER.com, 2/5). Timberlake "just skated by, playing his typically charismatic hit songs in his typically charismatic way, taking no chances and allowing for no guest stars." It "was fine" (THERINGER.com, 2/4). Timberlake "never really found a groove" (DEADLINE.com, 2/4). He turned "what could have been a career high-point into a pleasant but ultimately innocuous diversion" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 2/5). It was "just too safe" (PALMBEACHPOST.com, 2/4). Timberlake "played it so safe that his halftime performance was muted at best" (TORONTO SUN, 2/5). However, while Timberlake "may not have won over all of his critics," he created "plenty of buzzy moments during the show" (USA TODAY, 2/5). His planning "may have been meek," but his "performance wasn’t" (BOSTON HERALD, 2/5). The show "was sufficient." Timberlake is a "terrific showman and this was a fine 12-minute showcase of all his talents" (NJ.com, 2/4).
Pink showed little sign of weakness or fatigue despite battling the flu over the weekendGETTY IMAGES
PINK GETS POSITIVE REVIEWS: In Chicago, Greg Kot writes Pink "struck a demure tone as she delivered a deliberate version of a tastefully orchestrated national anthem." It was a "relatively flash-free version" despite the singer "battling the flu" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/5). There was "little sign of weakness or fatigue in her delivery" despite her struggles with the flu. It was a "cautious but credible performance" (PHILLY.com, 2/5). While many anthem singers "lip-sync to a pre-recorded version to avert most stadiums’ echoey acoustics," it "sure looked and sounded as if it was all done live inside the stadium" last night (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/5).
