Justin Timberlake will grace the Super Bowl stage once again this winter. The decision had been rumored for a few weeks, but there was no official confirmation until Sunday, setting the scene for three and a half months of hype prior to the performance from one of pop's most bubbly stars. Of course, his reputation hasn't always been as pristine as it appears right now. In fact, he has memorably graced the Super Bowl a few times in the past, with one of those performances forever changing the history of television.
Timberlake gets the gig again
Timberlake broke the news of his performance on his Twitter account, creating a video with good friend Jimmy Fallon.
The NFL also released a statement, which noted that this would be Timberlake's historic third time performing at the Super Bowl. It didn't mention anything about positive other artists who could join him on stage. It also didn't make any mention of the controversial performance he gave 14 years ago.
His first Super Bowl appearance came in 2001 as a member of 'N Sync. That performance also featured Aerosmith, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, and Nelly - it was a busy show. The second appearance came in 2004, a show that also included a plethora of performances (including Nelly again). But a particularly amorous performance with Janet Jackson, Timberlake pulled on her outfit, exposing her breast.
He hasn't been invited to perform since and the controversy led to the FCC clamping down on delays and censorship on television.
What a Timberlake performance could look like
There's one reason Timberlake is getting the gig: a popular little song from the movie "Trolls" called "Can't Stop the Feeling." It's the only solo song the singer has come out with over the past year and a half, and it had no problem becoming the feel-good song of a summer, skyrocketing to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart last year.
Any Super Bowl performance will be built around that song.
Beyond that, Timberlake has had plenty of hits since 2004. Many of them are of the more sexed up variety, which may be a tough sell on his Super Bowl redemption tour - "SexyBack" and "Summer Love" come to mind. But he's also had hits like "Mirrors" and "Not a Bad Thing." Additionally, he can really bring some good mojo for himself by having a reunion of 'N Sync. For now, all of those details will be kept under wraps - just as Janet Jackson should've been more than a decade ago.
