On Sunday night, during Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Justin Timberlake delivered a 14-minute halftime performance as the Philadelphia Eagles, and the New England Patriots paused their dogfight.
During his set, Timberlake performed several hits from his catalog, adding a tribute to late music legend Prince by singing his 1984 track “I Would Die 4 U” along with a giant projection of the Minnesota musician, who passed away in 2016. Although the tribute caused some controversy, due to a hologram, which Prince was against, the feature gave the late musician a huge streaming sales boost. In fact, the sales increase was much more than any of Timberlake’s own songs. According to Spotify, “I Would Die 4 U” was streamed more than 800% more times than at the equivalent time the previous Sunday.
In addition to Prince, Timberlake’s 2006 collaboration with Beyonce, “Until the End of Time,” was streamed 512% more times and his 2013 track, “Suit & Tie,” featuring her husband, JAY-Z, saw a 408% bump.
As for Justin’s solo songs, “Mirrors” and “Rock Your Body” were the highest returners with more than a 200% jump, which his latest single, “Filthy,” off Man of the Woods, received a scant 154% increase in plays
The 153% uptick in plays of Justin’s entire catalog did however just outdo the Purple Rain singer’s 134% overall rise in streams.
The 37-year-old received mixed reviews for his performance, with some viewers complaining they could not hear all of his vocals. He did draw praises from his friends Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon, and Nick Jonas.
Philadelphia won the game 41 points to 33, taking home the National Football League (NFL) championship.
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