“Two fingers in the air for Prince tonight,” Justin Timberlake announced as the whole stadium, and surrounding city, turned that signature Prince Purple.

Prince's hometown, Minneapolis, MN, held the 2018 Super Bowl and took the chance to pay tribute to their recently passed hero. In 2007, Prince performed part of his halftime show through a projected sheet. 11 years later, he was brought to the stage again for a simulated duet with Justin Timberlake with his song 'I Would Die 4 U.' 

"Paying tribute to Prince was something JT highlighted as an important moment for this show, and we spent quite a bit of time ensuring this moment would be true to his legacy,' Nick Whitehouse, the Visual Creative lead behind Timberlake’s halftime performance said, according to Pitchfork. "Ultimately, Justin decided that the only person who could do Prince justice is Prince, and we’re so proud to be part of his team who created this epic moment."

The performance, however beautiful, received significant backlash from some fans and commentators. In a 1998 interview with Guitar World, Prince was asked if he would consider using digital editing to perform with an artist from the past. To which he said, “That whole virtual reality thing... it really is demonic. And I am not a demon." In addition, Prince and Justin Timberlake had a history of competitiveness. At a post-Emmy Award's party, Prince told the crowd, “For whoever is claiming that they are bringing sexy back, sexy never left!”

This lead many to question if the star would have been happy with the posthumous performance. Despite the criticism, Prince and Justin Timberlake gave the 2018 Super Bowl halftime show something to talk about.