With the Super Bowl set to take place in Prince's hometown of Minneapolis, the spirit of the late singer, who passed away in April 2016 of an accidental overdose, has had a presence over the weekend's events. On Saturday, a report that Justin Timberlake would feature a hologram of Prince in his Halftime show was met with disdain due to the entertainer's vocal opposition to such technology. New reports confirm that there will be no such hologram, but in the meantime, Jennifer Lopez has done her own tribute to the Purple One, wisely choosing to do so without technological aid.
During a pre-Super Bowl party at the Armory in Minneapolis, J-Lo performed some of Prince's biggest hits including "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy," dressed in purple sequins and accompanied by backup dancers and a guitarist who channeled the energy of the hometown hero. Her performance also featured hist like "Jenny From The Block" and "Love Don't Cost A Thing," as well as appearances from DJ Khaled and Ne-Yo. "I bet you thought the big show was tomorrow," she said during one of her elaborate performances.
Profits from the concert went to Hurricane Maria victims, a cause close to Lopez' heart. Last September, she and boyfriend Alex Rodriguez pledged $1 million of their own money towards aiding the devastation in Puerto Rico.
It is unclear if Prince will also be honored in Timberlake's Halftime performance, though we know that -- contrary to reports -- a hologram will not be used. Prince collaborator Sheila E., who spoke out against the use of hologram, revealed that she had spoken to Timberlake Saturday night. "[He] shared heartfelt words of respect for Prince & the Purple fans," she wrote in a tweet. "I look 4wrd 2 seeing what I’m sure is going 2 be a spectacular halftime show. There is no hologram."
