Justin Timberlake the musician? No problem. His talent as an entertainer, in that respect, has never been disputed here. So if he lives here, at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, as a living legend, yeah, of course. I mean, what a “journey”, you know? Like when you consider all that he’s had to overcome? That his career, like Janet Jackson, who was also an “innovator” in her time, could have easily been jeopardised by violating whatever bullsh-t decency rules at the Super Bowl? How often does a young, blonde man rise again after controversy? That almost never happens.
But again, we’ll all take Justin Timberlake, singer-songwriter, performer, over Justin Timberlake all-the-other-things. He belongs on this stage. So, after a display of false modesty, Justin took over the stage to lecture and inspire. One day after Angelina Jolie talked at the Kids’ Choice Awards about being “weird and different”, JT used the same words to encourage young people out there to embrace their uniqueness in spite of the critics. Then he quoted Steve Jobs and Theodore Roosevelt. And then he publicly thanked his wife, who is pregnant with their “greatest creation”. And then, in true JT trademark style, he segued from acknowledging his wife and their unborn child to what that means FOR HIM. Naturally. Learning how to change diapers and swaddle.
It was beautiful.
So beautiful. Beautiful in that, as he says, as he promised, Justin Timberlake, is always, always, always exactly who he says he is. All About Me.
