What in the hell?
The NBA announced Thursday that Grammy-award winner Sting will headline the halftime show for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 14.
Yes, the halftime show that will take place in Toronto, the conclusion of a weekend intended to highlight the best the city and country have to offer, in the year 2016, will be headlined by a 64-year-old Brit who hasn’t released an album in three years.
No Drake. No Weeknd (or Long Weeknd) No Justine Bieber. No Carly Rae Jepsen. Not even a Nickelback or a Great Big Sea. Sting.
Sure, Sting and The Police were or are fine, and Stint’s a legend, and he played the 2003 Super Bowl, and a couple songs will probably pop the old people in the crowd, and WAIT. Old people? Isn’t this the league with the youngest demographic, and isn’t the game in one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world? What is the basis for this decision? What are they thinking? This doesn’t hit on age demographic or current popularity or cultural relevance or relation to the host city or anything like that. I don’t get it.
Unless Drake and Bieber and CRJ are popping up as surprises during his set, I don’t get it. And even then, they could have done the same for, like, Alan Doyle, or The Holy Triumvirate Rush. I know I shouldn’t be this upset about it but damn if this choice doesn’t really bother me.
Also performing, per the NBA, will be Nelly Furtado (singing the Canadian national anthem), Ne-Yo (the U.S. side), and Cirque du Soleil (performing during player introductions).
