It’s not every day that you get to see two powerhouses of music join forces onstage to create one blinding night to remember for both the audience that was there, and for the masses of the internet. However, that’s exactly what happened with pop superstar Justin Timberlake, when he was joined onstage by the country singer Garth Brooks at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. It was a total shock to the crowd, but a combination that made complete sense as soon as the performance began.
The collaboration was formed during Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 tour, which was created to celebrate the release of his 2013 album “The 20/20 Experience”. It came as quite the surprise to fans on his tour, then, that Garth Brooks would join him on stage not to perform a Timberlake hit, but instead to perform one of Brooks’ biggest hits: “Friends In Low Places”. Despite the strange combination, it was a huge hit with the crowd. Watch the video below:
At the start of the video, the crowd’s hyped up about something; potentially something, or someone, appearing out of shot. When Justin responds to the crowd by saying: “I mean, this is the country music capital of the world, right?”, and strums several notes on his guitar. It is from this moment on that the crowd knows that something magical is about to happen; so much so that when Justin begins to sing “Friends in Low Places”, the audience already knows every single word and sings along.
“Friends in Low Places” is one of the definitive songs of Garth Brooks’ discography that made him a popular choice amongst country music fans. So much so that he has won 22 Academy of Country Music Awards, and an impressive 47 nominations throughout his extensive career. Not only does his music resonate well with the masses, but his original blend of pop and country made him more accessible to wider audiences. Listen to the original version of “Friends in Low Places” in the video below:
During Justin Timberlake’s rendition of Brooks’ classic hit, the crowd was already going wild and singing their hearts out with joy. However, the louder cries were yet to come as Brooks himself entered the stage, embraced Justin, and they continued the song together. The sense of community throughout this performance, between the crowd singing along, the backing musicians smiling and enjoying themselves, and both Garth and Justin performing a true country classic together, is a joy to watch.
Garth Brooks is known for his loving personality and his true dedication to the country music genre. He is also incredibly supportive of his fans, some of whom he has gone to lengths to bring a little more light into their lives. During another of his performances at the Target Centre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he spotted a fan holding a sign saying: “Chemo this morning. Garth tonight. Enjoying the dance”. Brooks saw the sign and stopped the performance to give her words of support and gave her his guitar.