The Billboard Awards is often the forgotten awards show. It airs in the middle of May after awards season has already ended and lacks both the prestige of the Grammys and train wreck appeal of the MTV Video Music Awards. This year, however, the Billboard Awards have gotten our attention by announcing a "world premiere" Michael Jackson experience that sounds a lot like a Tupac-at-Coachella-style hologram.
Jackson passed away in 2009, but has a new album, XSCAPE, coming out on May 13 with eight new songs. According to a press release from Billboard, the show will feature a special world premiere event, a "once in a lifetime moment" that is making TV history.
It has to be a hologram, right? What else could be cause for that much hype? Just playing the songs or showing a video montage is hardly a must-see historic event, but a hologram of Jackson performing parts of a posthumously released album certainly would be. That is, in addition to being completely over-the-top and pretty distasteful, especially when you consider the options for his costars.
Based on what we know about this year's Billboard Awards, here are some ways a hologram performance could go down.
Crooning with John Legend
Legend is the only listed Billboard Awards performer that could actually sing a more traditional duet with Jackson. This would be the classiest option, but that's probably not what Billboard is going for, considering the whole hologram thing.
Inappropriate Miley Cyrus
We've all seen what Cyrus can do with Robin Thicke and a foam finger, just imagine what Jackson's hologram would be put through. If anyone at Billboard has even the slightest bit of common sense, they'll keep Cyrus far away during the premiere.
Double Tribute with Jennifer Lopez
In addition to performing at the show, Lopez will receive the Icon Award. Since Jackson is clearly a musical icon, it wouldn't be very surprising if Lopez got involved with the big XSCAPE premiere, despite their musical styles being very different.
A Justin Timberlake Surprise Appearance
Timberlake did a duet version of XSCAPE's first single, "Love Never Felt So Good," so if anyone should perform with hologram Jackson, it's him. However, Timberlake isn't currently listed as a performer or presenter, making this a little less likely.
Still, let's hope Timberlake shows up, because he might be the only person capable of turning an overdone, hologram-laden TV event into an actual tribute.
