Pop Stars, Fans Say Goodbye to MTV’s ‘TRL’
Carson Daly chatted with Eminem, Beyonce gave a show-stopping performance, girls shrieked at the sight of Justin Timberlake and hundreds of fans lined up outside in Times Square for a glimpse at superstars.
For few hours, it seemed like old times at MTV’s “Total Request Live” — back when the show was not only music’s most powerful force but a dominant part of pop culture. Unfortunately, it took the show’s demise to make it relevant again.
MTV pulled the plug on its most influential franchise Sunday night following years of declining ratings, but not before marking the occasion with celebration and nostalgia, as some of pop’s biggest stars paid respects to the show that helped launch their careers.
“I feel like they’re kinda tearin’ down my home,” Eminem said via phone as he and Daly, “TRL’s” first and most famous host, commiserated during the live, three-hour broadcast from the show’s headquarters.
“It’s a bittersweet moment,” Diddy, the show’s most frequent guest, said as he cried mock tears and gave one of the final waves to the Times Square audience from “TRL’s” glass-encased studios above.
MTV has had other shows that will be remembered for changing the musical landscape, including “Yo! MTV Raps,” but perhaps none greater than “TRL.” It made its debut in 1998, just as the teen pop phenomenon was about to explode, when the rap-rock hybrid was bubbling over, and groups like Destiny’s Child were considered emerging acts.
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