LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 11: Usher performs onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by JAMIE SQUIRE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
| Photo Credit: JAMIE SQUIRE
Usher emerged at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium for the Super Bowl half-time show seated on a throne, joined by a marching band and a trove of Vegas performers — but stayed its center.
It was an immediate confirmation of his position as the ideal halftime performer: one with timeless, well-known hits, masterful choreography, and a devoted audience.
He started with “Caught Up,” moving into “U Don’t Have to Call,” “Superstar,” and “Love in the Club.”
Then Alicia Keys joined in front of bright red piano for her song “If I Ain’t Got You,” which morphed into “My Boo,” Usher losing a glove in an apparent tribute to Michael Jackson — notable for a performance during Black History Month.
Recording artist Usher and recording artist Alicia Keys perform during the halftime show of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium.
| Photo Credit:
Kirby Lee
“They said I wouldn’t make it,” he told the crowd, dedicating the set to his “mama.”
Across 13 minutes during the half-time show sponsored by Apple Music, Usher brought out a number of guests including H.E.R., Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon (for “Turn Down for What,” which became “Yeah!” — and included a guest appearance from Ludacris).
Across three decades, the R&B superstar had an endless treasure trove of hits to pull from — and did so with costume changes, and a rolling performance of “OMG” while wearing roller skates — at one moment, sliding between will.i.am’s legs.
His album “Confessions” ranks among one of the best-selling music projects of all time and turned 20 this year; “Burn” became an easy performance highlight.
Over the past two years, Usher, 45, has made Vegas a home for his unique talents, with his sold-out residency, “Usher: My Way,” at Dolby Live at Park MGM making him the perfect pick for Sunday’s game.
(L-R) Ludacris, Usher, and Lil Jon perform onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Half-time Show at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
| Photo Credit:
EZRA SHAW
The eight-time Grammy award winner is also no stranger to the Super Bowl stage — he made a guest appearance with Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am in 2011.
“I got a chance to see a bit of what it felt like,” Usher told The Associated Press in a recent interview. In his first Super Bowl performance, he descended from the stadium ceiling to perform “OMG” in Arlington, Texas.
“Don’t take the moments for granted because you only get 13 of them,” he said in advance of his 2024 performance, referring to the usually allotted 13-minute run time. “The hardest part is trying to figure out how to squeeze it all in when you actually have a large catalog, or a lot of records people celebrate and love.”
With a doubt — he figured out exactly how to do just that.
