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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Usher emerged at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium for the Super Bowl halftime 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.
“They said I wouldn’t make it,” he told the crowd, dedicating the set to his “mama.”
Across 13 minutes during the halftime 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.
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.”
Without a doubt — he figured out exactly how to do just that.
FAQs
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.”
What is Usher's halftime show ranked? ›
Rolling Stone releases new Super Bowl halftime show rankings; how did Usher do? ATLANTA - Rolling Stone magazine has released a new ranking of Super Bowl halftime shows and Usher's show didn't even make the top 10. Usher's 13-minute show featuring 14 songs ranks No. 18 on Rolling Stone's list.
Was the halftime show good in 2024? ›
This halftime show was a blitz of retinal maximalism with a meticulous protagonist at its center, singing and dancing with exactitude and purpose, working hard to cram more than a dozen songs into just as many minutes. If you were keeping a tally, the message was clear: Usher has hits.
Was Usher a success at the Super Bowl? ›
He certainly owned his moment. Usher's Super Bowl halftime show was no singular performance or an audition, but a coronation. He was receiving the torch carried by all the Black entertainers who preceded him, and reminding the world that the South still has something to say.
How much did Usher get paid for the Super Bowl? ›
Usher, like his Super Bowl halftime show predecessors, spent months preparing for the world's biggest stage — but he didn't get paid for any of it. The “Yeah!” singer was the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show performer, following Rihanna in 2023.
How many views did Usher's halftime show get? ›
Usher's NFL Super Bowl 58 Halftime Show Sets Record by Drawing 129.3M Viewers. The Super Bowl LVIII broadcast wasn't the only thing setting viewership records over the weekend. The NFL announced Usher's halftime performance drew 129.3 million viewers, setting an all-time record.
Who will perform with Usher at the Super Bowl 2024? ›
Ludacris and Usher perform during the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Leading up to his halftime show, Apple Music teased his performance with a short film, called, "Where's Usher?" which features a star-studded cast, including Lil Jon, Taraji P. Henson, Ludacris, Tim Cook and more.
How many viewers are in the Super Bowl halftime 2024? ›
Nielsen also said Tuesday that Usher's Super Bowl halftime performance averaged 129.3 million viewers — the most-watched Super Bowl halftime on record and a 7% increase from Rihanna's last year (121 million).
What is Usher's biggest hit? ›
The most popular song by USHER is “Yeah!” with a total of 1.5M page views.
Who sang with Usher at halftime? ›
This all crescendoed into a cameo from Lil Jon, who took the stage to sing "Turn Down For What" above a screaming crowd on the field while Usher prepped for his final song. For "Yeah!" Usher was joined by Lil John again, along with Ludacris, will.i.am and a group of dancers.
R&B singer and songwriter Usher has a net worth of $180 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. In 2023, Usher made $40 million from 34 shows at his residency at Las Vegas' Dolby Live stage.
How much will Usher make for the Super Bowl 2024? ›
Usher Is Not Getting Paid to Perform at the 2024 Super Bowl
As one NFL spokesperson put it to Forbes several years ago, “We do not pay the artists. We cover expenses and production costs.”
What was the number 1 halftime show? ›
Michael Jackson (1993)
For a 1993 halftime performance to be rated so highly in 2023 shows how before-his-time Michael Jackson was.
Who was on the Ushers halftime show? ›
The R&B icon performed more than three decades of hits across the 13-minute show, bringing out guest performers Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon (this year's Connect Marketplace special guest!), and Ludacris—along with a slew of Vegas-inspired performers like showgirls, acrobats, stilt walkers, and even a ...
Who played in the 2007 Super Bowl? ›
A look back at Super Bowl XLI between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears on February 4, 2007. The Colts defeated the Bears 29-17 to win to Super Bowl XLI.
