New year, new edition of the Super Bowl. This time, it will be Usher who takes the stage to perform the legendary Halftime Show at the NFL final between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs, Travis Kelce‘s team.
It is estimated that the presentation will last just under 30 minutes, and millions of viewers will be present, both at the stadium in Las Vegas and online. Paramount+ and CBS will be responsible for broadcasting the sporting event.
The game will take place on Sunday, February 11, and will start at 6:30 p.m. ET, so the singer’s performance will begin at approximately 8 p.m. ET. This will not be his first collaboration with the NFL, as he has performed a few years ago.
Is this the first time Usher will sing at the Super Bowl?
Usher has already performed in the Halftime Show, but as a special guest. So the Super Bowl 2024 will not be his first appearance at the NFL event. Previously, we saw him aswith The Black Eyed Peas, alongside Slash, in the 2011 edition.
This took place on February 6 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as part of Super Bowl XLV. Originally, a country music show was planned before the popular group agreed to perform.
The performance didn’t go quite well. Although the choice aimed to bring back the younger audience to the show, it received considerable criticism. Usher entered in a somewhat similar manner to sing “OMG” alongside will.i.am.
CBS News reported in February 2011 that the singer’s brief appearance was the most interesting part of the show. They provided a brief review of the halftime show, stating:
“It fell to Usher to inject a bit of life into the halftime show, and he did not disappoint as he appeared dressed all in white with a flank of dancers. Although Usher seemed to dance ‘OMG’ more with will.i.am than sing it, his syncopated moves and flips provided the jolt of energy that the Peas were lacking“.
Even though he has been on stage before, he will be making his debut as a headliner this year. His performance will be a summary of his 30 years in the music industry, so the setlist will feature major classics such as “You Make Me Wanna” and “Confessions Part II”.
Usher to recap his 30-year career on the Halftime Show
Now that he will be the headliner of the Super Bowl Halftime Show 2024, the singer has set a significant goal: to recap his 30-year career in the music industry. During an interview with Vogue, he revealed that he wants the audience to feel his passion and that “I was the right person to bring this kind of energy, love, and connection to the whole world”.
When discussing the setlist, which will feature some of his greatest classics, he mentioned that one of his musical genres will predominate over the others. “Tonight was specifically selected in my mind for R&B to take center stage… Not just R&B music but R&B performance, R&B connection, R&B spirit”, the singer confessed.
The show will last only 13 minutes, so he has limited time to include many songs on the list. However, the planning has been carefully thought out, and when asked about choosing the perfect songs, he said, “I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I want the people who have been part of that journey to feel like it’s a celebration for all of us, from the beginning to this moment”.