Usher brought down the house.
During his highly anticipated 2024 Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, the R&B singer surprised fans by bringing out six special guests.
First to take the stage at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev., was Alicia Keys, who joined Usher to perform their 2004 duet “My Boo” before sharing a sweet embrace.
After Jermaine Dupri popped up to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Usher’s beloved album “Confessions,” the Grammy-winning performer brought out H.E.R. for 2004’s “Bad Girl” followed by Will.i.am for 2010’s “OMG.”
The audience then went wild when Lil Jon and Ludacris joined a roller-skating Usher for an epic, roof-raising rendition of their seminal hit “Yeah!”
Usher’s 13-minute halftime set was entertaining from beginning to end, as he ran through a high-energy setlist that also included “Caught Up,” “Love in this Club,” “Confessions, Pt. II” and “Burn” — complete with his signature dance moves and soulful vocals.
At one point, he even stripped off part of his Dolce & Gabbana costume, baring his muscles while sweaty and shirtless.
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Earlier this week, Usher shared some clues regarding what fans could expect from his halftime show during the NFL championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers.
“There has been these fantasy lists that have been going out, people trying to figure out what song I’m going to perform first, middle, last,” the legendary crooner, 45, said during a press conference in Las Vegas, hosted by Apple Music. “I was very mindful of my past, celebrating my present, which is here in Las Vegas, and thinking about where we’re headed in the future. And that was really the idea.”
Usher added that he “made it easy” for himself when he “decided to have features on songs” that went on to become hit records over the years.
“That gave me the greatest point of reference,” he teased. “I do feel like the people who are gonna share it deserve just as much recognition for what they do in their careers – whether we have collaborated together or rather they’ve had moments of their own.”
The press conference, which Pvnew attended, kicked off weeks after the Skims underwear model confessed that planning for halftime — all while performing his “Usher: My Way, The Vegas Residency,” recording his ninth studio album, “Coming Home,” and parenting his four children — would be “the hardest time” of his life.
“It has to be perfect,” he said in a digital cover story interview with Vogue, noting that his performance would include skating, “killer” choreography, a major costume change and special guests.
“I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I want people who have been a part of that journey to feel like it’s a celebration for everybody, for all of us, from the beginning up until this point.”
Usher added at the time that, much like his residency shows, he wanted to stay present on Super Bowl Sunday and soak in the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“Maybe no one else knows that I’m doing this, but I’ll walk over to the edge of the stage and I look up … and I can remember when nobody was in here, and it was hard, and it felt like nobody was going to come,” he recalled.
“But I see them having a great time and I’m like, ‘Here it is. Honor that moment. Now go have a good time.’”
Sunday’s show marked Usher’s second Super Bowl halftime appearance. He previously took the stage at Super Bowl XLV in 2011 to perform “OMG” with the Black Eyed Peas.
“Usher is an icon whose music has left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape throughout his career, we couldn’t be more excited to have him headline this year’s Apple Music Super Bowl halftime show,” Seth Dudowsky, head of music for the NFL, said in a statement announcing Usher as the 2024 headliner.
“We look forward to working with Usher, Roc Nation and Apple Music to bring fans another halftime show for the history books.”
