Because the lights dimmed for the 2024 Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present in Las Vegas, the San Francisco 49ers led the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs 10-3, however that facedown took a 15-minute backseat to a bombastic celebration of some of the staggering careers in pop historical past — Usher‘s.
Decked out in a white diamond-studded blazer and pants, Usher ushered in a maximalist ode to Las Vegas, Black efficiency historical past and his hometown of Atlanta. All through his set, the “Burn” singer integrated flappers, Cirque du Soleil-esque dancers and curler skaters as he tore by way of his timeless discography. Performing each on the sphere and in an elevated stage — which was surrounded by a marching band that spelled out his identify — Usher dominated each inch of Allegiant Stadium.
Starting with “Caught Up,” Usher rolled by way of many years of hits together with “Good & Sluggish,” “U Don’t Need to Name” and “Love In This Membership.” Armed with an arsenal of solo hits and collaborative smashes, Usher additionally trotted out a lot of eye-popping shock friends. As closely rumored, Grammy-winner Alicia Keys certainly made an look throughout the halftime present, and she or he sported a sultry rhinestone-encrusted crimson corseted bodysuit for the event.
The 2 R&B icons carried out a quick snippet of Keys’ “If I Ain’t Obtained You” earlier than delivering a heartwarming rendition of “My Boo,” their 2004 Billboard Sizzling 100 No. 1 hit. Different friends included Oscar-winning R&B singer-songwriter H.E.R. — who delivered a Prince-esque guitar solo throughout Usher’s show-stopping “U Obtained It Dangerous” efficiency earlier than taking part in the opening licks of “Dangerous Lady” — in addition to Jermaine Dupri (who launched “Confessions, Pt. II”) and Ludacris, who flawlessly delivered his iconic “Yeah!” verse.
Gracing the halftime present only a few months after closing some of the profitable and buzzed-about Las Vegas residencies in historical past — his My Means present grossed $95.9 million — Usher additionally made good on his guarantees of shirtlessness, exact choreography and gyration. The “Climax” singer underwent a number of outfit modifications, going from his white ensemble, to a naked chest, earlier than closing with a leather-based jacket and pants combo within the blue-white-black coloration palette. For sure, the present was a feast for the eyes on all creative fronts.
As simply the second performer to headline the Apple Music period of Tremendous Bowl Halftime exhibits, Usher delivered an excellent follow-up to Rihanna‘s two-time Emmy-winning 2023 present. Whereas “Yeah” and
“OMG” unsurprisingly drew the loudest reactions throughout Allegiant Stadium, the gang additionally went wild for cuts similar to “Love In This Membership.” None of that is too stunning, nevertheless, contemplating Usher’s jaw-dropping success. The eight-time Grammy winner boasts 9 Sizzling 100 No. 1 hits and 4 Billboard 200 No. 1 albums, together with Confessions, which just lately earned a 14x platinum certification from the RIAA.
By the tip of his efficiency, Usher offered the last word case for not solely his King of R&B title, but in addition the need of seeing him on his forthcoming Previous Current Future tour. The 44-show trek is about to launch on Aug. 20 in Washington, D.C., and contains multi-night runs at Brooklyn’s Barclay Middle (Sept. 6-10), Atlanta’s State Farm Area (Oct. 17-20) and the brand-new Inuit Dome (Sept. 17-24) in Inglewood, Calif.
Right here’s Usher Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present setlist:
- “Caught Up”
- “U Don’t Need to Name”
- “Celebrity”
- “Love In This Membership”
- “If I Ain’t Obtained You” / “My Boo” (with Alicia Keys)
- “Confessions, Pt. II” (with Jermaine Dupri)
- “Good & Sluggish”
- “Burn”
- “U Obtained It Dangerous” / “Dangerous Lady” (with H.E.R.)
- “OMG” / “Flip Down for What” (with Lil Jon)
- “Yeah!” (with Ludacris)
