With all the recent attention on the NFL, especially surrounding fantasy football and the rumors of Taylor Swift dating the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce, the Super Bowl this upcoming February has been increasingly emerging into conversation. For many people around the country, the most important thing about Super Bowl LVII is not which teams face off or in which stadium the game is played, but it is who will headline the halftime show. While commercials are also a fun topic before, during, and after the game, the halftime show, sponsored by Apple Music, brings both football and music fans together. On September 25, the NFL and Apple Music announced that Usher will be performing the highly anticipated show, leaving fans around the country anxiously waiting for the show on February 11.
After Rihanna’s electric performance at last year’s Super Bowl, fans were eager to find out who the headliner would be this year. Rihanna’s halftime show was iconic; the outfits, the pregnancy reveal, and the sky-high stages were mesmerizing. Her setlist contained the majority of her biggest hits, including “Diamonds,” “Umbrella,” and “We Found Love.” While there were many rumors of the artist for this year’s performance being Miley Cyrus, or even possibly Taylor Swift, Usher fans were ecstatic to hear that he would be performing after his long residency in Las Vegas. The news broke as a video posted by Apple Music including Kim Kardashian breaking the news.
Usher is an eight-time Grammy-winning singer, and it will be his first time performing at the anticipated Super Bowl halftime show. In 2011, Usher was featured in the Black Eyed Peas halftime show at AT&T Stadium in Texas. His involvement was approved by the partnership between the NFL and Roc Nation, which is Jay-Z’s company which gives him influence on many NFL-related events. Jay-Z recently stated, “Beyond his flawless singing and exceptional choreography, Usher bares his soul. I can’t wait to see the magic.” In a statement, Usher commented, “It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before. Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon.”
Even if you are not a huge fan of Usher, know that he has had a remarkable career. He is a 23-time Grammy nominee and has been a coach on NBC’s show “The Voice” during seasons four and six. He has eight studio albums and another one titled “COMING HOME” will be released sometime this upcoming year. Additionally, his eighteen Billboard Top 10 entries and nine Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 Hits make him one of the most esteemed artists of our time. Even though he is only 44, he has been creating music for 30 years now and has made people admire his incredible dancing skills, vocals, and ability to blend many genres of music together.
Whether you are a huge fan of Usher or have never listened to his music, the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show is destined for success. Tune in on Sunday, February 11, to watch both the football game and Usher’s performance, which will take place in Las Vegas.
