The American Football League (National Football League/NFL), Apple Music and Roc Nation, Sunday (24/9), announced that Usher will be the main performer of the SuperBowl Halftime Show at Allegiant Stadium on February 11. The NFL immediately posted a photo Usher on the main page of X’s account, formerly known as Twitter.
The music megastar, who has won eight Grammy Awards, said he couldn’t wait to perform on the NFL’s biggest stage.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to finally be able to put a Super Bowl appearance on my list of fulfilled wishes,” Usher said in a statement.
“I can’t wait to give the world a performance they’ve never seen from me before.”
Usher rose to superstardom with the album “Confessions,” which sold more than 10 million copies in the United States (US) alone, and earned him eight nominations at the 2005 Grammy Awards, winning three of them. He lost out for album of the year to Ray Charles’ final album, “Genius Loves Company,” which was released two months after the legend died.
“Confessions” is among the best-selling music projects of all time and launched number-one hits such as “Yeah!” with Ludacris and Lil Jon, “Burn,” and “Confessions Part II.” The special edition version includes the soaring song “My Boo”, a duet with Alicia Keys. 2024 will mark the 20th anniversary of this epic album.
Debuted as a teenager
Usher, who is 44 years old, is currently performing his “Usher: My Way” residency concert series in Las Vegas, which has attracted a large audience and received rave reviews. He will also kick off an eight-night run of shows in Paris on Sunday (24/9). Usher is expected to wrap up his Las Vegas shows in early December before performing at halftime of the Super Bowl a few months later.
The singer was a coach on NBC’s “The Voice” and appeared in several films including “Hustlers” and “Light It Up.”
Halftime show of the American Football League or NFL Superbowl final between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams, featuring rapper Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California, February 13, 2022. (Photo: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)
Roc Nation founder Jay-Z called Usher “the ultimate artist and showman.”
“Since his debut at age 15, he has charted a unique path,” he said of Usher, who released his first self-titled album in 1994. In all, he has released eight studio projects with a number of hits, including “U Got It Bad,” “U Remind Me,” “You Make Me Wanna,” “Nice & Slow” and “Love In This Club” with Jeezy.
“Beyond his perfect voice and incredible choreography, Usher bares his soul,” Jay-Z continued. “Her incredible journey has taken her to one of the world’s grandest stages. I can’t wait to see her magic.”
Roc Nation and Emmy-winning producer Jesse Collins will executive produce the Super Bowl halftime show. Meanwhile Hamish Hamilton returns as director. This is the second collaboration between the NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation.
Last year, a heavily pregnant Rihanna danced from a stage above the field for a spectacular halftime show, her first solo show in seven years.
“We are incredibly proud of what we accomplished together with the NFL and Roc Nation last year, and now with the incredibly talented Usher taking the stage, we look forward to an incredible Halftime Show performance from one of the greatest performers of all time,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple Vice President of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Sports and Beats.
With this announcement, Usher will join the list of famous musicians who have performed at the Super Bowl halftime show, along with Beyonce, Madonna, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Coldplay, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, U2, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, and Katy Perry.
“Usher is an icon whose music has left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape throughout his career,” said Seth Dudowsky, NFL Head of Music. (em/hour)
