The Super Bowl is a nationally adored event for sports lovers all around. We’ve all seen a relative this past Sunday evening, screaming at their TV screen with a beer in hand, repping their team with a jersey. Yet, it extends beyond that specific demographic. The Super Bowl halftime show specifically serves as a way to bring in a whole new audience of music lovers and pop culture enthusiasts. This year, Usher took the stage at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV., performing the annual halftime show.
R&B sensation Usher announced his upcoming performance at the 2024 Super Bowl in September, through a witty skit with Kim Kardashian.
In the video skit posted by the official NFL Twitter account, Kardashian says, “I finally got the answer to those rumors. It’s not about me. It’s about you. You’re doing the Super Bowl.”
“Quit playing with me, man,” Usher responds in the clip.
The star reposted the clip on social media with the caption, “LAS VEGAS. APPLE MUSIC HALFTIME SHOW. #SBLVIII.”
As one can expect, the last four months consisted of excitement and anticipation for a classic 2000s musician to perform his classic throwback hits on the biggest night of television. This performance is always one of immense criticism; with 123 million viewers, the Super Bowl halftime show has high expectations to fulfill.
Yet, this year people’s criticism came less with Usher specifically, and more with a certain someone they hoped would be brought out: Justin Bieber. Remember that guy?
Bieber and Usher go all the way back to 2009 when Bieber broke into the entertainment industry. Bieber’s manager, Scooter Braun, takes the cake for discovering the young talent, but Usher played a big role in the ordeal.
Usher said himself in an interview with Howard Stern that “[Bieber] is like a son to [him].” He always felt protective and proud of Bieber, as he himself blew up and entered the industry at 13 years old, not much younger than Bieber was during his breakthrough.
A recent report by TMZ stated that Usher “has been hitting up Justin Bieber lately to talk about the prospect of JB joining him during the Super Bowl Halftime Show… Still no word on whether Justin agreed—but we know they’ve been chatting …A LOT.”
Speculation continued when the Biebers were seen arriving in Las Vegas on Saturday alongside their good friends, the Kardashian family.
Fans were convinced Bieber was going to make an appearance given his close-knit bond with Usher.
As it turns out, it was more than just speculation. Usher had the same good idea that the public had about Bieber making an appearance, and even extended an invitation to him, which he politely declined.
Ever since last February, when Bieber canceled the remaining dates of his Justice World Tour, he has remained pretty low profile and off-stage.
It’s comforting to know the reasoning behind why he denied the offer to perform alongside his lifelong idol and friend. An insider revealed that Bieber has been feeling fatigued as of late, and felt the performance would be too much on him. While people were disappointed in his lack of a performance, he was seen alongside wife Hailey Bieber in the stands, watching the game and supporting his pal on stage.
He even went on to send his support on social media with a heartwarming message on Instagram. Bieber wrote, “LOVE YOU MY BROTHER NO ONE CAN SING AND DANCE THE WAY YOU DO. LOVE YOU FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY HEART. BROUGHT THE ‘A’ TO THE WORLD, ONLY YOU BABYYYYYY 😘”
Even with some disappointment on that front, Usher received loads of love and positive feedback on his rockstar performance Sunday. With big names such as Ludacris, Lil Jon, Alicia Keys, H.E.R., will.i.am, and Jermaine Dupri joining him throughout his performance, his performance was beyond exciting for viewers worldwide.
Bieber, we missed you, but boy did Usher and his R&B sidekicks kill it this year!