During halftime of this year’s Super Bowl Usher took over the field and made us feel like we were all a part of his party. He brought out a handful of special guests, those of which included Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Lil Jon, Ludacris, will.i.am, and Jermaine Dupri. It was a star studded and energetic performance that received many mixed reviews, so let’s break it down.
We open with Usher being surrounded by circus-esq performers who were flying through the air and bending their bodies in ways you couldn’t even imagine. The costuming was eccentric, covered with sparkles and feathers from head to toe. It was very visually appealing. Not to mention the fact that there were also laser lights. Even the crowd was lighting up in coordination to the music (it was giving Eras Tour vibes). This was all done to the song “Caught Up”.
The lights then shifted red as he began to sing “U Don’t Have To Call”. This number couldn’t have been done without the marching band that played behind Usher. Honestly, they were my favorite guests of the night. Usher’s moves were great, but that marching band had some pretty impressive moves of their own. Other songs that were inserted during these first few parts were “Superstar” and “Love in this Club”.
This next part was definitely my favorite moment of the whole performance. The camera rotated and cut to Alicia Keys, who was playing the piano as an enormous red cape flowed behind her (a cape that perfectly matched her sequined red bodysuit). She was singing a segment of her hit song “Ain’t Got You”. Usher came in moments later, singing with her. It was a beautiful break in the chaos that would eventually lead us into the ballad portion of the night. I might be biased because this is my favorite Alicia Keys song, but it was beautiful nonetheless. The two then melodically moved into a duet of “My Boo”. This was definitely a moment FILLED with some sort of tension as Usher swiftly moved all around Alicia’s body. Many people are asking though…was the tension mutual or one sided?
As Usher moved into his ballads some of the songs he sang included “Confessions”, “Burn”, and “U Got It Bad”. By the time he got to “U Got It Bad”, Usher had strayed from his white Dolce & Gabbana suit and became shirtless. All the while he moved through an extensively saucy dance routine. This was definitely a decision that caused the performance to be controversial, as many people believe that this was not appropriate for a family event.
H.E.R. came out with an extravagant guitar solo for the songs “U Got It Bad” and “Bad Girl”. Her look and ability to shred on the guitar was beyond iconic. This led into roller skaters flooding the stage with their tricks as Will.I.Am joined Usher for a performance of “OMG”. At this point, Usher had quickly changed into a sparkling black and blue motorcycle-esq outfit. He was also on roller skates gliding across the stage. The choreographed dance and skating routine was perfectly matched to the lasers and projections of the stage.
Ludacris and Lil Jon showed up and were the final surprise guests of the night. Lil Jon appeared singing “Turn Down For What”. As the performance began to close, Usher, Lil Jon, will.i.am, and Ludacris all together performed “Yeah”. During this we saw camera angles of the whole field as all the special effects came together. The marching band, the mosh pit crowd, lasers, roller skaters, and acrobats all performed together to end the show with a bang. The marching band even coordinated themselves on the field to spell out “USHER”.
Usher’s performance was one that raised many mixed reviews. While many fans were here for the theatrics and special guests, others were not here for the thrusting and sensual moves. People are also questioning the fact that Usher’s finale only consisted of his male guests, as Alicia Keys and H.E.R. were nowhere to be seen. What do you think?