R&B singer Usher delivered an energetic halftime show at the Super Bowl, celebrating 30 years since his debut album release. The 45-year-old artist performed a hit-filled 13-minute set, showcasing nimble dance moves and donning various costumes, including an all-white outfit and a roller-skating jumpsuit, with moments of ‘shirtlessness’.
Following the performance, surprising news emerged: Usher reportedly obtained a marriage license on February 8 to wed his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Goicoechea in Las Vegas after the Super Bowl.
The star-studded performance featured guests like Grammy winner H.E.R., rappers Lil Jon and Ludacris, and R&B singer-songwriter Alicia Keys, though Keys encountered a mishap with a missed note at the start of her solo song “If I Ain’t Got You.”
During Usher’s Super Bowl halftime performance, he recovered quickly from a missed note by joining Alicia Keys for their hit duet “My Boo.”
He then launched into a rapid-fire medley of his biggest hits, showcasing shirtlessness and executing an elaborate choreographed dance routine on roller skates.
Throughout the performance, special guest stars appeared, including Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Ludacris, and Ceelo Green.
However, some confusion arose over Ceelo Green’s cameo, which turned out to be rapper, producer, and frequent Usher collaborator Jermaine Dupri. Prior to the Super Bowl, Usher had hinted at a big show with notable guest appearances during a pre-game press conference.
“I have definitely went through a lot of ideas of who I would have share this moment with me and I do feel like the people who are gonna share it deserve just as much recognition for what they do in their careers – whether we have collaborated together or rather they’ve had moments of their own,” Usher told reporters in a pre-Super Bowl press conference, as per Page Six.
“There has been these fantasy lists that have been going out, people trying to figure out what song I’m going to perform first, middle, last,” he continued.
“I was very mindful of my past, celebrating my present, which is here in Las Vegas, and thinking about where we’re headed in the future. And that was really the idea.”
Usher’s Super Bowl halftime performance faced the potential of being overshadowed by the presence of another musical superstar, Taylor Swift, who hurried to Las Vegas after concluding the Japanese leg of her Eras tour to support her boyfriend Travis Kelce, playing with the Kansas City Chiefs.
However, Swift is expected to depart from the US soon as she is scheduled to kick off the Australian leg of her Eras tour in Melbourne on Friday night.