Usher will be the headlining performer at the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime show, Apple Music, the NFL and Roc Nation have announced announced on Sunday.
via: Billboard
The iconic singer from Atlanta will take the stage at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the first time the big game will take place in that city.
“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,” Usher said in a statement. “Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon.”
Usher has 18 top 10 hits on the Hot 100 in his career, including nine No. 1s, with songs like “U Got It Bad,” “Yeah!” feat Lil Jon and Ludacris, “My Boo” with Alicia Keys and “OMG” feat. will.i.am., which will surely ramp up the speculation around who may come out as a special guest alongside him. He also has four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 to his name across his career.
“Usher is an icon whose music has left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape throughout his career, we couldn’t be more excited to have him headline this year’s Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show,” said Seth Dudowsky, the head of music for the NFL, in a statement. “We look forward to working with Usher, Roc Nation and Apple Music to bring fans another Halftime Show for the history books.”
This year will mark the fifth year of the partnership between the NFL and Roc Nation to produce the Halftime Show, after a deal struck in 2019. That partnership has resulted in halftime shows by Shakira and Jennifer Lopez (2020), The Weeknd (2021), a hip-hop showcase anchored by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar (2022), and Rihanna (2023).
“Usher is the ultimate artist and showman. Ever since his debut at the age of 15, he’s been charting his own unique course. Beyond his flawless singing and exceptional choreography, Usher bares his soul,” JAY-Z said in a statement. “His remarkable journey has propelled him to one of the grandest stages in the world. I can’t wait to see the magic.”
This will also mark the second year that the halftime show will be presented by Apple Music, after a decade of Pepsi sponsorship. The Rihanna performance in 2023 — during which the superstar revealed she was pregnant with her second child with A$AP Rocky — was the most-watched halftime show of all time.
“The Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show is one of the most highly anticipated music events of the year and we’re excited to bring this legendary show to fans all over the world in Spatial Audio, along with tons of exclusive videos, interviews, playlists and so much more across Apple Music,” Apple’s vp of Apple Music, Apple TV+, sports and Beats Oliver Schusser said in a statement. “We are so proud of what we were able to accomplish together with the NFL and Roc Nation last year and now with the insanely talented Usher set to take the stage we’re looking forward to another incredible Halftime Show from one of the world’s all-time greatest performers.”
The show will be produced by DPS, with executive producers Roc Nation and Jesse Collins, and will be directed by Hamish Hamilton.
