As the lights dimmed for the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show in Las Vegas, the San Francisco 49ers led the Kansas City Chiefs 10-3, but that facedown took a minute 15-minute backseat to a bombastic celebration of one of the most staggering careers in pop history — Usher‘s.
Decked out in a white diamond-studded blazer and pants, Usher ushered in a maximalist ode to Las Vegas, Black performance history and his hometown of Atlanta. Throughout his lengthy set, the “Burn” singer incorporated flappers, Cirque du Soleil-esque dancers and roller skaters as he tore through his timeless discography. Performing both on the field and in and elevated stage — which was surrounded by a marching band that spelled out his name — Usher dominated every inch of Allegiant Stadium.
Beginning with “Caught Up,” Usher rolled through decades of hits including “Nice & Slow,” “U Don’t Have to Call” and “Love In This Club.” Armed with an arsenal of solo hits and collaborative smashes, Usher also trotted out a number of eye-popping surprise guests. As heavily rumored, Grammy-winner Alicia Keys indeed made an appearance during the halftime show, and she sported a sultry rhinestone-encrusted red corseted bodysuit for the occasion.
The two R&B icons performed a brief snippet of Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You” before delivering a heartwarming rendition of “My Boo,” their 2004 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit. Other guests included Oscar-winning R&B singer-songwriter H.E.R. — who delivered a Prince-esque guitar solo during Usher’s show-stopping “U Got It Bad” performance before playing the opening licks of “Bad Girl” — as well as Jermaine Dupri (who introduced “Confessions, Pt. II”) and Ludacris, who flawlessly delivered his iconic “Yeah!” verse.
Gracing the halftime show just a few months after closing one of the most successful and buzzed-about Las Vegas residencies in history — his My Way show grossed $95.9 million — Usher also made good on his promises of shirtlessness, precise choreography and gyration. The “Climax” singer underwent several outfit changes, going from his white ensemble, to a bare chest, before closing with a leather jacket and pants combo in the blue-white-black color palette. Needless to say, the show was a feast for the eyes on all artistic fronts.
As just the second performer to headline the Apple Music era of Super Bowl Halftime shows, Usher delivered an outstanding follow-up to Rihanna‘s two-time Emmy-winning 2023 show. While “Yeah” and
“OMG” unsurprisingly drew the loudest reactions across Allegiant Stadium, the crowd also went wild for cuts such as “Love In This Club.” None of this is too shocking, however, considering Usher’s jaw-dropping success. The eight-time Grammy winner boasts nine Hot 100 No. 1 hits and four Billboard 200 No. 1 albums, including Confessions, which recently earned a 14x platinum certification from the RIAA.
By the end of his performance, Usher presented the ultimate case for not only his King of R&B title, but also the necessity of seeing him on his forthcoming Past Present Future tour. The 44-show trek is set to launch on Aug. 20 in Washington, D.C., and includes multi-night runs at Brooklyn’s Barclay Center (Sept. 6-10), Atlanta’s State Farm Arena (Oct. 17-20) and the brand-new Inuit Dome (Sept. 17-24) in Inglewood, Calif.
Here’s Usher Super Bowl Halftime Show setlist:
- “Caught Up”
- “U Don’t Have to Call”
- “Superstar”
- “Love In This Club”
- “If I Ain’t Got You” / “My Boo” (with Alicia Keys)
- “Confessions, Pt. II” (with Jermaine Dupri)
- “Nice & Slow”
- “Burn”
- “U Got It Bad” / “Bad Girl” (with H.E.R.)
- “OMG” / “Turn Down for What” (with Lil Jon)
- “Yeah!” (with Ludacris)
