R&B legend Usher has officially been announced as the headliner for the Super Bowl 2024 halftime show. The news broke on Sunday morning, courtesy of Apple Music. The news came in the form of a beloved meme using footage from Usher’s “Confessions” music video.
Super Bowl LVIII will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada on Feb. 11 with a halftime show presented by Apple Music. It will air on CBS and will stream simultaneously on Paramount+. On Sunday, Usher gave a statement to CBS Sports, saying: “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.”
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“Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon,” he concluded. Usher was reportedly hand-picked for this gig by Jay-Z. The rapper’s company Roc Nation has been executive producing the Super Bowl halftime show since 2019, and Jay-Z has taken a personal interest in selecting the right artist for the moment each February. He issued a statement on Sunday as well.
“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,” he said. “His remarkable journey has propelled him to one of the grandest stages in the world. I can’t wait to see the magic.”
Usher has been on the Super Bowl stage before โ in 2011 he was a guest during the halftime show for Super Bowl XLV, with headliners The Black Eyes Peas. Usher is also well-established in Las Vegas right now as he has been performing a residency there since 2021.
Usher talked about his dream of playing the halftime show back in April in an interview with Access Hollywood. He said that he’d be “a fool” to turn the job down if it was offered, but admitted that he was also chasing it a bit for his own reasons. he said: “I think I have a catalog that obviously speaks for itself, so to be able to celebrate on that day, it’s obviously about football, but everybody really anticipates the performance. Seeing Michael Jackson perform and recently seeing Snoop [Dogg] and [Dr.] Dre … seeing so many incredible performances like Prince… it has always been kind of a bucket list.”
Super Bowl LVIII kicks off on Sunday, Feb. 11 in Las Vegas. It will air on CBS and will stream on Paramount+.