By Alena Bitonti
Staff Writer
Eight-time Grammy award winning R&B singer Usher has been confirmed as the headliner for the 2024 Apple Music Halftime Show. The show will take place during Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The NFL and Apple Music made the announcement on Sept. 24 with the help of Kim Kardashian. In a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, Kardashian delivers the news to Usher that he would be performing at the big game. The conversation is edited together as a phone call using the opening of his “Confessions, Pt. II” music video.
“I finally got the answer to those rumors. It’s not about me, it’s about you. You’re doing the Super Bowl,” Kardashian tells Usher in the clip. “Quit playing with me man,” the singer responds.
Following the release of his second album “My Way,” Usher gained popularity in the late 1990s. In 2004, Usher’s album “Confessions” made him one of the best-selling artists of the decade. The album features some of his greatest hits such as “Yeah!” “Confessions Part II,” and “My Boo.”
Usher is currently headlining his “Usher: My Way” residency at Park MGM in Las Vegas, which is expected to conclude in early December. In Vegas, he performs an assortment of songs from throughout his career all while showing off his professional dance skills.
“I’ve seen you in Vegas twice, but this one has to be different,” Kim Kardashian tells Usher in the clip.
While the Super Bowl is one of the most-viewed American television broadcasts of the year, the halftime show is what often attracts the most attention. Usher's performance follows 2023 headliner Rihanna, who currently has the most-watched Halftime Show with more than 121 million viewers, according to Roc Nation.
In an interview with Variety, Usher said, “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.”
NFL Head of Music Seth Dudowsky also expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming performance in the same interview. “We couldn’t be more excited to have him headline this year’s Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show,” he said. “We look forward to working with Usher, Roc Nation and Apple Music to bring fans another Halftime Show for the history books.”
Amid the big news, Usher revealed that his newest album “Coming Home” will be released the same day as his Halftime Show performance. The album is set to include the single “Good Good” with Summer Walker and 21 Savage and is a “celebration of music,” according to a live interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music radio.
The Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show will air live on CBS on Feb. 11, 2024. It is sure to be an exciting day for the singer and for Usher fans across the country.
