What We Know About Usher’s Super Bowl Halftime Show: Alicia Keys Spotted Rehearsing—Will Justin Bieber Show?

Usher will be performing during the Super Bowl's halftime show on Sunday. This is a chance for musicians to showcase their music, even though they don't get paid for it. He has hinted that there may be some special guests and that the setlist will pay tribute to R&B music.

Usher is all set to rock the halftime show just after two days of releasing his brand new album named "Coming Home".

There are rumors circulating that Usher's halftime show will have some major guest stars like Justin Bieber, Beyoncé, Lil John, and Ludacris. Moreover, Alicia Keys was seen practicing for the performance on Thursday, as per reports.

Usher gave a small preview of his upcoming performance in a Vogue interview, expressing his desire to pay tribute not only to R&B music, but also to the essence of R&B such as the performance, connection, and spirit. He also hinted that he will have some surprise guests joining him on stage, but chose not to divulge any names at this time.

According to Vogue, the show will feature impressive dance moves and routines, along with alterations to the outfits worn by the performer. Additionally, roller-skating will be incorporated into the performance. The artist has been known to use skates during his Las Vegas residency, which concluded with its one hundredth and final show in the month of December.

According to Usher's statement to Entertainment Weekly, his team was able to secure an extra two minutes for his halftime show performance. Typically, artists are given 13 minutes for their performance due to the limited time available for setting up and dismantling the stage.

Usher shared in an interview with Billboard about his halftime performance, but he didn't give any specifics on the songs he plans to sing. However, he did mention that his preferred song to perform is "U Got It Bad," which was his hit single from 2001 that reached the top spot on the Hot 100 chart.

The halftime show's sponsor, Apple Music, gave a sneak peek of Usher's performance on Wednesday. In the teaser, Usher's partners on his 2004 hit "Yeah!", Ludacris and Lil Jon, were featured along with actress Taraji P. Henson calling Apple CEO Tim Cook on FaceTime; they informed him that Usher was nowhere to be found.

Keep An Eye Out: Things To Look For

It's possible that Usher will take advantage of his Super Bowl appearance to showcase his soon-to-be-released music. His first solo studio album in eight years, "Coming Home," is set to drop on Friday, just two days prior to his performance. Back in August, he released the album's lead single, "Good Good," which features collaboration with Summer Walker and 21 Savage. Additionally, Usher has plans to go on tour throughout North America this summer. The presale for tickets is slated to begin on February 7th, with general sale opening up on February 12th, which is just one day post his halftime gig.

During the Super Bowl halftime show, artists showcase their popular songs, and Usher is one of the most successful musicians of the 2000s. He has achieved a remarkable nine No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and has plenty of songs to choose from. Some of his most prominent songs include “Yeah!,” “You Make Me Wanna...,” and "U Got It Bad." According to Billboard, Usher's most famous hits are a result of collaborations with other respected artists. As a result, there is speculation about who will join him on stage. Alicia Keys appeared with him on “My Boo,” will.i.am worked with him on “OMG,” Young Jeezy collaborated on “Love in This Club,” and Pitbull joined him on “DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love.”

Even though Usher won't receive payment for his halftime show performance, it still presents a great opportunity for him to earn money. This is because performing at the Super Bowl can lead to a significant increase in music sales and streams, thanks to the massive audience of over 100 million people. For instance, Rihanna's music experienced a boost of 390% in song sales and a 211% increase in streams from the Saturday before her halftime show until the Monday after. Songs like "Pour It Up" and "Where Have You Been" saw an incredible increase of over 1,000% in sales and over 400% in streams.

On Sunday evening, Usher will perform at the highly-anticipated football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. The game commences at 6:30 p.m. and can be watched on CBS, Paramount+, CBS.com, and CBS Sports apps. Additional artists scheduled to perform include Reba McEntire, who will showcase “Star-Spangled Banner,” Post Malone, who will serenade “America the Beautiful,” and Andra Day, who will sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” commonly recognized as the “Black National Anthem.”

The reason why Usher will not receive payment for performing at the Super Bowl halftime show is explained in a Forbes article.

Non-NFL Fans' Guide to Super Bowl 2024 - What to Expect from Usher's Halftime Performance and Other Incredible Acts, According to Forbes.

Usher is a talented man who is known for his gentlemanly behavior, amazing comeback story, and winning the Super Bowl MVP title. This has been reported by Vogue magazine.