Rihanna is a tough act to follow, but somebody has to do it. That difficult task has fallen onto the shoulders of Usher, who is set to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2024. I hope his stylist is already pulling together an outfit to rival Ri's Loewe jumpsuit. Trick question: it won't.
“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 following the announcement. “Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon.”
Given that Rihanna's Super Bowl performance was the most viewed Halftime Show in history, Usher is going to have to dig deep into his back catalogue to get nearly the same response. We're talking 2004 Confessions era, bring out all the heartbreak hits – U Got it Bad, My Boo, Burn – and when we're comfortably depressed and in our feelings, lighten the mood with Love in this Club, Yeah!, I Need A Girl and perhaps a guest performance from will.i.am for OMG? Even then, Usher I hope you have a surprise pregnancy announcement, if not it's time to get busy!!
Me When Usher plays ‘OMG’ at the Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/Im4bpw2ure
— bria celest (@55mmbae) September 24, 2023
Usher might not be pregnant in the literal sense, but he does have plans to drop his ninth album Coming Home – and his first since 2016's Hard II Love – to coincide with the Super Bowl performance.
For NFL laypeople, like myself, who have little reason to tune into the sporting event aside from this musical carrot on a string, the 2024 Halftime Show will take place on February 11, 2024 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and will be presented by Apple Music for the second year running, after a decade of sponsorship by Pepsi.
Just know that I am here for the possibility of hearing Moving Mountains, and this fact alone. See you then!
Image: @usher
