Super Bowl LVIII halftime show

The Super Bowl LVIII halftime show, officially known as the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show, was the halftime entertainment of Super Bowl LVIII, which took place on February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.[1] It featured Usher as the headline performer, with guest appearances by Alicia Keys, will.i.am, Lil Jon, Ludacris, H.E.R, and Sonic Boom of the South.[2]

Super Bowl LVIII halftime show
Part ofSuper Bowl LVIII
DateFebruary 11, 2024
LocationParadise, Nevada, U.S.
VenueAllegiant Stadium
HeadlinerUsher
Special guestsAlicia Keys, Jermaine Dupri, H.E.R., will.i.am, Lil Jon, Ludacris, Sonic Boom of the South
SponsorApple Music
ProducerJesse Collins, Roc Nation
Super Bowl halftime show chronology
LVII
(2023)
LVIII
(2024)
LIX
(2025)

Background

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Artists in contention to headline the halftime show

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Throughout summer 2023, there were various names being reported to be performing at the halftime show, including former One Direction member and British singer Harry Styles to promote his recent album Harry's House, which won the Album of the Year Award at the 2023 Grammy Awards.[3] Taylor Swift was reportedly considered for the show; she later pulled out of the running due to having prior commitments such as her Eras Tour, which was reported by Cosmopolitan in August 2023.[4] Still, Swift was in attendance,[5] leading to speculation that her popularity helped cause the actual football game (and the halftime show as a carryover) to become to the most-viewed television broadcast in modern history. Miley Cyrus was another artist also being considered to headline the show.[6] Other rumored artists included Bad Bunny, Jack Harlow, and NSYNC.[7] Usher was informed of his selection on August 11, 2023.

Headliner announcement

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Usher headlined the halftime show as part of Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, 2024, two days after the release date of his ninth studio album Coming Home.[8]

On September 27, 2023, it was announced that Usher would headline the show with this being his second appearance at a halftime show following the Super Bowl XLV halftime show which was headlined by American musical group the Black Eyed Peas where he was a guest alongside Slash, making Raymond the first act to perform during both a Super Bowl and an NBA Finals. He had been reported to be a potential headliner for a while after extending his residency at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.[9] His participation is the latest result of the National Football League (NFL)'s partnership with Jay Z's entertainment agency Roc Nation, which was signed in 2019 to boost the quality of the halftime shows. Coincidentally, Usher marked his thirtieth anniversary as a solo artist (1994-2024),[10] and the lead-up to his headlining prominently made note of that fact. After his announcement as the headliner, he said: "It's a 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". Speaking to Apple Music's Zane Lowe on potential guests, he said, "Well, one thing I can say is that I have collaborated with a lot of incredible artists throughout the years," including fellow singers and rappers Alicia Keys, will.i.am, Lil Jon, Ludacris, and H.E.R. playing guitar. As a nod to Black History Month, the HBCU marching band Sonic Boom of the South played on-field brass and percussion.[8][11][12]

Alicia Keys' vocal gaffe

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Alicia Keys' voice cracked at the beginning of her performance of "If I Ain't Got You". In the YouTube upload of the halftime show, the NFL scrubbed the mistake[13] by editing in the correct notes from a prior rehearsal performance to fix Keys' off-key and pitchy vocals.[14][15][16]

Reception

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In a four-star review, Adrian Horton of The Guardian described the performance "frenetic and daring" while "at times chaotic and uncharacteristically wobbly".[17] Dominic Patten of Deadline Hollywood wrote "as tight as the tone and pacing of the performance was, Usher felt very 20 years ago and flat,” compared to the previous two shows and Andra Day's "Lift Every Voice and Sing" performance.[18]

This was the 32nd edition of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and topped out with 129.3 million concurrent viewers, making it the biggest television audience in its history since the inaugural show featuring Michael Jackson (133.4 million).[19]

Usher's album, Coming Home, was propelled to #2 on the Billboard 200 charts upon its debut the following week with 91,000 units moved.[20] The record held the #1 slot on iTunes the week leading up the big game.[21]

Set list

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Setlist adapted from Business Insider.[22][23]

  1. "My Way" (intro)
  2. "Caught Up"
  3. "U Don't Have to Call" (with elements of "Superstar")
  4. "Love in This Club"
  5. "If I Ain't Got You" (with Alicia Keys)
  6. "My Boo" (with Alicia Keys)
  7. "Confessions Part II" (with introduction by Jermaine Dupri and elements of "Nice & Slow")
  8. "Burn"
  9. "U Got It Bad" (with H.E.R. and elements of "Bad Girl")
  10. "OMG" (with will.i.am and elements of "Can You Feel It and Jumpman"[24])
  11. "Turn Down for What" (Lil Jon)
  12. "Yeah!" (with Lil Jon, Ludacris and elements of "Freek-a-Leek" and "Get Low")

References

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  1. ^ Tolentino, Daysia (February 11, 2024). "Alicia Keys joins Usher onstage". NBC. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  2. ^ Denis, Kyle (February 12, 2024). "Usher Electrifies 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show With Special Guests Alicia Keys, Ludacris, H.E.R. & More". Billboard. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  3. ^ Peppin, Hayley (June 14, 2023). "Party in the USA: Miley Cyrus might be the 2024 Super Bowl headliner". Harper's Bazaar Australia. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  4. ^ Bonner, Mehera (August 24, 2023). "Taylor Swift Won't Do the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show for Several Very Specific Reasons". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  5. ^ Lyttle, Zoey (February 11, 2024). "Every Photo of Taylor Swift at the 2024 Super Bowl". People.com. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Cavaliere, Jenna (June 13, 2023). "Is Miley Cyrus headlining the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show?". TAG24. Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  7. ^ McNeal, Bria (September 22, 2023). "Wait, Is *NSYNC Actually Playing the Super Bowl Halftime Show?". Esquire. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Savage, Mark (September 25, 2023). "Usher to perform 2024 Super Bowl half-time show". BBC News. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  9. ^ "Usher's My Way Las Vegas Residency: Here's Where to Get Tickets for the Final Shows Online". Rolling Stone. August 17, 2023.
  10. ^ "Usher Adds Dates to 'Past Present Future' 2024 Headlining Tour". Rolling Stone. February 6, 2024.
  11. ^ Caramanica, Jon (February 12, 2024). "Usher Brings Precise Details to Pop's Biggest Stage: The Super Bowl". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  12. ^ Lang, Cady (February 12, 2024). "All the Highlights From Usher's Super Bowl Halftime Show". Time. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  13. ^ Guy, Zoe (February 12, 2024). "Did the NFL Write Alicia Keys's Voice Crack Out of Super Bowl History?". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  14. ^ Carr, Mary Kate (February 12, 2024). "Alicia Keys' Super Bowl flub already erased from the official record". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  15. ^ Knolle, Sharon; Lincoln, Ross A. (February 12, 2024). "Alicia Keys' Super Bowl Voice Crack Autotuned Out in Official Video". TheWrap. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  16. ^ Keller, Erin (February 13, 2024). "Alicia Keys' voice crack seemingly edited out of Super Bowl 2024 halftime show". The New York Post. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  17. ^ Horton, Adrian (February 12, 2024). "Usher's Super Bowl half-time show review – a frenetic, daring nostalgia tour". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  18. ^ Patten, Dominic (February 12, 2024). "Usher Fizzles In Super Bowl Halftime Show Despite Alicia Keys & Guest Stars Galore – Review". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  19. ^ "Usher's NFL Super Bowl 58 Halftime Show Sets Record by Drawing 129.3M Viewers". Bleacher Report.
  20. ^ "Usher's "Coming Home" album debuts at number two in US". February 19, 2024.
  21. ^ "Usher's 'Coming Home' Hits #1 on Worldwide iTunes / Dominates Sales Charts of over 25 Countries - That Grape Juice". February 10, 2024.
  22. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie. "Every song on Usher's setlist for the Super Bowl halftime show". Business Insider. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  23. ^ Horowitz, Steven J. (February 12, 2024). "Usher's Halftime Show Is a Guest-Packed Frenzy of Sexy Shirtless Jams, Roller Skating and Breathless Dance Moves". Variety. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  24. ^ "Usher pays a subtle tribute to Michael Jackson at the Super Bowl". MJVibe.com. February 12, 2024. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.