Imagine a stage surrounded in the glow of a million spotlights, a stage so iconic it draws in viewers from all corners of the globe, creating a spectacle that transcends mere entertainment and becomes a cultural phenomenon. The famed Super Bowl halftime show, where the biggest names in music perform their most popular songs. People like Madonna, Snoop Dogg, 50 cent, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Katie Perry, Missy Elliot, Prince, Bruno Mars and Rhianna, have performed on the same stage.
For those living under a rock, the Super Bowl is not just any sporting event; it’s America’s biggest sporting event, their most popular sport (NFL) grand final. During this game there is a performance from an artist that is called the Super Bowl half-time performance. This performance has even me who has no interest in sports excited.
Usher, the chosen artist for this year’s halftime show. But Usher didn’t step onto that stage alone; he brought other artists with him. Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Lil Jon, and more joined him, turning the performance into a show of everyone who joined Usher throughout his career. The excitement coming from Usher was infectious, spreading like wildfire through the stadium and throughout the worldwide audiences.
Amidst the many dancing and many great moments, one stood out—the singing of his smash hit “Yeah.” there was a lot of energy in his performance of this while also there was a lot of energy in the crowd.
While there was a lot of talent involved there was one big problem. The stage production, while undeniably impressive, seemed to suffer from an identity crisis. It was as if a dozen different visions collided, resulting in chaos.
This performance was amazing however it’s 20 years too late, Usher was most popular in 2004, 20 years later his songs don’t hit as hard as they used to. His songs aren’t necessarily nostalgic, and the overall performance would have been better if it felt like a throwback having the style of 2004 instead of trying to match a 20 year old song to a performance style of 2024.
On stage he brought up Alicia Keys to perform along with other artists that he has worked with. Alicia Keys and Usher sung “My Boo” together on stage.
Do I think this was the best Super Bowl performance? No, I don’t think anything could beat Shakira and JLo’s Super Bowl performance. Was it a good Super Bowl performance? Yes, of course it was, Usher is an extremely talented artist and his performance was good but their overall stage production was the problem.
