Usher had nothing really to prove going into the Super Bowl Halftime Show; over the course of his nearly three-decade career, he has managed to build a great deal of goodwill and, in recent years, a resurgence of cultural relevancy, thanks to a hugely successful and seductively grown Las Vegas residency. (And a lo-fi moment that went viral.)
However, for any pop musician, being the event’s headlining act can be like winning an EGOT, and Usher treated the Sunday night performance as a well-deserved pinnacle of his career.
He began his jubilant set with, “They said I wouldn’t make it, they said I wouldn’t be here today, but I am,” and then he called out his mother. It was difficult for anyone who has been a fan of his since “My Way” and “U Make Me Wanna” days to not be happy about this occasion.
For the majority of its duration, the “rated U” performance (as per Apple Music) was, to be honest, disorganised and rushed. In the first track, “Caught Up,” he was channelling the glitzy atmosphere of Las Vegas, complete with an excessive number of background acts, including stilt walkers, acrobats, and women decked out in feathers. Even with his dazzling all-white and glittery outfit, Usher stood out, but the frantic camera cutting appeared to detract from the headliner straight away. (The sound mixing and voices here also needed a lot of improvement.)
What came next was effectively a montage of his extensive discography, which at points moved far too swiftly — a little excerpt from “Nice and Slow” here, a single phrase from “Superstar” there. When he let us to enjoy his sultry, swaggering choreography and spend some time with a song, like he did with his iconic ballad “U Got It Bad,” the medley was at its finest. (At this point, he took off his shirt, gave the singers a chance to sing, and brought out H.E.R. to tear up a guitar solo. Magic.).
As previously said, a few of Usher’s well-known partners were also available to demonstrate his authenticity. Will.I.Am for “OMG”; Jermaine Dupri for “Confessions (Part II)”; Alicia Keys for a little portion of her solo single “If I Ain’t Got You” and their duet “My Boo”; Lil Jon and Ludacris for “Yeah,” which was the clear choice for the last song.
Even if the concert was a little disorganised, Usher’s main argument that he has a tonne of songs and is now unchallenged as the King of R&B remains true. (As the majority of us may probably agree, it’s best to keep his EDM phase quiet.)
Even while it wasn’t his finest performance, it was nonetheless entertaining and demonstrated his star power. By the time “Yeah” brought the concert to a thrilling close, Usher and company had changed the theme to a flashy football game, complete with dancers twisting around poles, a marching band, and a chorus that was bouncing up and down and puffed up like they had just won the trophy. He yelled a couple times, “I took the world to the A,” alluding to the city where he spent a large portion of his formative adolescent years.
Usher’s Super Bowl Halftime show was chaotic but cemented his R&B legacy
With a very successful and seductively growing Las Vegas residency, Usher has built a great lot of goodwill and, in recent years, a comeback of cultural importance. As such, he really had nothing to prove heading into the Super Bowl Halftime Show. (Also, a low-quality clip that went viral.)
But being the main attraction at an event can be like earning an EGOT for any pop singer, and Usher saw the Sunday night show as a well-earned apex of his career. He called out his mother at the beginning of his jubilant set, saying, “They said I wouldn’t make it; they said I wouldn’t be here today, but I am.” It was challenging for anyone who had experience with.
To be honest, the “ranked U” performance (according to Apple Music) was hurried and haphazard for the most of its duration. He was channelling the glamorous vibe of Las Vegas with the first tune, “Caught Up,” which included an overabundance of supporting performances, such as acrobats, stilt walkers, and ladies wearing feathered costumes. Usher looked stunning in his all-white, sparkly attire, but the hurried camera cuts seemed to take away from the main attraction right away. (The vocals and sound mixing in this instance also required a great deal of work.)
The following track was essentially a montage of his vast discography, with snippets of “Nice and Slow” here and “Superstar” there, all moving way too quickly at times. The medley was at its best when he let us appreciate his sensual, swaggering dancing and took our time with a song, like he did with his famous ballad “U Got It Bad.” (At this point, he removed his shirt, allowed the vocalists to finish their song, and introduced H.E.R., who proceeded to play an incredible guitar solo. Magic.)
As mentioned before, several of Usher’s well-known companions were present to confirm his veracity. Lil Jon and Ludacris for “Yeah,” which was the obvious option for the last song; Will.I. Am for “OMG”; Jermaine Dupri for “Confessions (Part II)”; Alicia Keys for a little section of her solo hit “If I Aren’t Got You” and their duet “My Boo”
Usher’s fundamental argument that he has a tonne of songs and is now unopposed as the King of R&B remains true, even if the show was a little disorganised. (As most of us would probably agree, he should keep his EDM period under wraps.) By the time “Yeah” brought the event to a thrilling close, Usher and company had changed the theme to a flashy football game, complete with dancers twisting around poles, a marching band, and a chorus that was bouncing up and down and showing off their trophy-winning muscles. He shouted, “I took the world to the A,” a few times, alluding to the city in where he spent a large portion of his formative adolescence.
