Super Bowl 2024 halftime show: Usher brings star power to the stage as he tries to shine through Taylor Swift's shadow at Las Vegas stadium

Usher's path to the biggest stage of his career comes after more than thirty years of experience and an incredible career showcasing his talents as a singer, songwriter and dancer.

The eight-time Grammy winner took the stage on Sunday for the halftime show at Super Bowl LVIII, which takes place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where the Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers.

The 45-year-old R&B put on a major showcase of his decades of hits, even as fellow music superstar Taylor Swift threatened to steal the spotlight from her celebrity-filled VIP box as she cheered on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. .

Usher opened the show on a high note with a super short snippet of his song Caught Up, from his 2004 hit album Confessions, followed by his hit Love In This Club.

With the massive stage in the middle of the final NFL game of the season, Usher will follow in the footsteps of famous celebrities who previously headlined the halftime show, including the late Michael Jackson and Prince, as well as current superstars Rihanna, Beyoncé, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Dr. Dre.

Usher told reporters in Las Vegas on Thursday that he wanted to integrate the past, present and future when he takes the stage in Sin City, according to the APwhile paying tribute to the host city – where he has had a residency – and Atlanta, where he established himself as a leading force in the music industry.

Usher, who has teased guest stars but remained tight-lipped about their identities, had to deal with the outpouring of interest fellow singer Taylor Swift generated while cheering on her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

“It was a challenge to squeeze 30 years into 13 minutes,” Usher said of planning the shortened performance, adding that he wondered, “What songs do people know me from, what songs are a celebration of the whole journey?” '

Usher, a mentor to Justin Bieber earlier in the superstar's career, suggested Thursday that his show would feature guest appearances from artists he's worked with in the past, saying he's “definitely had a lot of ideas” about who he wants are. 'would have lived through this moment with' him.

Usher himself was on stage during the halftime show and joined his OMG collaborator will.i.am (and the Black Eyed Peas) on stage in 2011 in Arlington, Texas, at Super Bowl XLV, and said he vividly remembered ' how amazing it felt to be in front of so many people and feel the energy.”

“Strangely enough, there was a moment that only I think I remember,” he said Thursday. 'My hand got caught in the wire holding me thirty feet in the air and I almost missed my first target. I thought, 'Oh my God. Don't let this glitch make me miss something.'”

The hitmaker's fans will get the chance to see his behind-the-scenes preparations for the Super Bowl, as he revealed cameras for Apple Music followed him through rehearsals and meetings to help shape the high-profile performance.

'There was a documentary crew that collected all the moments that took place. There are always cameras around us,” he told an Apple Music press conference on Thursday.

Previous Super Bowl performances included Reba McEntire's rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, as well as an emotional performance of Post Malone's America The Beautiful, as Andra Day broadcast Lift Every Voice and Sing.

The song, composed in 1900, was the Black National Anthem over a century ago.

Usher has released nine studio albums: 1994's Usher, 1997's My Way, 2001's 8701, 2004's Confessions, 2008's Here I Stand, 2010's Raymond v. Raymond, 2012's Looking 4 Myself, 2016's Hard II Love and Coming Home , which was released this year on Friday.

The Dallas native's biggest professional success to date, both critically and commercially, came two decades ago with the 2004 album Confessions, which spawned the hit signals Yeah!, Burn, Confessions Part II and My Boo, with more to come domestically than 10 million copies were sold.

The album – featuring collaborations with Alicia Keys, Ludacris and Lil Jon – was a big winner at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in 2005, when Usher took home three awards: Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (for Yeah!), Best Contemporary R&B Album. (for Confessions) and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (for My Boo).

The singer has had nine number one hits Billboard Hot 100 so far with 1998's Nice & Slow; 2001's U Got It Bad and U Got It Bad; Yeah!, Burn, Confessions Part II and 2004's My Boo; Love in This Club from 2008 and OMG from 2010.

The hitmaker's fans will get the chance to see his behind-the-scenes preparations for the Super Bowl, as he revealed cameras for Apple Music followed him through rehearsals and meetings to help shape the high-profile performance. The 45-year-old entertainer was pictured in Las Vegas on Thursday

The eight-time Grammy winner is prepared to take the stage on Sunday for the halftime show of the Super Bowl, which takes place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where the Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers.

In his personal life, the R&B star, whose full name is Usher Raymond IV, has been married twice: to Tameka Foster, 53, from 2007 to 2009; and to Grace Harry from 2015 to 2018.

He is the father of four children: sons Usher “Cinco” Raymond V, 16, and Naviyd Ely, 15, with Foster; and daughter Sovereign Bo, three, and son Sire Castrello, two, with girlfriend Jenn Goicoechea, 40.

After the halftime show, Usher will focus on his 24-city North American tour titled Past Present Future, which kicks off on August 20 at the Capital One Arena in Washington DC.

The conclusion will take place on October 29 at the United Center in Chicago. The tour will also include stops in major cities including New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami and Toronto.