Usher’s halftime show left football fans slightly disappointed. (Courtesy of Instagram)

On Sunday, Feb. 11, Super Bowl LVIII received an average of 123.4 million views, making it the most viewed broadcast of all time on television. Sadly, I was at work during the game, but I did tune in for the halftime show, as that is obviously the most important part. Super Bowl Sunday has had some of the best performers of all time in the past, such as Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Shakira and Bruno Mars. I was beyond excited when Usher was announced as the performer last September, and after Rihanna’s incredible performance in 2023, Usher had some big shoes to fill. 

Paying tribute to Las Vegas, the performance opened with an array of acrobats and feather girls. Usher looked nothing less than fabulous in his bright white Dolce & Gabbana bedazzled suit, which made him stand out tremendously amongst the chaos around him. The show contained an array of flashing lights and bright colors which was visually pleasing to watch, but when he started singing and I did not immediately recognize the song, I had a feeling it may not be the Usher nostalgia world tour I was expecting.

For someone who has so many household hits, the setlist was a little disappointing. 

He opened with his song titled “Caught Up” and I can confidently say that was my first time listening to it. Arguably, Usher’s most famous song “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” was missed dearly throughout the performance, but he did sing other well-known hits such as “Love in this Club” and “OMG.” Usher fans from earlier in his career probably recognized these songs better than I did, as I am not the most educated on his complete discography, but the other songs he chose to perform were not as classic as the others. 

His guest performers shined in this performance; Alicia Keys wore a stunning red Dolce & Gabbana catsuit, and came out on a grand piano performing her hit song “If I Ain’t Got You.” As soon as I saw her, I knew the pair would perform their iconic track “My Boo,” which was easily my favorite part of the night. Usher and Keys were a bit too close for comfort, considering Usher filed for a marriage license a couple of days prior, but their rendezvous on stage was the talk of the evening, and they sounded amazing.

Other guest performers of the evening included will.i.am, who sang “OMG” with Usher; Lil Jon sang his own 2014 hit track “Turn Down For What”; Ludacris joined Usher for the end of “Yeah!”; and, my personal favorite, H.E.R. came out in a gorgeous all-black bodysuit with a dazzling red guitar, strumming a beautiful interlude. During H.E.R.’s guitar solo, dancers came out in roller skates, dropping low and hitting every mark, all while on wheels. This portion caught my attention quickly after the first half of the performance had me unmoved.

I was really banking on Justin Bieber being one of the guest performers, due to his iconic musical duo history with Usher. Unfortunately, he decided to attend the Super Bowl as a football fan. Regardless, the guest performers were fabulous to watch, but “Somebody To Love” with Bieber would have been a game changer for the evening. 

This performance was extremely visually appealing, but the music just did not hit the target for me. I love Usher, and I think he is one of the most talented musicians in the industry, which is why I am holding him up on such a high pedestal. 

The most notable part of the whole show was how close Usher and Keys got, and for that to be the most memorable part of a Super Bowl performance is really unfortunate. He gave the entertainment aspect of the performance while highlighting the different eras of his career, which I applaud. I can listen to “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” whenever I want, but the opportunity to hear it live during the Super Bowl halftime show only comes once, and I am having a hard time forgiving Usher.