Why Usher's 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Performance Was The Ultimate Letdown
If Usher was hoping to go down as one of the Super Bowl halftime performance greats, he failed — miserably. Because, despite a whole heck of a lot of hyperbole and hype, it was just one big anti-climax.
It wasn't for lack of trying – Usher pulled out all the stops with a troupe of dancers and an array of special guests, including H.E.R., Lil Jon, Ludacris, Jermaine Dupri, will.i.am, and Alicia Keys. He performed a variety of his greatest hits, including "Let it Burn," "Nice and Slow," and "Confessions Part. II." He even busted out with some roller skates for a rendition of "OMG" with will.i.am. And he dressed up in sparkly sequins and a natty white suit. Still, the 13-minute performance was less of a "Yeah!" and more of a "Whatever."
Adding to the lackluster quality was a dodgy sound system that led to parts of Usher's performance being kind of blared out at times. The ultimate letdown, though? Despite all of the reports that Justin Bieber would join Usher for the halftime show, there wasn't a Biebs in sight. Not on the stage, anyway — Justin was right there in the house, but sitting in a VIP box with his wife, Hailey Bieber. You could feel the disappointment surging through Allegiant Stadium, and the dismay echoed across social media, too.
Show us the Biebs!
"Usher came and did everything he said he was gonna do!!!!!! The undisputed King of R&B, and the best male performer of his generation!!!!!!!!!! PERIOD!!!!!! #HalftimeShow," a diehard fan posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. They were in the minority, though. The resounding social media cry was more like "Show us the Biebs!" And you could almost hear the sound of millions of Belieber hearts shattering around the globe.
TMZ got the JB community's hopes up when they claimed their idol was in talks with Usher for a surprise appearance. So, when he was a no-show, it was a huge letdown. "I just wanted to see Justin Bieber perform again," one sad fan posted on X, along with a broken heart emoji. "Whoever said Usher was gonna bring out Justin Bieber for the halftime show needs to get their ass beat fr," another fumed.
Still, others speculated that the Biebs was playing the long game. "The reason Justin Bieber turned down Usher's request is because Justin, one: he didn't have to take away the spotlight from Usher and two: he's thinking of doing his own Super Bowl show in the near future, which will be so epic and worth the wait," one surmised.