Usher heats up Super Bowl stage, brings R&B nostalgia with Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, H.E.R.
Usher took us back in time as he performed his greatest hits during the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show.
The eight-time Grammy winner sizzled the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas with his 13-minute performance, which featured guests Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Jermaine Dupri, Lil' Jon, Ludacris, and Will.i.am. Before the Super Bowl, Usher said he was going to bring "magic" with his show.
The R&B singer embodied Vegas with his opening performance as he's surrounded by showgirls and acrobats while belting his tunes Caught Up, U Don't Have to Call, Superstar, and Love in this Club.
Usher had a few tricks up his sleeves as he brought out Alicia Keys, who performed If I Ain't Got You and My Boo with the Super Bowl Halftime headliner. The duo ended the performance with an embrace.
Other hits from the R&B artist, such as Confessions Part II, Nice & Slow, Burn, U Got It Bad, and OMG, also rang through the Allegiant Stadium stage. He also paid homage to King of Pop Michael Jackson, wearing a single white glove.
To turn things up, Usher brought out rappers Lil' Jon, Ludacris, and Will.i.am to close the halftime show with Yeah.
The reception of this year's halftime show is mixed as some users on X enjoyed the 2000s and early 2010s throwback while others hoped for singers like Justin Bieber to join Usher on stage.
"Usher, Lil Jon, and Ludacris being together again literally felt like the Avengers assembling for the first time in a decade," one X user wrote.
"Usher was everything my millennial heart wanted," added another.
Some users also brought up how sweet the hug between him and Alicia looked, joking about how the latter's husband, rapper Swizz Beatz, reacted to the moment.
Alicia Keys’ husband watching that Usher performance at home #SuperBowl #SuperBowlLVIII #halftimeshow pic.twitter.com/2uJAX4ZvR7
— πΈπ (@darwinxtra) February 12, 2024
"I know Alicia got butterflies when Usher [hugged] her from behind," quipped one user.
Others also hoped that he would have brought out his former mentee Justin Bieber who was at the stadium with his wife watching the game.
No Justin Bieber during Usher's halftime show pic.twitter.com/vkmSmNPHJ3
— Caleb Bets (@ohthatscalebb) February 12, 2024
"Usher brought all those people on stage and not one of them was Justin Bieber," wrote an X user.
Last year's Super Bowl Halftime Show featured a performance from Rihanna who revealed that she was pregnant with her second baby.