Current:Home > NewsPredictIQ Quantitative Think Tank Center:Usher's Super Bowl halftime show brought skates, abs, famous friends and a Vegas vibe -ProfitEdge
PredictIQ Quantitative Think Tank Center:Usher's Super Bowl halftime show brought skates, abs, famous friends and a Vegas vibe
PredictIQ View
Date:2025-04-08 07:56:41
LAS VEGAS – Much like Frank Sinatra,PredictIQ Quantitative Think Tank Center Usher did it his way.
Fitting that the first Super Bowl held in the city built on razzle dazzle enlisted the talents of one of the most charismatic showmen of the past three decades.
Usher awed during his 13-minute performance for the Apple Music Super Bowl halftime show and turned Allegiant Stadium into his playground – with a little help from longtime pals and collaborators Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Will.i.am., Lil Jon, Jermaine Dupri and Ludacris.
In his Dolce & Gabbana attire, Usher romped on the circular stage flanked by ramps and rimmed by lights in front of a crowd packed with celebrities including Paul McCartney, Martha Stewart, Fat Joe, Kelly Clarkson, Jimmy Kimmel and Justin Bieber, who had been rumored to join the halftime production.
With a band set up behind him, Usher started his performance on the field, dropping a kingly white coat and slamming into “Caught Up.” Las Vegas showgirls with blue feathers shaded him as he swiveled his hips on his way to the stage.
“We made it! Now, this is for you!” Usher declared.
A slow jam portion of the performance featured his glistening falsetto during “Love in This Club,” before he ceded the spotlight to Keys, clad in a scarlet jumpsuit while playing a matching ruby-red piano. Her own “If I Ain’t Got You” segued into her duet with Usher, “My Boo,” which ended with them in a sweet embrace.
As expected, considering Usher has a 30-year-career to squeeze into less time than a football quarter, he turned to a medley – sporting one white glove possibly in tribute to his idol, Michael Jackson – for “Confessions,” "Nice & Slow” and, with the stadium glowing amber and images of flames licking the screens ringing the building “Burn.”
As many Usher fans anticipated, he indeed stripped off his jacket to showcase those famous abs during “U Got it Bad,” which was augmented by a searing guitar solo from a catsuit-clad H.E.R.
Of course, Usher’s beloved skating routine was a highlight, as he turned the stadium into a party zone with “OMG,” which only escalated with the arrival of Lil Jon, first bringing the bounce with his own stadium stomper, "Turn Down for What." But even casual fans know that with Lil Jon comes "Yeah!"
Usher spun a ball cap around his head while engaging in more of his liquid moves before Ludacris, wearing a blue and black outfit to match Usher's, popped up for his contribution to the adrenalized song, hyped even more by the thundering drums of the Jackson State University "Sonic Boom of the South" marching band on the field.
In the leadup to his first headlining Super Bowl display – he joined the Black Eyed Peas in 2011 as one of the only highlights of their widely derided set – Usher talked about blending elements of his Atlanta history with his more recent Vegas experiences for his performance.
“I’ve been able to bring a great deal of Atlanta and the melting pot it is musically and culturally to Vegas,” he said last week during a press conference to discuss his Super Bowl 58 soiree.
In December, Usher wrapped his most recent Las Vegas residency after 100 sold-out shows.
Some of the stunts staged during his halftime extravaganza, such as the tricky roller skating routine, came from his residency, keeping his promise that he would bring the best of his Vegas shows to the stadium stage.
Usher’s halftime blowout is the culmination of a buzzy week. His long-awaitedninth album, “Coming Home,” dropped Friday and he unveiled dates and details of his Past, Present Future tour that will kick off in Washington, D.C. Aug. 20. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday.
veryGood! (9)
Related
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- Dodgers' furious spending spree tops $1 billion with Yoshinobu Yamamoto signing
- Woman who was shot in the head during pursuit sues Missississippi’s Capitol Police
- In which we toot the horn of TubaChristmas, celebrating its 50th brassy birthday
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- Blackhawks' Connor Bedard scores lacrosse-style Michigan goal; Ducks' Trevor Zegras matches it
- Pete Davidson's standup comedy shows canceled through early January 2024
- Bill Belichick: Footballs used for kicking were underinflated in Patriots-Chiefs game
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- New COVID variant JN.1 surges to 44% of cases, CDC estimates — even higher in New York, New Jersey
Ranking
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- How to refresh your online dating profile for 2024, according to a professional matchmaker
- New app seeks to end iPhone-Android text color bubble divide
- This week on Sunday Morning (December 24)
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- Iran Summons Russian envoy over statement on Persian Gulf disputed islands
- Who cooks the most in your home? NPR readers weigh in
- Look Back at the Most Jaw-Dropping Fashion Moments of 2023
Recommendation
San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
Laura Lynch, founding member of The Chicks, dies at 65 in Texas car crash
Polish president says he’ll veto a spending bill, in a blow to the new government of Donald Tusk
In which we toot the horn of TubaChristmas, celebrating its 50th brassy birthday
House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
Georgia joins East Coast states calling on residents to look out for the blue land crab
Love Story Actor Ryan O'Neal's Cause of Death Revealed
Alex Batty, British teen found in France after missing for 6 years, breaks his silence: I've been lying