The National Football League, Roc Nation, and Apple Music announced on Sunday that Usher Raymond, the eight-time Grammy-winning musician known as Usher, will perform at the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show in Las Vegas. It will be Usher’s first time starring in the program, which is in the second year of the league’s multiyear contract with Apple Music.
“It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list,” Raymond said in a statement. “I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before. Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon.”
Raymond, 44, opened the 2011 Super Bowl halftime show at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as a support act for the headline act, the Black Eyed Peas. Raymond had been mentioned as a possible option for this year’s halftime show after extending his residency in Las Vegas, which began in July 2022. His participation coincides with the NFL’s 2019 relationship with Jay-Z’s sports and entertainment agency Roc Nation to improve the quality of its halftime presentations.
“Beyond his flawless singing and exceptional choreography, Usher bares his soul,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “I can’t wait to see the magic,” he added.
Raymond’s performance follows Rihanna’s last year in Glendale, Ariz., where she announced her pregnancy from the sky-high Super Bowl platform, capturing the attention of followers on social media. As a nostalgic reference to the Super Bowl’s return to the region, Los Angeles rap icons Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Kendrick Lamar performed at the halftime performance in February 2022 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., alongside Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and special guest 50 Cent.
Usher is a 23-time Grammy nominee
Raymond, a 23-time Grammy nominee, earned his first award for best male R&B vocal performance in 2001 for the song “U Remind Me.” His popularity skyrocketed after he released the album Confessions in 2004. His most recent Grammy win was in 2013 for “Climax.” Raymond, who has performed in a few movies and served as a coach on The Voice, is currently playing concerts in Paris.
The Super Bowl will be held in Las Vegas for the first time on February 11, 2024
The Super Bowl will be held in Las Vegas for the first time on February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium, a $2 billion jet-black facility developed by Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis ahead of the team’s transfer to the city following the 2019 season.
The NFL had long avoided Las Vegas as a market due to its affiliation with gambling until the Supreme Court overturned a rule that barred sports betting in 2018. Since then, Las Vegas has hosted the draft and the league’s annual all-star game, the Pro Bowl, but it has also been plagued by a run of high-profile arrests of players.
