Usher’s highly anticipated Super Bowl halftime show performance was a chaotic yet joyful celebration of the R&B icon’s nearly 30-year career. While rushed at times, the medley of hits showcased Usher’s unmatched song catalog and cemented his status as the current King of R&B.
Taking the stage Sunday night at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Usher opened with an energetic rendition of his 2004 megahit “Caught Up.” Backed by a troupe of feather-adorned dancers, acrobats and stilt walkers, the star emerged in a bright white and sparkly outfit befitting of Las Vegas glitz. However, the frenetic camerawork and overstuffed stage sometimes distracted from Usher as the focal point. Vocals and sound mixing also left room for improvement.
Nevertheless, Usher was determined to prove his legacy mattered. “They said I wouldn’t make it, they said I wouldn’t be here today, but I am,” he pronounced defiantly, shouting out his mother, the woman who believed in him from the start. Fans who’ve adored Usher since hits like “My Way” and “U Make Me Wanna” surely felt the significance of this triumphant moment.
After the somewhat shaky start, the show settled into an exhilarating montage of Usher’s career-defining smashes. Though many songs flickered by all too quickly, standouts included a brief snippet of crowd-pleaser “Superstar” and his velvety slow jam “Nice and Slow.”
The medley was at its best when Usher had time to showcase his silky choreography and vocals on enduring ballad “U Got It Bad.” Stripping off his shirt, he brought out stunning guest H.E.R. to deliver the guitar solo and showed why he’s considered among R&B’s best performers.
Other famous collaborators also joined Usher onstage. Alicia Keys performed a bit of “If I Ain’t Got You” before segueing into their duet “My Boo.” Jermaine Dupri reunited with Usher for “Confessions Part II.” Will.I.Am pumped up the energy on club banger “OMG” and Lil Jon and Ludacris turned the volume to 11 for Usher’s explosive crunk era megasmash “Yeah.”
The flurry of huge hits was almost disorienting at times. However, the perpetually charismatic Usher kept the crowd engaged. By the exhilarating grand finale of “Yeah,” the show’s theme had transformed into a glitzy football game. Dancers in football gear gyrated on poles as a marching band joined in and back-up vocalists jumped up and down, victorious.
“I took the world to the A,” Usher chanted, name-checking his beloved home city of Atlanta where he crafted his sound. Though perhaps not his sharpest vocal performance, Usher undoubtedly owned the Super Bowl stage with the massive song catalog to back it up. At 44, the superstar retains unmatched dance skills and charisma that place him firmly atop today’s R&B landscape.
After nearly 30 years of hits, Usher can lay undisputed claim to R&B royalty. Though high-octane and rushed in parts, his Super Bowl show was an exultant celebration of those enduring jams. For fans worldwide, it cemented Usher’s legacy as the reigning King of R&B. He may have taken some hits, but he kept on ticking, kept on climbing—until at last he reached the glittering Super Bowl mountaintop.
