Usher makes history as the first independent artist to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show
By Faith Pinnow, WEBN Correspondent
An independent artist will headline the Halftime Show for the first time in Super Bowl history. On Sunday, Feb. 11, Usher takes the stage at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for the performance of a lifetime – one that he says is 30 years in the making.
Usher sat down with Apple Music’s Nadeska Alexis on Thursday to offer a sneak peek of his show ahead of the big game on Sunday. Before the interview began, a video set to his 2004 hit song “Yeah!” played. The video compilation spanned three decades of Usher’s career, showing his evolution as one of R&B’s most influential artists.
While the video offered a powerful retrospective of Usher’s successful career, it also allowed him to talk about what’s next for his music.
Usher’s new album, “Coming Home,” will be released just before the big game on Feb. 9. He said the nine-track record is the start of a new era in his career.
“This is only the beginning because I launched this album as an independent artist,” Usher said. “I will be, up until this date, the only independent artist who’s ever performed the Super Bowl halftime show. So this is a beginning. This is a new beginning for me.”
Last year, Usher announced that he and long-time friend/ record producer L.A. Reid were co-founding a Mega record label. “Coming Home,” will be the first album released by the group.
After thirty years in the industry, Usher continues pushing the boundaries that R&B artists constructed before him. However, he quickly assured fans that he wasn’t leaving his roots behind anytime soon.
When asked by Alexis about special guests for his Apple Music Halftime Show, Usher said fans can expect to see artists onstage with him who have impacted his musical journey over the past 30 years.
“I went through a lot of ideas of who I would have shared this moment with me. I do feel like the people who are going to share it deserve just as much recognition for what they do in their careers.”
Usher will take the stage during halftime of Super Bowl LVIII. The game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 11.