The Super Bowl LVIII kicked off in style as the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers went head to head on the pitch, but regarded by many as just as iconic as the game itself is the half time performance, and Usher's turn to headline was no exception. Opening the show with acrobatic dancers and backed by a marching band, he put on a display parallel to his monumental career with the singer managing to fit an impressive medley of 11 songs in the 13 minute slot.
Bringing on his first collaborator of the night, Alicia Keys took the stage wearing an all-red sparkly catsuit, matching her red piano joining Usher for a duet of "My Boo". Throughout the segment the singer was accompanied by an array of artists including H.E.R., Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Will.i.am and Lil Jon.
His wardrobe was certainly fit for the occasion too, as he began his performance wearing a white bejeweled suit by Dolce & Gabbana, before switching to a glittery black and blue motorcross outfit adorned with 340,000 crystals which he wore while roller skating. He then changed into a pair of custom chrome Air Jordan 4s by the Shoe Surgeon.
Throughout his highly accomplished career spanning three decades, Usher has achieved 9 no.1 singles on the billboard charts with tracks such as "Yeah!", "You Make Me Wanna.." and "U Got It Bad", along with hit collaborations like will.i.am on “OMG,” and Pitbull on “DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love.” He takes his place as one of the highest selling musicians of the 2000s, solidifying him as an unmatched performer. The 45 year old artist released his 9th studio album "Coming Home" days before the performance, and has just finished a 100 show Las Vegas residency.
In an interview on CBS Sunday Morning, he said of the opportunity "You know, everybody says they want to win a Grammy, or they want to win an Oscar, or a Tony, or an Emmy. A Super Bowl is something that everybody wants to play," he said. "And here it is. It happened."
