Justin Bieber fans are livid that he didn’t join Usher at the Super Bowl 2024 for his star-studded Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show.
Rumors swirled that the 29-year-old crooner may be joining the 45-year-old headliner on the field, and earlier this week, TMZ even reported that Usher “has been hitting up Justin Bieber lately to talk about the prospect of JB joining him during the Super Bowl Halftime Show … which now sounds like a very real possibility. Still no word on whether Justin agreed—but we know they’ve been chatting …A LOT.”
The 29-year-old was spotted in the stands shortly before the halftime show began, sitting with his wife Hailey Bieber, giving fans hope that he might join the “Confessions” singer for the big show.
Sadly, to the dismay of Bieber fans everywhere, he never made it to the field, and many viewers were so devastated that they flocked to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to share their disappointment.
“lets laugh at all the women who thought justin bieber was coming out,” one person quipped.
“usher brought all those people on stage and not one of them was justin bieber,” another fan lamented.
“WHY WAS JUSTIN BIEBER NOT ON THE STAGE!!!! #SuperBowl2024” a third fan asked.
A fourth fan simply stated, “No Justin Bieber during Usher’s halftime show,” with a meme of a man destroying a flat-screen television in anguish.
Instead Usher took the stage in his Dolce & Gabbana attire and was joined by the likes of Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Lil Jon, Jermaine Dupri, will.i.am and H.E.R. at Super Bowl LVIII, held in Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium.
“You know, this has been an amazing year ramping up to this,” Usher told The Post’s Chuck Arnold of his “My Way” Las Vegas residency that finished at the Dolby Live-Park MGM in December after 17 months and 100 shows.
“It definitely helped to play 100 sold-out shows, in preparation for the Super Bowl,” he added. “Now, obviously, a much bigger audience. And the 200 million people that will be
Usher, mentored Bieber after he was discovered on YouTube at the age of 14. The “Yeah” singer and his longtime manager Scooter Braun co-founded the label, RBMG Records “with the signing of 15-year-old pop wunderkind Justin Bieber,” according to Braun’s now archived website.
In 2010, Usher and Bieber collaborated on Bieber’s track, “Somebody to Love.”
“He’s like a child to me, so I don’t necessarily feel like it’s business, you know what I’m saying? I feel like I’m talking to someone who has had hardships,” Usher told Howard Stern. “If your child ever has difficulties, every person who’s listening to this s—t right now understands that nobody’s perfect. You’re gonna have moments. And if he does, I can only show him the reality of what has happened … of course we’ve had stern talks.”
Usher has stayed close with Bieber throughout the years and spent time with the singer after his Ramsay Hunt syndrome diagnosis.
“As an artist, I think we are all going to experience some things that people may not necessarily understand. I think [Justin] has obviously taken the world on a journey,” Usher told Extra. “I am happy that I was at the beginning of and I am still a part of to this day, as a friend. Whatever he may be experiencing right now, it’s actually really great to see that he has the support from his fans and his family.”
While most performers only have 13 minutes to show off their entire music catalog during the halftime show, Usher actually managed to get an extra two.
“I can’t explain why, but it’s a funny thing that I was able to do and craft,” Usher told Entertainment Weekly. “That was a huge strategic thing that happened between me and my agency.”
This week Usher also announced his “Past Present Future Tour” and dropped “Coming Home,” his first solo LP in eight years.