Usher Blows Roof Off of Super Bowl with All-Star Halftime Show, Epic Roller Skate Performance

Cirrkus
Usher Blows Roof Off of Super Bowl with All-Star Halftime Show, Epic Roller Skate Performance

Social media blows up as Usher welcomes his superstar friends and skates his way to Super Bowl Halftime Show history, including Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Jermaine Dupri, and finally Lil Jon and Ludacris for a show-stopping performance of “Yeah!”

As excited as fans have been in anticipation of Usher taking the stage for the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show, speculation began immediately as to who he might invite to join him on the big stage. There is, after all, a tradition of surprise guest stars.

When the show began, it was definitely channeling the host city with Vegas showgirls, contortionists and what looked like representation from every show on the strip. But while his moves were on point and what we’ve come to expect, the audio wasn’t nearly as strong.

A lot of this came down to technical issues — especially at the top — with his mic, but throughout we found ourselves straining to hear his voice consistently over the music. Everything just seemed unexpected quiet.

We definitely were on board with the spectacle of his performance, with all of those dancers at the top and then a full marching band coming out to join him as he brought “Love in this Club” to life. It was also a clear nod to Michael Jackson with that single white glove and sample from “Can You Feel It.”

Quickly, it became clear that the vocal issues were with Usher’s mic or sound because when Alicia Keys was unveiled standing behind an incredible modern-art piano, she sounded incredible (and appeared to have more volume than he did).

Jermaine Dupri came out to help Usher celebrate the 20-year anniversary of “Confessions Pt. 2,” and with the shift to a more traditional stage and presentation, Usher’s sound improved.

With a traditional big band behind him, this started to look like a more traditional Vegas residency as Usher literally started to strip down, losing his shirt.

H.E.R. was his next guest, joined by roller girls as she showed off her guitar skills and overall talents for a few moments while Usher pulled off a quick change and got himself onto a pair of roller skates. Say what you want, performing and dancing and singing on skates is no joke!

Lil Jon came out for another interstitial to ask if we were ready to “Turn Down for What” as Usher lost the skates to get back to more traditional dancing before they reunited for “Yeah!” — which, let’s be honest, is what most people were waiting for — alongside Ludacris.

While there was online chatter and hope that Usher convinced Justin Bieber to join him for this Halftime Show, he ultimately didn’t need him at all. This show gave us everything and more, lighting up social media with accolades and excitement from celebrities and fans (and celebrity fans) alike!


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