Usher confirmed as Super Bowl 2024 halftime show headliner: 'Honor of a lifetime'
Usher is about to be the superstar of the Super Bowl halftime show.
In a statement, Usher said, "It's an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can't wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they've seen from me before."
"Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I'll see you real soon."
In one of the announcement videos, playing off the singer's song "Confessions, Pt. II," Kim Kardashian calls Usher to let him know he's the halftime headliner. Super Bowl LVIII is set for Feb. 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
"I finally got the answer to those rumors. It's not about me, it's about you. You're doing the Super Bowl," she says.
"I've seen you in Vegas twice, but this one has to be different," Kardashian adds, referring to Usher's successful Las Vegas residency.
Apple Music shared several videos in the same fashion, featuring cameos from NFL coach Deion Sanders, Seattle Seahawks player Marshawn Lynch, Baltimore Ravens player Odell Beckham Jr. and even Usher calling up his younger self to share the news.
Usher announces new album slated for release Super Bowl day
Usher, 44, is an eight-time Grammy Award winner with nine No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 in his career.
Among them: "U Got It Bad," "Yeah!" feat Lil Jon and Ludacris, "My Boo" with Alicia Keys and "OMG" featuring will.i.am.
Usher has also released new music recently, including singles "Good Good" featuring 21 Savage and Summer Walker and "Boyfriend."
Usher talks new single, Vegas residency: 'My 7 o'clock on the dot has changed'
On Sunday, the singer announced on Apple Music 1 with Zane Lowe that his upcoming album "Coming Home" will debut the same day as the Super Bowl. The project is a "love letter once again to the legacy of my career," he teased.
Usher shares how he really found out about his halftime show spot
The Apple Music skits were not how the artist actually discovered he'd be the Super Bowl 58 headliner.
Usher told Lowe that he and Jay-Z "talk often," but on one occasion, the Roc Nation founder told him, "It's time for you to have that moment … the Super Bowl."
Jay-Z and his entertainment management company partnered with the NFL in 2019. The "99 Problems" rapper has since served in an advisory role to select music for the league's events, like the Super Bowl, and to promote social justice.
The big moment is something that's been on Usher's bucket list for a while, he added on Apple Music 1. "Those 13 minutes mean everything. … Being able to perform on stage because so many amazing performers throughout the years have graced it and did an amazing job. So, of course, the obsession of that starts. But, man, just the excitement in this moment like to really be able to savor this moment."
Jay-Z, NFL praise Usher's talents in announcement
"Usher is an icon whose music has left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape throughout his career, we couldn't be more excited to have him headline this year’s Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show," said Seth Dudowsky, head of music for the NFL, in a statement.
"We look forward to working with Usher, Roc Nation and Apple Music to bring fans another Halftime Show for the history books."
Jay-Z added in the statement: "Usher is the ultimate artist and showman. Ever since his debut at the age of 15, he's been charting his own unique course. Beyond his flawless singing and exceptional choreography, Usher bares his soul. His remarkable journey has propelled him to one of the grandest stages in the world. I can't wait to see the magic."
Last year's Super Bowl 57 saw Rihanna reveal her second pregnancy during the halftime show, and in 2022, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent shared the stage for a hip-hop all-star moment.
Watch: Keke Palmer stars in Usher's 'Boyfriend' music video following Vegas controversy
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Usher is Super Bowl 2024 halftime show headliner: What we know
