Usher to perform Super Bowl half-time show amid anticipation over special guests

R&B star Usher is set to headline the 2024 Super Bowl half-time show amid speculation over the “special guests” appearing.

The Texan-born musician will perform at the National Football League (NFL) championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday.

The eight-time Grammy winner previously announced that he will be roller skating during the show, while also suggesting he will be sharing the stage with “special guests” he has collaborated with before.

Frenzied fans began speculating online over the identity of the guests, with big names including Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, Ludacris, Beyonce, and Justin Bieber in the mix.

Meanwhile, it was also anticipated that US megastar Taylor Swift would appear at the game, in support of her boyfriend Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end.

Kelce and the Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, are appearing in their fourth Super Bowl in five years and are looking to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in 2005.

Last month, pictures of Kelce and Swift kissing went viral as the singer celebrated on the field with her boyfriend after the Chiefs triumphed over the Baltimore Ravens, defeating the team 17-10 at the MT Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

Ahead of the championship game, Usher teased details of his upcoming performance, suggesting he has woven “two special things” into his half-time slot, which speak to “culture, quality and creativity”.

The 45-year-old also revealed that a camera crew had been documenting the experience, from when he got the first call to when he walks off the prestigious stage.

Usher, whose latest album titled Coming Home was released on Friday, follows in the footsteps of pop star Rihanna who used her 2023 half-time performance to debut her second pregnancy.

The performance will mark 30 years since Usher released his debut self-titled album, in 1994.

A decade later, his record Confessions soared to number one on both sides of the Atlantic and featured some of his biggest hits including Yeah!, Burn, and Confessions Part II.

He recently announced North American tour dates and said worldwide dates are to come, sparking speculation he could be heading to the UK.

In September 2023, Usher brought in reality star Kim Kardashian to announce his title slot during the annual NFL championship game in a video that was shared on social media.

Meanwhile, in the days before the performance, he was seen stripping down to his underwear in a campaign for Skims, an underwear company founded by Kardashian, an American socialite and businesswoman.

Usher, who has served as a coach on the US version of The Voice, has had four chart-topping tracks in the UK singles chart with songs including OMG featuring Will.i.am.

He has also dipped his toe into the world of acting, appearing in films including Hustlers and Light It Up, as well as was teen show Moesha and horror movie The Faculty.

In recent months he finished a residency in Las Vegas, which followed his eight-night residency at La Seine Musicale in Paris, which ended in October.

Super Bowl LVIII is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas on Sunday.