Usher Delivers Dazzling Super Bowl Halftime Show While Jubilant Taylor Swift Celebrates With Travis Kelce

R&B singer Usher dazzled fans who tuned in to watch the Super Bowl halftime show, with surprise guests Alicia Keys and rappers Ludacris and Lil Jon, in a historic and unforgettable event.

Celebrities including Sir Paul McCartney, Leonardo DiCaprio and Taylor Swift watched the R&B star perform a series of her biggest hits, from “Caught Up” to “Love in This Club,” at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It might have been the Usher show, but all eyes were on Swift during the game as she cheered on her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, as his team triumphed in a historic victory against the San Francisco 49ers .

In the pre-game, spectators were treated to an acoustic, country rendition of “America the Beautiful” by hip-hop artist Post Malone, while country queen Reba McEntire sang the U.S. national anthem, “The Star-Spangled “Banner.” .

At the halftime show, Usher, 45, was joined by surprise guests including Alica Keys, his duet partner on the 2004 single “My Boo,” and rappers Lil Jon and Ludacris on their club bop “ Yeah!” He had previously admitted that he would be a “fool” if he didn’t perform “Yeah!” during a press conference prior to his performance.

Other guest stars included Grammy-winning R&B artist HER, who performed a Prince-influenced guitar solo before singing “U Got It Bad,” Usher’s 2001 single that topped the Billboard 200 upon its release.

Usher also impressed his audience with a series of quick wardrobe changes, removing a white jacket and pants to put on a sparkly mesh top and then stripping naked before another change into a bright blue outfit.

But fans were disappointed by the absence of Justin Bieber, who failed to materialize on stage despite being seen in a box with his wife, model Hailey Baldwin. Bieber, who was previously mentored by the older pop singer, collaborated with Usher on his 2011 single “Somebody to Love,” one of his biggest hits.

In his review for The independentCritic Mark Beaumont described Usher’s halftime show as “a fun, semi-memorable mess,” praising the spectacle of skating dancers but suggesting that it failed to live up to its potential.

“Despite the mellow smoothness of his first R&B segment (‘Caught Up,’ ‘U Don’t Have to Call,’ a snippet from ‘Superstar’), a gentle rhythm attack with his cane left him a bit unimpressed. breath. -fellow spinners,” the review said.

“None of their songs score anything close to a touchdown, and for something with such a monstrous budget, it’s all starting to feel disappointingly cabaret.”

Usher’s concert took place after pop queen Rihanna headlined the Super Bowl halftime show in 2023, pulling off one of the most dramatic celebrity pregnancy reveals of all time, when she revealed her baby bump with a blood red monkey

This year, Swift provided much of the entertainment from her private box, where she was joined by celebrities including Hollywood actor Blake Lively, rapper Ice Spice and pop artist Lana Del Rey, along with the Chiefs’ family and friends.

During the game, she could be seen drinking beer and slamming her empty mug on the table, while enthusiastically cheering for Kelce or biting her nails whenever the 49ers took a lead.

Beyoncé also managed to make a splash, despite not even being in the game, when she announced the upcoming release of her new album, Renaissance Part II, on March 29.

The pop superstar made the announcement in a series of teaser videos during the Super Bowl as her husband, rapper and music mogul Jay-Z, and daughter Blue Ivy watched the game from a private box.

The record, a follow-up to 2022’s Renaissance, was teased by the Grammy-winning artist, 42, as a country album. Beyoncé also released two singles exclusively on the Tidal streaming service, in which she and Jay-Z are shareholders, titled “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em.”

On the field, Kelce was very involved when his team triumphed over the San Francisco 49ers in a tense game where tempers flared and more than one fight broke out between the players.

At one point in the second quarter, Kelce raised eyebrows when he was seen losing his temper and yelling angrily at head coach Andy Reid, crashing into him and causing Reid to lose his balance. After Kelce appeared to grab Reid’s arms, Reid’s teammate Jerick McKinnon de-escalated the tension and pulled Kelce away.

There was a thrilling ending for Swift and her friends as the game ended 19-19, going into overtime for the second time in Super Bowl history.

Their nerves were not in vain, as the Chiefs beat overtime to win Super Bowl 58, leading to a storm of confetti erupting on the field and scenes of jubilant celebration in the stands.