As February rolls around, NHP Gladiators eagerly await the NFL Super Bowl and halftime show. This year’s Super Bowl halftime show performer features R&B and pop singer Usher, a performer of almost 30 years. Usher was scheduled to perform some of his top hits including “Confessions Part II,” “U Remind Me,” “OMG,” “DJ Got Us Falling in Love” and more. In an interview with “Good Morning America,” he shared that this performance is a dream and bucket list item for him, and that what he finds most challenging about this performance is fitting 30 years of work into 13 minutes.
For many, the halftime show is the best part of Super Bowl Sunday. These performances with top-tier musical artists, massive production values and surprise guest performers have the ability to generate millions of viewers, ensuring that they are talked about on social media long before and long after the performance. The popularity of the halftime show, which used to feature university marching bands, skyrocketed when Michael Jackson took the stage. In January of 1993, the “King of Pop” made the halftime show as it is known today. That year’s halftime show had more viewers than the actual game, and since then, the popularity of the halftime show has only risen. Since Michael Jackson’s culturally impactful performance, other notable artists that headlined the show include Prince, The Rolling Stones, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.
The viewers aren’t the only people that anticipate the Super Bowl halftime show. Musicians look forward to performing at the halftime show as it gives them global exposure, which leads to increased sales. While they don’t get paid to perform, all of the expenses related to the halftime show are covered.
Prior to Usher’s performance, students and faculty had mixed feelings; many were eager for his big night and had high expectations, but some felt as if another artist should have been picked instead.
“I have high expectations for Usher’s performance. He’s made music since the 2000s and I grew up with his music and enjoyed it. I expect the show to have a lot of throwbacks,” junior Christina Tsigos said.
“I feel like I do know who Usher is, but he isn’t that relevant. If he paired his performance with another artist, then it would be more relatable to the younger audience,” junior Alina Essani said.
“I’m not much of an Usher fan,” Mr. Kern said. “However, I’ve seen a lot of Super Bowl performances throughout my life and just because you’re not a fan of a specific artist or genre of music doesn’t mean the performers can’t put on an awesome show. So, I am excited about the Halftime Show as always.”
Usher’s performance contained a montage of some of his biggest hits and some of his less-known songs. He opened with his song, “Caught Up,” and featured an abundance of background dancers. He shared the stage with many artists, including Alicia Keys, will.i.am, H.E.R., Ludacris and Lil Jon. The 13-minute show featured roller skates, a red piano, and classic R&B dance moves.
“I thought the show was entertaining. It certainly isn’t my favorite one ever, but I thought Usher did a good job. I really liked the roller skating part!” junior Grace Leonard said.
