Usher is gearing up for a show-stopping Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Performance.
In a recent interview with Vogue, he shared intriguing details about what fans can expect from the highly anticipated event.
He emphasized that the night was meticulously curated to showcase R&B as the main attraction.
“This night was specifically curated in my mind to have R&B take the main stage,” he said.
Drawing parallels to his Las Vegas residency, the performance will feature signature rollerskating, a significant costume change, and the inclusion of special guests who represent the architects of the R&B genre in terms of performance, connection, and spirit.
Reflecting on the significance of R&B, Usher expressed his desire to make the performance a personal serenade, reaching out to every woman in the audience.
“I’m literally speaking to every woman. I want to make it feel like that,” he explained.
Usher also detailed how he drew inspiration from music legends like Michael Jackson and Prince.
“I’m thinking about the fact that I’ve been able to walk through the front door as a result of their sacrifice and ability,” he began. “So I’m carrying a little bit of that. It’s made me feel joyous. It made me feel like I want to go out there, and I want the world to smile when they look at me. I want them to feel something, and feel my passion, my love, feel like I was the right person to sit in this position, and I was the right person to bring this kind of energy and love and connection to the entire world.”
While keeping the specifics of the setlist under wraps, Usher assured fans of roller skating, killer choreography, and a major costume change. Unlike last year’s performer, Rihanna, Usher teased the inclusion of special guests who contribute to the essence of R&B.
The people he will be bringing on stage with him are “people who represent, for him, the genre’s architects…Not just R&B music, but R&B performance, R&B connection, R&B spirit.”