On Sunday (September 25), alongside the NFL and Apple Music, Usher announced that he would be the next headliner for the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Taking place on February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, Usher’s performance is one he considers to be the “honor of a lifetime.”
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To further accentuate the moment, though, Usher added another layer of excitement for his fans who had already marked February 11 on their calendars. Shortly after the Super Bowl news dropped, he took to Instagram to let the world know his next album, titled Coming Home, will be released on the same day as his highly-anticipated performance.
Though he has not unveiled the full track list for Coming Home, his first studio album since Hard II Love in 2016, Usher recently put out the lead single titled “Good Good” on August 4. Featuring fellow Atlanta natives 21 Savage and Summer Walker, “Good Good” will help to usher in a new era for the 44-year-old, whose ninth album is now just months away.
Usher first voiced his desire to perform at the Super Bowl back in April of this year, when he did an interview with with Scott Evans of Access Hollywood. Twelve years removed from aiding The Black Eyed Peas in their 2011 Super Bowl Halftime performance at in Arlington, Texas, Usher expressed why he felt the time was right for him to be a headliner.
“I think I have a catalog that obviously speaks for itself,” he told Evans. “So, to be able to celebrate on that day, it’s obviously about football, but everybody anticipates the performance. Seeing Michel Jackson perform, seeing recently Snoop [Dogg] and [Dr.] Dre and all them perform, seeing so many incredible performances like Prince, it’s always been kind of a bucket list. How do I make it happen? I’m not certain about that.”
[RELATED: Usher Set to Headline 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show]
Ultimately, Usher landed the gig because of Jay-Z’s entertainment brand Roc Nation, who has been helping the NFL select its Super Bowl Halftime performers for the last half decade. In fact, shortly after he was chosen to perform, Usher said Jay-Z gave him a call and discussed the opportunity with him directly.
“When I got this call… he said, ‘It’s time, it’s magic time. You know, it’s time for you to have that moment,’” Usher told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe on Sunday. “I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ He’s like, ‘The Super Bowl.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, you ready? Absolutely.’”
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
