5 Questions for the [Usher halftime] Culture
Questions For The Culture
Usher has been announced as the next Super Bowl halftime show headliner, but what will that entail?
BY HARPSICHORD
OCTOBER 6, 2023
Digital illustration of Usher performing.
“Questions For The Culture” is a column series that appears on the Hot Takes page for Harpsichord Zine. It asks about and tries to dissect curiosities about the hottest topics being discussed during a significant music event.
On September 24, Apple Music and the NFL announced that Usher Raymond will be headlining the 2024 Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show in Las Vegas on February 11. With a full year of campaigning from fans due to his resurgence of popularity thanks to a sold out Vegas residency, the R&B and pop star (who is known to steal the affection of a few women or thousands…) promises to give a memorable set. But here’s what crossed our minds ever since.
Question 1
What will make the strongest opener and closer?
The opening number is always important to set things off. Usher Raymond has an extensive catalog of memorable, hit signatures that can set the tone. Will he go straight for the jugular and start with his biggest Pop Culture hit “Yeah!”. Will we get the siren-sounding beat in stifled motion to start the number?
Or maybe he can go in the direction of a “Confessions Pt. II” for its recognizable instrumental… Maybe that should be “U Remind Me” with a slight fluke work added to it– almost like a bat signal. But maybe, he wants to create a stadium feel with the roaring chants of “OMG” to cater to drunk sports fanatics. That can lead into a quick portion of his EDM songs like “Scream” and “DJ Got Us Falling In Love.”
With all that last song in mind, “OMG” would actually make for a better closer. With the discourse about the EDM era’s appeal of the past, Usher has the ability to troll his fans. And with the climate of dance music being back on the rise in present times, “OMG” could possibly rechart since it will be the last moment in people’s heads with a full on firework show to cap off the performance.
Question 2
What deep cuts will sneak their way in?
Usher’s hits are not the only memorable part of his catalog. He has an extended lists of songs from his albums and singles that didn’t quite reach the same charting success as a “Yeah!” We’ve seen previous headliners– since Roc Nation has taken over the curation– implementing this in their sets. From Rihanna sneaking in an interlude of “Numb” during “Pour It Up” to The Weeknd giving us “House of Balloons” from his mixtape days.
Usher fans have “Hot Tottie,” which could be a monumental dance break moment in front of a global audience. Chris Brown and Chloe Bailey even sampled “Throwback” on one of their more recent singles, and maybe Usher can return the favor back. And we can’t forget the impact and social media chatter about “Superstar.” Cycling back around to question one: Wouldn’t it be cool to hear him start his setlist off with “this goes out to you, to you, my number one?”
This is a chance to expand the knowledge of his catalog beyond what everyone knows. But will he be bold enough to take it?
Question 3
Will the roller skates come out?
Roller skating – just like karaoke– has become one of today’s best music pastime activities. Usher has always been known for roller skating. Roller skating was a major part of his Las Vegas residency. And has anyone in the past brought that to their Super Bowl halftime set? It would make his performance stand out. With this in mind, we’re probably going to hear “Bad Girl” and “Don’t Mind.”
Question 4
Will there be a setlist dedicated to A-Town?
Back on the notion of “Yeah!”: Usher is known to represent ATL to the fullest. Social media users have been begging for an Atlanta driven set for the longest. They’ve thrown out the names of the likes of Outkast as possible headliners in the past. His signature song is the opportunity to bring out Ludacris and Lil Jon. Maybe there can be a dance break with Ciara, so she finally gets a chance to shine on the worldwide stage. And with “Good Good,” his most recent single and present hit doing well on both the Hot 100 and Pop charts, Summer Walker has her chance to get a boost. We can just see it now, a big “U” chain hanging on stage as Usher and his ATL peers hold their peace signs down.
Question 5
Who’s next?
Since Roc Nation has taken over the selection process and production of Super Bowl halftime shows since Shakira and Jennifer Lopez graced the stage in 2020, there will now be five straight shows featuring people of color (sans Eminem, which, does he really count???) as the headliners. Will the record label and management company keep that energy when 2025 comes around? If so… then maybe it’s time for Outkast to actually get their moment. Or they could swing back into the latin territory and give the platform to a superstar such as Bad Bunny, and make history with a nearly all Spanish speaking set. Or there is the possibility that more hip hop gets the headlines with Drake, Kanye West, or the mastermind himself, Jay-Z.
Another potential headliner could be Taylor Swift. If her alleged relationship with Travis Kelce persists, she will be just as synonymous with the NFL itself– who are rolling around in the dough of Swifties obsession. She does have a strong enough catalog to possibly break viewership records set forth by Rihanna. Swift’s been rumored multiple years that she was asked to be the headliner, so maybe it could finally surface as a reality. The campaign seems to be in full force.
As for what we would like as Harpsichord would like: A Twitter user by the name of @TennesseeHoney_ suggested an all-star set of Nelly Furtado, Gwen Stefani, and Fergie. We would get pop nostalgia, girl power, R&B and hip hop moments, and some elements of rock. All three ladies seem to be doing fine, and they are always on our minds when it comes to reminiscing about the good times of music.
But only time will tell around this time next year.
