Usher reveals the 'huge strategic' move he made for his Super Bowl halftime show

Super Bowl 58 looks very promising!

Usher, who is set to headline the halftime show, told Entertainment Weekly that his performance will be longer than past shows.

Usher revealed that he plans to take the stage for a full 15 minutes, which is two minutes longer than most artists get.

“I can’t explain why, but it’s a funny thing that I was able to do and craft,” Usher said. “That was a huge strategic thing that happened between me and my agency.”

While the singer has been tight-lipped about who may grace the stage with him during his performance at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 11, Usher did tap some major stars to help him tease his Super Bowl halftime news.

On Jan. 12 the "Confessions" singer shared a new trailer for his upcoming Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show.

The clip opens with a choir humming before singing the words "Peace up" from Usher's hit song "Yeah." The video then shifts to other people saying "Peace up" before we see a montage of old Usher footage, along with different renditions of "Yeah" being played by fans. There's even an oven door making a noise that sounds like the music from "Yeah."

There's also a wide range of stars who get in on the fun, including LeBron James, J Balvin and Jung Kook, who are among those who appear in the trailer.

The NFL announced Sept. 24 that the 44-year-old will take the stage for the Apple Music halftime performance during Super Bowl 58.

“It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before,” Usher said in a news release.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, the NFL wrote, "USHER. LAS VEGAS. APPLE MUSIC HALFTIME SHOW," and shared a video of a phone conversation between Usher and Kim Kardashian.

"I finally got the answer to those rumors," Kardashian tells Usher. "It's not about me, it's about you. You're doing the Super Bowl."

Usher responds, "Quit playing with me man," before finally coming to terms with the news.

Kardashian later adds, "I've seen you in Vegas twice, but this time got to be different," she says, referring to Usher's star studded Las Vegas residency, which he recently extended until December.

Here’s what to know about 2024 Super Bowl and Usher's upcoming halftime show performance.

Who is playing in the Super Bowl?

The Super Bowl is the NFL's annual championship game and is the last game of each season. Teams compete to qualify for the Super Bowl in the NFL playoffs, a single-elimination tournament.

The 2024 Super Bowl will see the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs go head-to-head.

At the 2023 Super Bowl, fans saw the Eagles and Chiefs compete against one another in Glendale, Arizona. The Chiefs won 38-35.

When will tickets for the Super Bowl be available?

Tickets to the Super Bowl are not released for sale to the general public, according to Ticketmaster. Instead, the tickets are distributed to the teams competing in the game and the team hosting. The individual teams then distribute the tickets.

Ticketmaster does sell a variety of VIP packages online, which are available for purchase.

Resale tickets are typically available on ticket marketplaces each year.

Where will the event take place?

The Super Bowl is set for Feb. 11, 2024, just outside of Las Vegas. The game and Usher's halftime performance will occur at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.

Allegiant Stadium is the home field of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels college football team.

How long is the Super Bowl halftime show?

In a Feb. 7 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Usher revealed his Super Bowl halftime show will run for 15 minutes and not the typical 12-14 minutes that most artists will get.

“I can’t explain why, but it’s a funny thing that I was able to do and craft,” Usher said. “That was a huge strategic thing that happened between me and my agency.”

According to Pro Football Network, the halftime break, which runs between the second and third quarters of a game, is usually 20 and 30 minutes during a Super Bowl to account for the elaborate set up of the musical guest performances that take center field.

What has Usher said about the upcoming performance?

Until Sept. 24, Usher hadn't said much about the 2024 Super Bowl. In fact, in an interview with Apple Music 1, Usher revealed that he kept his halftime show gig a secret from his own family.

“It’s happening. It has happened, ladies and gentlemen!!” Usher told Apple Music 1. “It’s been a lot to keep secrets from my own kids at home. A very, very close knit group of people knew and were really excited about the entire thing. Obviously a legacy. But more than anything the fact that this is the most grand stage to ever play on, man.”

Usher also reflected on watching the Super Bowl as a kid and visualizing himself being on that field one day.

“I think being able to see performances from artists like Michael,” he said, referring to Michael Jackson’s 1993 set. “Eventually Prince and then even more modern day artist(s), and to be perfectly honest, to see artists that even started before ... started after, I did get it. I was like, man, at some point I need to get a call with what’s going on now.”

Those dreams manifested into Usher headlining Super Bowl 58. The "My Boo" singer told EW that he hopes fans will see that this is a full-circle moment for him.

He called his upcoming performance “one of the greatest celebrations ever.”

“I would hope that people would feel excited — whether they knew my music or they just got to meet me for the first time — and that I’m all passion, man,” he said. “And that this 8-year-old, who now is a 45-year-old, feels just as free as the first time that I thought any of this could be possible.”

Who will be performing with Usher?

So far, Usher is the only performer announced to headline the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show. There is no official word yet on if he will be joined by additional performers.

However, when telling Apple Music 1 what fans can expect from his performance, the “I Don’t Mind” singer seemed to hint at a possible collaboration.

"Well, one thing I can say is I’ve collaborated with a lot of incredible artists throughout the years," he said. "If anything, I like (to) socially engage the world, you know what I’m saying? I like to hear who you think would would be a great guest — great guest to complement this."

The halftime show is known for a storied history of special guests, from Bruno Mars and Beyoncé joining Coldplay in 2016 to 50 Cent and Anderson .Paak performing with hip-hop legends Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem in 2022.

In 2023, though, there was only one performer who took the stage at the halftime show, sans any guest appearances

Who performed at the 2023 Super Bowl?

The “OMG” singer is the next in a long line of renowned artists who have played during the Super Bowl halftime show, including Rihanna in February.

During her 12-song set, Rihanna revealed she was pregnant with her 2nd baby with A$AP Rocky, showing off her bump in full red costume.

In August, the couple confirmed that they had welcomed the newborn and were “overwhelmed with happiness.”

While thinking about Rihanna's Super Bowl performance, Usher told EW that he really liked the show that Rihanna put on.

“Rihanna’s was fire because of the choreography and the way they did something that felt like a concert,” he said. “It actually was a great deal of inspiration [for] how I began to think of my show. If you ever came to my residency, it was all about being immersed — being immersed in an experience that is all of these things that wouldn’t necessarily go together."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com