Super Bowl 2024: Fans divided over Usher's 'boring' halftime show

From Michael Jackson to Beyoncé, Lady Gaga to Rihanna, the Super Bowl halftime show is arguably one of the most iconic performances in an artist’s career.

While all eyes are on Taylor Swift cheering for her boyfriend Travis Kelce in the crowd, this year’s halftime act was none other than R&B singer Usher - who is celebrating 30 years since he released his debut album.

The performance included costume changes, rollerskating and plenty of special guests, including Alicia Keys, H.E.R. and rappers Lil Jon and Ludacris. Unfortunately, Justin Bieber fans were left bitterly disappointed that the pop star didn’t make a surprise appearance to perform his duet with Usher, ‘Somebody to Love'.

Instead, the 13-minute set kicked off with the hitmaker’s 2004 single ‘Caught Up’ before transitioning into his chart-topping hit, ‘Love in This Club’.

Alicia Keys then joined the stage to belt out the opening notes to her piano ballad, ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ - which some fans described as “hard to watch” due to an unfortunate voice crack in the opening note.

Usher and Alicia performed their duet ‘My Boo’ before he launched into a medley of his biggest hits and stripped off his shirt.

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He was later joined by Grammy-winner H.E.R. playing the guitar - who some social media users mistook as Kim Kardashian’s 10-year-old daughter North West - before Ludacris and Lil Jon took to the stage.

Lil Jon made his entrance clear with a performance of ‘Turn Down for What’, and then the trio ended the show with their thirteen-times platinum-selling single ‘Yeah!’.

'The best Halftime Show I’ve ever seen'

Despite the impressive choreography and speedy costume changes, fans were clearly divided by the performance.

“Usher was everything my Millennial heart wanted,” one person wrote, while someone else described it as a “God-like performance”.

“#Usher came and did EVERYTHING he said he was gonna do! The undisputed KING of R&B and the BEST male performer of his generation,” a third wrote.

“I honestly think that might've been the best #HalftimeShow I've ever seen!” another added, followed by a different user who said, “He just joined the category of one of the best #HalftimeShow performers ever”.

Meanwhile, others described the performance as a “snoozefest” and “absolute trash” compared to previous years.

“That was one of the most boring #HalftimeShow I have seen,” one displeased fan commented.

“Sorry but that didn’t give what it was supposed to, the songs were rushed, the theme wasn’t there, it was just all over and meh, AND WHERE WAS JUSTIN BIEBER?” another shared.

“This may be one of the most boring and uninspired #halftime performances I’ve ever seen. #HalftimeShow. It’s not for lack of talent because the dude can sing but damn what lame production,” someone else shared.

“I find this whole halftime show veering between boring and incredibly cringe,” a different user remarked, while one viewer wrote, “#HalftimeShow needs to be for female musicians only. We need a diva on that stage. This performance is boring”.

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