The Super Bowl halftime show is historically the most watched musical performance of the year. This year, global superstar singer Usher will be performing after two quarters of action between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.
Usher, with over 80 million records sold in his career, nine No. 1 singles, and numerous awards, is expected to bring excitement and top-level entertainment to the stage. However, the lingering question is whether he will be the sole performer or if there will be surprise guests joining him.
In previous years, many halftime performers have featured surprise guests, but two out of the last three shows have been solo acts. Last year, Rihanna took the stage alone, and while she didn’t have any musical surprise guests, she surprised fans by revealing her pregnancy with her second child during the performance.
Although there’s no official announcement about Usher’s potential special guest, fans have been speculating and eagerly wondering about the potential collaborator. Given Usher’s diverse collaborations across multiple music genres, an obvious choice for a guest would be someone he has previously worked with.
One of Usher’s most popular songs is “Yeah!” featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, both artists he could potentially bring out. “Yeah!” was released in 2004 and became the longest-running No. 1 single of the year. The trio might also perform “Lovers and Friends,” which peaked at No. 8 on the charts.
Another 2004 hit was “My Boo,” featuring Alicia Keys, which also reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Keys has connections to Jay-Z, whose label Roc Nation produces the halftime show.
Pitbull is a potential special guest who collaborated with Usher on “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love.” Young Jeezy is featured on “Love in This Club,” making him another artist to watch for during the performance.
While Usher has collaborated with Beyoncé, and she has ties to Jay-Z as his wife, she appears less likely as a surprise guest. Having already performed in two Super Bowls, it seems unlikely that she would make a third appearance this year.
Justin Bieber is another unlikely special guest, given that he has not performed in a year.
Considering Usher’s upcoming album, “Coming Home,” set to release a few days before the Super Bowl, there’s a possibility of including collaborations from his new songs. The album features “Standing Next to You,” a remix of BTS member Jungkook’s song, potentially making history by bringing out the first K-Pop artist to perform at the Super Bowl.
The album’s first single, “Good Good,” features Summer Walker and 21 Savage, while “Risk it All” features H.E.R. These three artists could join Usher on stage to perform the new songs and promote his album.
Since 2010, six performers have taken the halftime show stage solo, while others have been accompanied by additional musicians.
The halftime show, along with the game, will be broadcast on CBS, with a family-friendly version on Nickelodeon and streaming available on Paramount+.