Usher headlined the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show in Las Vegas — but he wasn't the only performer football fans got to see singing as part of festivities surrounding the 2024 big game. There were also a few surprise guests in store.
Before the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers faced off on the field, pregame performers included Reba McEntire singing the national anthem, Andra Day and Post Malone.
Usher's performance at the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show was first announced in September.
"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 at the time.
In an interview on CBS "Sunday Morning," he said it's a moment he's dreamed of for most of his professional life.
"You know, everybody says they want to win a Grammy, or they want to win an Oscar, or a Tony, or an Emmy. A Super Bowl is something that everybody wants to play," he said. "And here it is. It happened."
The eight-time Grammy winner has been a hot ticket in Las Vegas for the past year with a residency that surpassed all expectations, and he says the greats who've come before him are always on his mind.
"I mean the history of African Americans who had to perform here and couldn't go through the actual casinos… now, to be here, the residency, it's like, man. What a whirlwind," he said.
In an interview with "CBS Mornings" co-host Gayle King, Usher shared a piece of advice he got from JAY-Z, the Super Bowl's live music entertainment strategist.
"He left it to me to, you know, make sure that I didn't miss the culture. That's the one thing that he said. 'You know, we're doing this for the culture,'" Usher said. "'I want you to play the ones that we — that we love, that we know you for. Give 'em the moments that they, you know, look forward to seeing,'" like, 'Go for the culture.' And I'm like, 'All right, I got you.'"
Shaheem Sanchez also performed an American Sign Language rendition of the halftime performance. In late January, the NFL announced that Tiësto would be the "first in-game DJ" for the Super Bowl. The Associated Press reported on Friday Tiësto has withdrawn from performing at Sunday's Super Bowl due to an undisclosed family matter.
Usher previously appeared at the Super Bowl as a guest during the Black Eyed Peas' halftime show in 2011.
Usher was not alone on his big night.
Alicia Keys joined the singer as a special guest in the halftime show, starting off with her hit "If I Ain't Got You" before they launched into their 2004 duet "My Boo."
H.E.R also joined Usher to play a guitar solo on his smash hit, "Burn," as well as on "Bad Girl."
Usher appeared in roller skates as he performed his chart topper "OMG" with will.i.am.
Lil Jon later hit the stage for a performance of "Turn Down for What," and "Yeah!" alongside rapper Ludacris.
Country music icon and Grammy Award winner Reba McEntire sang the national anthem at the Super Bowl. While this was McEntire's first-ever Super Bowl performance, she told "CBS Mornings" that she's been singing the national anthem for decades, so she said she felt comfortable getting ready.
"You just warm up like you do a concert and sing it about five or six times, and get in there, and do it," McEntire said.
"This ain't my first rodeo! I'd never have imagined when I sang the anthem at the National Finals Rodeo 50 years ago that I'd be singing it today at the Super Bowl," she said Sunday ahead of the game.
McEntire walked into Allegiant Stadium for the Super Bowl about 3 1/2 hours before kickoff Sunday wearing a puffy, gray faux fur coat and holding hands with her partner, Rex Linn.
Flag-bearing service members stood behind McEntire as she sang the national anthem, as jets flew over Allegiant Stadium.
McEntire wasn't the only one singing before the game kicked off. Rapper Post Malone performed "America the Beautiful" while playing guitar, and singer Andra Day took the stage for "Lift Every Voice and Sing," which is often referred to as the Black national anthem, as part of the pregame performances.
"Peace & Blessings!!! Performing the Anthem at the SuperBowl yall! Grateful! Thank You God," Day said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
There were also American Sign Language performances for each song. Actor Daniel Durant, who started in the film "CODA," performed the national anthem in ASL. Actress, model and dancer Anjel Piñero signed "America the Beautiful;" and Shaheem Sanchez, actor and choreographer, signed "Lift Every Voice and Sing."
Super Bowl LVIII is airing on CBS and Nickelodeon and streaming on Paramount+ on Sunday, Feb. 11, from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.
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