With Super Bowl LVIII just weeks away, Usher reveals to fans what to expect from his game-day performance.
During his recent interview with Vogue, the Burn singer spoke about his upcoming show. “People will tune in for a football game, but I hope when they look at that halftime performance, I’m hoping they walk away with something that’s healing them,” he said. “Something that makes them feel hopeful, and not just look at the past, but have hope for the future, and have hope for a different type of future when we’re looking at right now in the present.”
Usher also said that he knows that between now and the Super Bowl is going to be the hardest time of his life. “Every night, I walk out, and I’m present before I walk on the stage,” he explained. “Maybe no one else knows that I’m doing this, but I’ll walk over to the edge of the stage, and I look up there, and I can remember when nobody was in here, and it was hard, and it felt like nobody was going to come.”
The R&B superstar remains hopeful for the show. “I see [fans] having a great time,” he continued. “And I’m like, ‘Here it is – honor that moment.’ Now go have a good time.”
Usher then declared that he plans to make his 13-minute performance memorable. “It has to be perfect.”
Usher Wants People to Feel Like the Super Bowl Performance Is a “Celebration’ For Everybody
While continuing to speak about the Super Bowl show, Usher reflects on how he hopes everyone, both in the stands and at home, will feel about his performance.
“I’ve been doing this for 30 years,” he explained about the show. “I want people who have been a part of that journey to feel like it’s a celebration for everybody, for all of us, from the beginning up until this point.”
Meanwhile, Usher spoke about who inspires him and his music. He said Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, and Prince are all those he looks up to. “I’m thinking about the fact that I’ve been able to walk through the front door as a result of their sacrifice and ability,” he said about the musicians. “So I’m carrying a little bit of that. It’s made me feel joyous. It made me feel like I want to go out there, and I want the world to smile when they look at me.”
Usher added that he wants the audience to feel something. “Feel my passion, my love, feel like I was the right person to sit in this position, and I was the right person to bring this kind of energy and love and connection to the entire world.”