At the end of September, the NFL announced that Usher will be headlining the halftime show for Super Bowl LVIII, putting his name amongst a list of music icons who have performed at midfield.
Though big names may headline the show year in and year out, this annual tradition did not look very similar to how it does today in its early years. In fact, until the 1990’s, it was not uncommon for a marching band to perform at the half. The first Super Bowl had two performing marching bands, from the University of Michigan, who performed at two halftime shows, and from the University of Arizona alongside a local high school’s drill team.
As a spectacle, the halftime show took time to find its footing. For many years it bounced between a variety of forms, before transitioning to concert-style performances from famous musicians in the early 1990s. Of the first 24 halftime performances, before the first popular music headliner, 16 were large groups such as marching bands or nonprofits, and three shows were Disney themed and produced. In 1989, Super Bowl XXIII featured an Elvis impersonator, dubbed “Elvis Presto,” emerging from a jukebox to perform party magic, alongside visual effects and many dancers.
As the big game evolved into the media behemoth it is today, the NFL grew the scope of the halftime show, calling for bigger names to perform at their championships. In 1991, New Kids on The Block performed at Super Bowl XXV, marking the first halftime show with a headlining popular music act, as they are today.
Two years later, the NFL brought Michael Jackson to midfield, where he performed five songs, including a version of “We Are The World” with a massive childrens’ choir. The performance was designed to be extravagant. The year prior, a competing network ran a special edition of “In Living Color,” a sketch comedy show, during halftime, and stole viewers from the Super Bowl. According to the Hollywood Reporter, this pushed those organizing the show to create a spectacle in order to retain viewers, turning the event into the grand performance that it is today.
In the two decades since Jackson performed, the spectacle has only grown. In 2007, Prince performed at Super Bowl XLI, rated by many, including Billboard, as the best halftime performance. The Miami performance was a celebration of music, performing his original music, alongside a Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan and Foo Fighters cover. While it was raining throughout the night, during his last song, “Purple Rain”, the rain fell heavier, only adding to the experience.
In more recent years, shows have included more grand sets and choreography, often including large stunts. At Katy Perry’s Super Bowl XLIX performance, during “Roar,” she sang from the top of a massive lion puppet, and birthed “left shark” as a meme during her performance of “Teenage Dream.” Two years later, Lady Gaga jumped from the roof of NRG Stadium to begin her performance. Just this past year, Rhianna performed along multiple floating platforms held from the roof of the stadium.
So, how will Usher make his show stand out? His show will likely be more reminiscent of Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar, or The Weeknd’s halftime show, where it is more focused on the music than the theatrics. He already has halftime experience, performing one song with the Black Eyed Peas in their set remembered for poor mixing and issues throughout. Having this preexisting experience, plus a lengthy and recognizable catalog, could set Usher up to have a great performance.