The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers fought to win Super Bowl LVIII, with the Chiefs coming out with the win. The game drew in over 123 million viewers, according to Variety.com, but that wasn’t the only thing that brought the attention of people across the country.
The Super Bowl halftime show draws many people in. In a poll done of North Harford students, 56% said that they prefer watching the halftime show over the game. A poll taken before the game showed that 66% of North Harford students were excited for the halftime show.
This year, R&B star Usher headlined the show with multiple other talented artists joining him to perform. “Special guest artists included Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Jermaine Dupri. Lil Jon, and Ludacris,” reported EntertainmentWeekly.com.
Usher’s setlist included “Caught Up,” “U Don’t Have to Call,” “Superstar,” “Love in This Club,” “Ain’t Got You,” “My Boo,” “Confessions Part II,” “Nice & Slow,” “Burn,” “Bad Girl,” “U Got It Bad,” “OMG,” “Turn Down for What,” and lastly the major hit “Yeah!,” according to today.com.
This is the R&B star’s second Super Bowl appearance. His first appearance was in 2011, when he sang his song “OMG” as a guest singer for the Black Eyed Peas. Many may think that Super Bowl halftime show performers get paid a lot; but, in reality, they don’t get a single dime for their performance. They do have a good reason to still do the show. “Through the halftime performances, the artists are given an unmatched opportunity to promote their newest albums or singles, driving traffic to their upcoming tours or latest projects,” reported NBC Chicago.
Although many people enjoyed Usher’s performance, some students did not. “It was unique, but not to my taste,” stated sophomore Nina Field. Field wasn’t the only student who wasn’t a fan of the show. “Usher’s performance was disappointing,” said fellow sophomore Lucy Heisey. Although Heisey wasn’t a huge fan of the performance, she still enjoyed some parts. “The part with the girl with the guitar,” was Heisey’s favorite part.
Even though not all students loved the show, Usher still brought a unique show. Usher started off his performance with circus acts surrounding him. “The opening song, ‘Caught Up,’ found him echoing the flashy vibes of Vegas,” wrote NPR. In his performance, the singer also showcased his talented skating skills by skating across the stage while singing. Many people enjoyed the roller skates, such as sophomore Luca Fazio, who simply added, “I liked the roller skates.”
