Is Usher the Right Headliner for 2024 Super Bowl Halftime? Hell ‘Yeah!’

Author: Editors Desk Source: Billboard:

September 27, 2023 at 07:11

Usher performs onstage during his residency at La Seine Musicale on Sept. 25, 2023 in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. Kristy Sparow/Getty Images

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about all the reasons the R&B/pop superstar makes total sense for next year's big game.

When Usher was announced as the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show headliner over the weekend, the conversation on social media was a mixture of excitement and surprise — with some questioning whether it’s been too long since the R&B/pop superstar had a hit.

While his last Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit was more than a decade ago (“Scream” peaked at No. 9 in 2012), it’s impossible to argue with the man’s overall legacy. He’s racked up nine No. 1s on the Hot 100 and 18 top 10s; he’s scored eight Grammys from 23 nominations; and in the years since that last top 10 hit, he’s been a frequent visitor to Billboard‘s R&B charts and has mounted two beloved Las Vegas residencies.

On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are talking about all the reasons the R&B/pop superstar makes total sense for next year’s big game — from his precise choreography to his overall showmanship to his undeniable nearly 30 years of hits.

Also on the show, we’ve got chart news on how Drake lands his 12th No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Slime You Out,” his new collaboration with SZA. Plus, Rod Wave becomes only the second artist with a new No. 1 album in each of the last three years on the Billboard 200, as Nostalgia debuts atop the list. And finally, music icon Willie Nelson adds a new chart accolade to his very deep list of achievements, as he notches his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums chart. You might be surprised by how many other genre charts Nelson has visited over the years — tune in for our full recap.

The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s managing director, charts and data operations, Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)