(New York) American rapper Usher, star of the early 2000s known for his R hits

Usher takes over from megastar Rihanna, who delighted the public last February in Glendale, Arizona, for one of the most followed shows in the world.

This time, the singer of U got it bad, My Boo, Yeah and Love in this club will try to set the stadium on fire at halftime of the Super Bowl on February 11 in Las Vegas, the capital of the game which has hosted the Raiders.

“It’s the honor of a lifetime to finally be able to sing at the Super Bowl. I’m already looking forward to presenting the world with a show like nothing has ever been seen before,” the 44-year-old singer, one of America’s most popular artists since the beginning, said in a statement. from the 2000s.

Since 2019, the Super Bowl halftime show, one of the flagship events of American popular culture, has been produced by Roc Nation, a company founded by rap star Jay-Z.

In addition to Rihanna, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, The Weeknd and a host of hip-hop artists including Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar, punctuated the last Super Bowls.

The most-watched annual event on American television, the Super Bowl is crucial to the advertising industry, with 30-second ads costing millions of dollars.

A year ago, Apple Music, the computer giant’s subsidiary, ousted Pepsi as the main sponsor of this event. The NFL and Apple Music have not disclosed the amount of this “multi-year” contract, but American media have put the sum at $50 million.

In the past, the biggest stars have taken to the stage like Michael Jackson, Prince, U2 or Madonna. The event also had its scandal when, in 2004, a bared breast of Janet Jackson appeared on the screen after a too vigorous gesture by her partner on stage Justin Timberlake.