Usher Set to Headline Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show in Las Vegas
The NFL has confirmed that grammy award winning artist, Usher, is confirmed as the headlining act for the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2024, which will be presented by Apple Music. We discuss it here!
Usher was present at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, for the V103 Winterfest Concert, held on December 10, 2016
Credit: Jamie Lamor Thompson/Shutterstock
By: Omar Cook
The NFL has confirmed that grammy award winning artist, Usher, is confirmed as the headlining act for the Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2024, which will be presented by Apple Music. This highly anticipated performance is scheduled for February 11, 2024, and will be held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. This will be huge for the city of Las Vegas as this will be the first time the Super Bow has been held there.
“It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before,” Usher stated. “Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon.”
With a career spanning several decades, he has achieved a multitude of chart-topping hits, including iconic songs like "Yeah!," "Burn," and "Confessions Part II." These songs not only dominated the charts but also became anthems of their time.
His remarkable success is evidenced by the numerous accolades he has garnered throughout his career. Usher boasts a collection of prestigious awards, including multiple Grammy Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards. His innovative music videos and electrifying live performances have consistently captivated audiences worldwide.
“Usher is an icon whose music has left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape throughout his career, we couldn’t be more excited to have him headline this year’s Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show,” stated Seth Dudowsky, the head of music for the NFL.
LAS VEGAS. APPLE MUSIC HALFTIME SHOW. #SBLVIII
— Usher Raymond IV (@Usher) September 24, 2023
———@nfl, @rocnation, @nfloncbs pic.twitter.com/kezBpyabAD
This will be the fifth year of a partnership between the NFL and Roc Nation to produce the Halftime Show. The two parties made a deal in 2019 which has culminated in some amazing performances year after year. The previous shows include performances from Shakira and Jennifer Lopez (2020), The Weeknd (2021), a legendary Hip-Hop hip-hop show featuring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar (2022), and Rihanna (2023).
This is the second year of the Super Bowl’s partnership with Apple Music after a 10 year sponsorship from Pepsi. The show is set to be produced by DPS, including executive producers Roc Nation and Jesse Collins. It will be directed by Hamish Hamilton.
Usher's influence extends beyond his chart achievements and awards; he has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of contemporary R&B and pop music. His enduring impact on the industry and his ability to reinvent his sound have solidified his status as one of the most successful and influential artists of his generation.
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5 Tracks On Nicki Minaj's "Queen" Album Highlighting Girl Power
It's been nearly three years since Nicki Minaj released her highly anticipated fourth album titled Queen, and looking back, the album not only serves as a modern-day hip-hop feminist manifesto but showcases Minaj reasserting her status as hip-hop royalty. We discuss it here!
By: Alexis Oatman
It's been nearly three years since Nicki Minaj released her highly anticipated fourth album titled Queen.
Following its initial release back in August 2018, many barbs and music critics offered the project mixed reviews, noted the album had flashes of brilliance but mainly was "eclipsed in chaos," said one Fader magazine music critic.
The album comes almost four years after her critically acclaimed work, The Pinkprint.
However, looking back, the album not only serves as a modern-day hip-hop feminist manifesto but showcases Minaj reasserting her status as hip-hop royalty.
Minaj defends her crown with blaring beats and infectious samples, all while giving homage to her Trinidadian roots thanks to collaborations with a host of hot producers ranging from Boi-1-da to Mike Will Made It.
Concurrently, the rapper also launched her own radio show on Beats 1, appropriately titled Queen Radio. Minaj used the platform to dispel rumors surrounding her relationship with then-fiancé Kenneth Petty, her very public beef with Remy Ma, and her on-and-off-again beef Cardi B.
Never lacking charisma and attitude, Minaj's slick metaphors and wordplay are still heavily present throughout the 19-track project, featuring only a handful of features, including Eminem, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, and more.
As a black woman in a male-dominated industry, Minaj has had to scrape her way to the top.
Queen showcases Minaj's raw nature through her toughness, menacing lyrics, and soft edges. Whether she's answering to the "bitches” who are her "sons" or dispelling rumors, Minaj takes listeners on an intense ride while she defends her royal status.
Her journey is most visible in five songs on Queen.
"Majesty"
Minaj kicked off the record dripping with a menacing swagger as she hoots, "Yo, I got the money and the power now/The G5'll get me out there in an hour now." Minaj made it clear that she worked hard for her spot and has earned everything she has gotten. Appropriately titled, “Majesty” guest singer Labrinth offers Minaj a beautiful yet chilling introduction as her highness during the song's chorus. This track even features the "Rap God” himself, Eminem, as he blasts off into a sneering, lighting quick verse speaking on everything from new hip-hop to sleeping with strangers.
Nicki Minaj - Majesty
"Barbie Dreams"
This hilarious rap attack is an homage to Notorious B.I.G.'s "Just Playing (Dreams)" and his rip on famous R&B singers at the time—except this time, Minaj serves a beat down for the men of the hip hop industry. "Drake worth a hundred milli, always buying me sh*t/But I don't know if the pussy wet or if he's crying and sh*t." The rapper even took a lighthearted jab at her ex-boyfriend, rapper Meek Mill. "Meek still be in my DMs/ I be having to duck him/'I use to pray for times like this' face ass when I f*ck him." The song showcased Minaj's upbeat and fun side, a side we haven't seen lately, barbs remember feeling this kind of energy from Nicki early on during her mixtape days.
Nicki Minaj - Barbie Dreams
"Hard White"
Minaj storms the track calling out her suspected haters once again, noting how she has to "work hard just to get half back." The albeit creeping hop shows Minaj enjoying herself while cementing her legacy as the top woman in rap. "My legacy could never be undone/I'm a prodigy, R.I.P Thun-Thun/Got these bitches shook, they shocked, no stun-gun." Minaj clarifies that she created the blueprint for a lot of female artists who followed her, but doesn’t get her proper credit, and she is right.
Nicki Minaj - Hard White
"Chun Li"
The first official single off the album, "Chun-Li," silenced anyone who thought the pop-crossover artist didn't still have bars. With a blaring saxophone and sporadic gong, Minaj reminded her "sons" that "Ayo, I been on, b*tch, you been corn" and fully embraced her new persona and the notion that some entities were "paintin’ me out to be the bad guy.” The song peaked at No.10 on the Billboard Hot 100, coming after her four-year hiatus working on The Pinkprint album.
Nicki Minaj - Chun-Li
“Good Form”
No Nicki record is complete without a twerk anthem, “Good Form” offers a needed break from the serious tone of the album. The track serves as subtle appreciation for big derrieres and is also accompanied by a bright and colorful visual featuring other popular women in the industry, including “New New” herself Lauren London, the Clermont twins, Instagram influencer Ari, and more. “Who on Barbie D? Who on Barbie D? Everybody (Go!),” Minaj yells, making it know that everyone’s gaze remains fixed on her and what she does next.
Nicki Minaj - Good Form ft. Lil Wayne
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Joe Budden Takes Shots At Eminem In Latest Podcast Episode
Joe Budden takes shots at Eminem via the latest episode of The Joe Budden Podcast. We discuss it here!
Joe Budden Takes Shots At Eminem In Latest Podcast
By: Omar Cook
In the aftermath of Eminem dropping his 10th studio album Kamikaze, rappers have begun to fire back at Em after he called out a few people on his records! Em took shot at Joe Budden on his track "Fall" is here. Budden was a former member of Slaughterhouse with Em. Of course Joe Budden being Joe Budden, the retired rapper responded the best way he knows how, via the latest episode of his The Joe Budden Podcast.
Budden popped off the podcast saying "Since you’ve been in this megastar cocoon. That’s what happens to the megastars, y’all stay in cocoons. you popped off quick. They sheltered you your whole fucking career. Who was selling records like that? You fucking superstar n----s been sheltered and bored. Machine Gun Kelly is right. Y’all been slaves to your own superstardom."
He Continued "I heard the album, and because I don't think you know all the members that were in the group, I don't really think you know our history...Let me tell you what Joe Budden has thought this entire time. I've been better than you this entire fucking decade!" Ouch.
And of course he did'n't stop there. "In my rapper brain, I'm a content n---a. You gotta say something. You have not said anything for the better part of a whole fucking decade...How could I be mesmerized by someone I thought I was better than? You don’t think it’s odd that you’ve said my name more as adversaries more than when I was there."
Joe Budden never shies away from how he feels but sheesh, this was probably a stretch, to say that he was better than Em. It will be interesting to see how Eminem responds as he is not one to hold his tongue either.
Eminem also recently called out rapper Machine Gun Kelly who fired back at Em on his diss track "Rap Devil." Not many people have the balls to fire back at Eminem but this track was definitely a banger to say the least. Eminem's album is currently on track for his album to debut No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Listen to to the full podcast episode where Joe Budden fires back below!