A new album by Beyoncé, Taylor Swift in the stands and the return of Usher on stage... The show was as much behind the scenes as on the field, Sunday, during the Super Bowl final in Las Vegas.
Here are the highlights of this 58th edition.
Usher was the first to create a sensation.
The 45-year-old American crooner, with more than a quarter of a century in the elite of music, delivered an effective performance, very influenced by the mythology of Las Vegas, on the lawn of Allegiant Stadium in the State of Nevada.
Revue dancers, acrobats, stilt walkers, fake croupiers and even “pole dancers” accompanied him during this medley-shaped concert which traditionally marks half-time of the Super Bowl, the final of the NFL (National) American football championship. Football League).
Also read: Why does the Superbowl unleash passions while US football remains anonymous in France?
Usher Raymond IV, his full name, spared no effort, leveraging the qualities of a dancer that contributed to his popularity.
One by one, he listed the titles that have marked his career, with nine number-one hits in the United States and more than 75 million albums sold worldwide.
Yeah!
,
Love In This Club
or
Burn
resonated in the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where Usher was artist in residence from July 2022 to December 2023. Followed by the artist HER and the rapper Ludacris, the singer Alicia Keys briefly joined on stage to perform their duet
My Boo
, another number one on the US chart.
Usher, who hasn't had a number one in more than 13 years, is looking to relaunch himself with a new album,
Coming Home
, released Friday, and a tour that begins in August.
If he helped to revitalize R'n'B at the end of the 90s, the Atlanta artist is now one of the representatives of a musical style that is struggling to remain relevant.
Fanfare, outfit changes, hip swaying galore... Usher gave everything to thrill the 60,000 spectators present, including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, basketball player LeBron James and Taylor Swift.
Eyes on Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift arrived two hours before kick-off, directly from Tokyo, where she performed the day before, 4 times in as many days.
Her presence was not a surprise to anyone since the singer is in a relationship with Travis Kelce, player of the Kansas City Chiefs, who faced the San Francisco 49ers.
Social networks had already been ablaze for several days in anticipation of the appearance of the queen of pop, who remained discreet but could not escape the attention of the cameras.
The boss of the NFL American football league Roger Goodell came in person to greet her in the dressing room she occupied with actress Blake Lively, singer Lana Del Rey, rapper Ice Spice and the mother of her companion .
Taylor Swift vibrated to the rhythm of the Chiefs, before jumping at the final whistle.
She then went down to the field to hug Travis Kelce for a long time.
While the singer continues the concerts and awards, her companion Travis Kelce has just won the most coveted trophy in American sport.
Kyle Terada / REUTERS
Beyoncé promotes
Already eclipsed by Taylor Swift, Usher saw Beyoncé invite herself onto his turf.
Queen B
released two new tracks almost at the same time as the halftime show,
Texas Hold'Em
and
16 Carriages
.
Two intimate tracks, with country accents, light years away from her latest opus, the very danceable
Renaissance
, released in 2022. Beyoncé also released a short film, which seems to announce the release of an album, on March 29.
The singer even starred in an advertisement for the cable operator Verizon, broadcast during the broadcast of the Super Bowl.