Organizers have done a really good job in mixing up the musical entertainment for the 2024 Super Bowl.
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They can’t quite claim that “there will be something for everyone.” But they can surely boast that they’ve come up with a lineup that should appeal to fans of several different genres.
The biggest spotlight goes to R&B legend Usher, who will take center stage when the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show is held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday. He follows in the footsteps of such other recent headliners as Rihanna (2023), the Weeknd (2021), Justin Timberlake (2018) and Lady Gaga (2017).
Earlier in the day, country music icon Reba McEntire has the honor of singing the national anthem before the San Francisco 49ers face off against — and, hopefully, wallop — the Kansas City Chiefs.
Also as part of the pre-game festivities, pop/hip-hop vocalist Post Malone will get the chance to croon “America the Beautiful” and soul singer Andra Day will perform “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often referred to as “the Black National Anthem.”
Rounding things out will be Tiësto, the Grammy-winning Dutch DJ/producer who will be providing music both before and during the game.
Nice mix, right? Well, the challenge is that it’s highly unlikely that most fans will be familiar with all the artists on the bill. After all, there just doesn’t seem to be a lot of crossover between the Reba and Tiësto fan bases.
That’s where we come in, with a guide to the performers at Super Bowl LVIII. Think of it as a cheat sheet of sorts, delivering just enough information so you can impress other guests at your Super Bowl Party party with your musical knowledge between bites of seven-layer dip.
(Mmm … seven-layer dip.)
Here’s what you need to know about the marquee entertainers.
Usher
Super Role: Headlining the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show
Origin: He was born in Dallas, but raised in Tennessee and Atlanta.
Nickname: The King of R&B
Top songs: “My Boo,” “Love in This Club,” “You Make Me Wanna … ,” “Nice & Slow,” “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” and “Yeah!”
Also famous for: He has been a consistent presence on TV for years. Most notably, he worked as a coach on Seasons 4 and 6 of “The Voice.”
Vegas connection: Usher recently wrapped up a lengthy residence at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Super Bowl experience: This will be Usher’s second Super Bowl halftime show, having made his first appearance as one of the two guests during the Black Eyed Peas-headlined shindig in 2011. (The other guest being the mighty Slash of Guns N’ Roses fame) .
Beyond singing: Usher is a tremendous dancer, something that has regularly factored into his live performances and should surely play a role during this halftime show.
Possible guests: We’d love to see Alicia Keys show up so that the duo could reprise their smash “My Boo.” Ditto for Pitbull when it comes to “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love.”
Acting chops: Usher made his big-screen debut in the wonderful 1998 horror film “The Faculty.” He’s also had roles in “She’s All That” and “Light it Up” (both 1999), “In the Mix” (2005), and as boxer Sugar Ray Leonard in “Hands of Stone” (2016). He made his Broadway debut in a critically lauded performance as lawyer Billy Flynn in “Chicago” in 2006.
What’s new: On Feb. 9, Usher is set to release “Coming Home,” his first full-length studio effort since 2016’s “Hard to Love.”
Reba McEntire
Super Role: The country legend will be belting out the national anthem.
Origin: Born and raised in Oklahoma
Nickname: The Queen of Country
Top songs: “The Last One to Know,” “Little Rock,” “Whoever’s in New England,” “How Blue,” “Somebody Should Leave” “What Am I Gonna Do About You,” “One Promise Too Late” and, best of all, “Fancy.”
Also famous for: She has a long list of TV credits, including starring in her self-named TV sitcom – “Reba” – for seven seasons. And, following in the footsteps of Usher, McEntire signed up to be a coach on “The Voice.”
Vegas connection: The singer did a Vegas residency (also at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace) with fellow country stars Brooks & Dunn.
National anthem experience: As the story goes, McEntire took a job in the mid-‘70s singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City. Country-Western performer Red Steagall was in the audience one night and — greatly impressed with what he heard — helped McEntire land her first recording contract with Mercury Records.
The play’s the thing: She ventured to New York in 2001 to take on the title role of Annie Oakley in the Broadway musical “Annie Get Your Gun.”
At the movies: Like Usher, McEntire made her big screen debut in an awesome horror film. So, definitely go watch 1990’s “Tremors” (co-starring Kevin Bacon) if you haven’t seen it before (or, like us, are willing to see it for the 12th time). She was originally cast as Molly Brown in James Cameron’s “Titanic,” but filming delays led to scheduling conflicts and McEntire eventually had to depart the project, with Kathy Bates taking her place.
What’s new: The Queen of Country recently put out a book — “Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating and Dusting Off Your Boots” — as well as a companion album called “Not That Fancy.”
Post Malone
Super Role: The Post man will be singing “America the Beautiful.”
Origin: Born in Syracuse, New York, on — how’s this for a patriotic connection — July 4, 1995. Malone moved to Texas at the age of 9.
Fun fact about his name: He reportedly got his Post Malone moniker by entering his birth name (Austin Richard Post) into a rap name generator. You can do the same by visiting myrapname.com.
Nickname: We often hear him referred to as “Posty.” But we’re not sure we’d call him that to his face.
Top songs: “Rockstar,” “White Iverson,” “Congratulations,” “Psycho,” Sunflower” and “Circles.”
Vegas connection: Malone just performed a sold-out New Year’s Eve concert at buzzy Vegas venue BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau.
Animated acting: He’s voiced characters featured in three major animated films — “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.”
What’s new: Posty’s most recent full-length is “Austin,” which is his fifth studio album overall.
Andra Day
Super Role: The R&B star will surely shine bright when she sings “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” widely recognized as “The Black National Anthem.” The hymn was composed in 1900 by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson and his brother John Rosamond Johnson as a plea for Black freedom and emerged as civil rights movement theme song during the 1950s and ’60s.
Origin: She was born in Washington state and grew up in San Diego.
Top songs: “Stand Up for Something,” “Tigress and Tweed” and “Rise Up.”
Oscar’s attention: Day starred as Lady Day — yes, we’re talking about the great Billie Holiday — in the acclaimed biographical drama “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” She drew rave reviews for the role and received a nomination for best actress at the 2021 Academy Awards. (The award ended up going to Frances McDormand for “Fern.”)
Big wins: She’s earned trophies at such big-time events as the Golden Globes (best actress in a motion picture drama), Grammys (best compilation soundtrack for visual media), the BET Awards (best actress) — all for her work on “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” Her single “Rise Up” was a Grammy nominee and Soul Train Music Awards winner, and became an anthem for Black Lives Matters protesters in 2021.
Other film roles: She appeared in “Marshall” and “Exhibiting Forgiveness” as well as did some voice acting in “Cars 3.” She’s also set to star in the Lee Daniels horror film “The Deliverance,” set to debut on Netflix this year.
Vegas connection: She also performed during the opening ceremony celebration of the inaugural Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix in November.
What’s new: The singer is set to release her long-awaited third solo album this spring, according to Pitchfork. The magazine also reports that the album will be called “Cassandra” (which is Andra’s full first name).
Tiësto
Super Role: He’s set to become what the NFL describes as the first in-game DJ in Super Bowl history, spinning tunes both before the first snap of the ball and then adding bits of music during a number of breaks in the game.
Origin: He was born Tijs Michiel Verwest in Breda, the Netherlands, where he began his music career as a club DJ in his teens.
Top songs: “Lay Low,” “10:35,” “The Motto,” “Don’t Be Shy,” “The Business” and “Red Lights.”
Grammy winner: In 2015, Tiësto won the best remixed recording, non-classical category for his remix of John Legend’s “All of Me.”
Top of the game: Tiësto was reportedly once voted the “greatest DJ of all time” in a fan poll by Mix magazine. Other publications have referred to him as the “Godfather of EDM.”
Vegas connection: He’s a major fan of Nevada’s biggest city, where he has lived part-time during a residency at the Resorts World resort and where he was awarded a key to the city and had a day (Jan. 14) named in his honor in 2017. “I’m excited to be a part of the Super Bowl LVIII,” Tiësto reportedly said in a statement. “And it’s even more incredible that it’s in my favorite place — Las Vegas.”
What’s new: His most recent full-length outing is 2023’s “Drive.”
