Add Category
The Super Bowl has always been as much about the advertisements and half-time show as it is about the main event.
The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will go head-to-head on the field on Monday (Australia time).
And on the stage halfway through the spectacle will be R&B star Usher who is headlining the half-time show.
At the official Super Bowl LVIII press conference on Friday presented by Apple Music, Usher was tight-lipped about who he might bring out on stage with him, but told radio host Nadeska Alexis, people need only look at his hits to determine for themselves who might join him.
"I think I made it easy for myself when I decided to have like, features on songs that became hit records," Usher said.
"That gave me the greatest point of reference.
"But here's what's beautiful, is that Apple has been following me throughout this entire process.
"So we're in the process of figuring out how we're going to share it with you, break the internet by that conversation."
Usher, whose full name is Usher Raymond IV, says his journey to the Super Bowl stage is being documented.
"There's also, too, a documentary crew that's been collecting all of the moments that have happened," he said.
"There's cameras around us at all times, looking at the process that we went through.
"You get a chance to see from the first moment that I got the call all the way up to the moment that I walk off the stage. At least that's the idea.
"But I am definitely, you know, went through a lot of ideas of who I would have share this moment with me.
"And I do feel like the people who are gonna share it deserve just as much recognition for what they do in their careers, whether we have collaborated together or whether they've had moments of their own."
And a short film titled Where's Usher, which was screened after the press conference has people guessing that Ludacris will be one of his features.
In the film, a cast of characters including Ludacris, Taraji P. Henson, Lil Jon, Wesley Snipes, J Balvin and Anderson .Paak "lose" Usher after an epic night out and work together to try and find him in time for the Super Bowl.
Ludacris and Lil Jon feature on Yeah, which went to number one on the US and Australian charts.
Usher has many stars to choose from
Usher has worked with many other big name artists throughout his career.
His other famous collaborations include:
- Lovers and Friends, also featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, which peaked at number three in the US.
- My Boo with Alicia Keys.
- Best Thing with Jay-Z from the album Here I Stand, which was seen as a commercial failure, selling 2 million copies. To put this in perspective, Confessions sold 15 million. But Jay-Z's Roc Nation has a hand in the half-time shows, so it's probable.
- OMG with will.i.am. This reached number one in Australia, the US and UK.
- Somebody to Love with Justin Bieber.
- Lil Freak with Nicki Minaj. This was the second single from the 2010 album Raymond v Raymond. It peaked at number 40 on the US charts, not doing anywhere near as well as the first single OMG.
- Fed Up by DJ Khaled ft. Usher, Young Jeezy, Drake and Rick Ross.
- Without You with David Guetta.
- I Don't Mind with Juicy J. This song went to number one in the US.
- Good Good with 21 Savage and Summer Walker. The track is the lead single from Usher's ninth studio album Coming Home, released this year.
- I Don't Know with P. Diddy.
- I Need a Girl with P. Diddy. It's unlikely he'll bring out Diddy.
Usher experienced a mishap last time
Usher himself made a cameo appearance on the Super Bowl stage in 2011 when the Black Eyed Peas headlined, and experienced a performance snafu that few people would have known about till now.
"Oh, man," Usher said.
"Oddly enough there was a moment that only I think I remember.
"My hand got caught in the wire that was holding me, like, 30 feet in the air. And I almost missed my first mark.
"I was like, 'Oh my god don't let this malfunction cause me to miss something.'
"But, that was one. The second was, afterwards, and how amazing it felt to be in front of that many people and feel the energy.
"So much so that it made me really passionate about eventually getting this moment that I'm getting to have.
"But it was really fuelled by being able to be just in that moment with the Black Eyed Peas."
Before kick-off, country music star Reba McEntire will sing the national anthem. Hip hop artist Post Malone will perform America the Beautiful and Andra Day will perform Lift Every Voice and Sing, known as the black national anthem.
Taylor Swift is expected to be in the audience watching her boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce, who plays for The Chiefs.
Usher is the first independent artist to headline the Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl LVIII half-time show will take place Monday, February 12 (Australian time)