Taylor Swift isn't the only one who's an expert at sprinkling Easter eggs everywhere. In an interview with Breakfast Club On Monday, Usher said his halftime performance at Super Bowl LVIII was filled with subtle nods to a number of his R&B favorites, many of which you may have missed.
While you probably spotted the empty drum kit that served as a tribute to late drummer Aaron Spears, Usher said there were much more subtle nods. “What you don't realize is that there are so many gems you haven't unlocked yet. You only got one,” Usher told Charlamagne Tha God after the co-host noted that Ush paid homage to Michael Jackson's dance moves during the 13-minute career retrospective.
“You caught Michael. You got Marvin [Gaye]? You got the back leg for James Brown?'' Usher asked, adding that his shirtless piece was a nod to Bobby Brown and his tank top was a tribute to R&B icon Teddy Pendergrass. Among the other superstars Usher said he hinted at was Luther Vandross and a “piano moment” that was a tip for Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway.
“I'm all about bringing the culture of who I am and what made me who I am everywhere, even now,” Usher said, adding that he also slipped in allusions to Ron Isley. , the Gap Band, the Jackson 5, Zapp and Earth, Wind & Fire. “If you go back, it's a whole education happening before your eyes.”
Before his Super Bowl set, Usher, 45, said GMA that he planned to use his time on television's biggest night to pay tribute to the black artists who paved the way for him. “I think about what our country stood for for black artists, you know, that at some point they had to go through kitchens to be able to even perform for an audience, but they had to leave behind that same door, fearing for their lives as they went to next state to do the same thing,” he said. “So I'm coming through the front door with her.”
said the singer GMA that he was well aware that he didn't start where he is now and he didn't get to the Super Bowl stage by himself. “Well, everyone who was a part of it, I carry them with me. All my fans, loved ones, people who might have felt like they were forgotten, they haven't. I'm carrying you with me when I walk on that stage that night,” he said before taking the stage during halftime in what became the Kansas City Chiefs' third Super Bowl victory in the last five years.
Check out Usher's Breakfast Club interview below.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/usher-reveals-easter-eggs-2024-super-bowl-halftime-show-1235611286/
