Usher‘s performance next month during halftime of Super Bowl LVIII on CBS is getting an extra promo push from Apple – with a retro flourish.
The tech giant, which took over from Pepsi last year as the lead sponsor of the halftime show, has released a one-minute trailer (watch it above) titled “30 Years in the Making.” Set to the pop star’s 2004 hit “Yeah,” the trailer shows a range of clips of fans, street musicians, a church choir along with recognizable figures like NBA star LeBron James, Colombian singer-rapper J Balvin and BTS singer Jung Kim. The main track pulses recognizably, but is mixed with flute, classical piano, choral versions and grainy camcorder footage of kids singing and Usher at a recording-studio mixing board.
The “30 years” tag refers to the long arc of the 45-year-old singer’s career, which began when he joined an R&B group in his native Dallas at the age of 10. Usher’s mainstream breakthrough came a few years later when he contributed a song to the soundtrack to the 1993 film Poetic Justice.
“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 said last September when he was announced as the halftime show headliner.
The 8-time Grammy winner appeared on the halftime show in 2011, performing with the Black-Eyed Peas.
The Super Bowl will be February 11. CBS will carry the main broadcast of the Super Bowl, which will also stream on Paramount+ and have an alternate telecast on Nickelodeon.
Apple seems to have gotten some solid returns on its considerable investment in the sponsorship. The tech giant reportedly paid $50 million a year in a 5-year deal for the halftime show. Last year, Rihanna’s performance boosted total viewership of the game by nearly 6 million, going on to win two Emmys, from a total of five nominations.
