Usher has been announced as the performer at next year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show.
The exciting news was revealed in a video posted by the NFL on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Sunday night.
In the clip, Kim Kardashian is seen speaking to the star on the phone, interspersed with old footage from Usher’s iconic Confessions Part II music video.
During an Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe, Usher said he had to keep the secret under wraps, even from his children.
“A very close-knit of people knew and we are very excited about the entire thing. More than anything, this is the most grand stage to ever play on,” he said.
Usher added that performing at the Super Bowl had been been on his “bucket list for a long time”, claiming: “Those 13 minutes mean everything.”
He also revealed that it was Jay-Z who first called him about the opportunity. Roc Nation, the entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z, signed a multiyear deal with the NFL aimed at revamping the Super Bowl halftime show around three years ago.
“Me and the big homie, we talk often but when I got this call, he said ‘It’s time. It’s magic time. It is time for you to have that moment’,” Usher revealed. “I’m like ‘What are you talking about?’ and he’s like ‘The Super Bowl. You ready?’”.
The performance is one of the most anticipated musical events of the year, and will be held in Las Vegas – where Usher currently has a successful residency – on 11 February next year.
However, it won’t be his first time on the Super Bowl stage, as he was a special guest for the Black Eyed Peas in 2011.
Usher will follow Rihanna, who performed her greatest hits at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona last year after a seven-year break from live performing.
The star set two new records, becoming the first Barbadian artist to headline the event and the most-watched Super Bowl Halftime Show performer of all time, with over 121 million views.
During her set, Rihanna also took the opportunity to reveal she was pregnant with her second child. She and rapper A$AP Rocky later welcomed a son, Riot Rose, earlier this year.
Shortly after his Super Bowl announcement, Usher revealed he would be releasing his ninth studio album titled Coming Home which will be available next February.