Usher and H.E.R. perform during the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 11, 2024. Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images.

Usher headlined the Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, but he didn’t have to go it alone, calling in reinforcements Ludacris, Lil Jon, Alicia Keys, Will.I.Am and the Bay Area’s H.E.R.

The superstar, who just released his ninth album, Coming Home, and announced a nationwide tour celebrating his three decades of hits, delivered a set heavy on those hits over a roughly 15-minute performance.

Starting on a mirrored throne, in a white suit, while surrounded by Vegas showgirls, acrobats, dancers and a marching band, Usher and his friends blasted through 14 songs, several of them no more than seconds-long snippets. He followed opener “Caught Up” with “U Don’t Have to Call” and “Superstar.”

As he sang right into a roving on-field camera, Usher meandered around the on-field entertainers singing “Love in this Club” while the stadium grew darker and more sparkly. Afterward, Alicia Keys made a grand entrance, playing a space-age-looking grand piano that had more curves than a race car for “If I Ain’t Got You.”

Usher and Alicia Keys.

Keys, wearing a sparkly red catsuit, took center stage to sing “My Boo” as Usher lost his jacket to reveal a pearl-colored sleeveless shirt. Jermaine Dupri introduced “Confessions” and “Confessions Part II,” after which Usher sang a few seconds of “Nice & Slow” and “Burn.” By the time “U Got It Bad” rolled around, he’d removed his shirt and was swiveling around sensually as the crowd shown behind him screamed.

That’s when Vallejo native H.E.R. appeared on stage, dressed in black leather and a cape, playing a funky solo on her apple-red guitar while kneeling down at the edge of the circular stage. “Where are my bad girls at?” she demanded to know, while Usher was backstage changing into a black and blue outfit—and roller skates!

It was Usher’s first time headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, but he’s not a complete stranger at the event, having appeared as a guest during the Black Eyed Peas’ performance at Super Bowl XLV in 2011. He repaid the favor, because when he returned, alongside other dancers skating around the stage, he was joined by Will.I.Am on “OMG.”

Post Malone performs “America the Beautiful” prior to Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 11, 2024. Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation.

The performance crescendoed on the one-two punch of “Turn Down for What,” with Lil Jon, and “Yeah!” with Jon and rapper Ludacris. The three delivered the final chorus a cappella.

The bevy of surprise appearances brought the watch party at Thrice City in San Francisco, next to Chase Center, to life, each passing cameo eliciting a cheer.

“I thought that was beautiful,” said Sadi from Oakland afterward. “I mean he had H.E.R. there! Usher, Lil Jon and Ludacris!? Come on! My favorite collab hands down was Luda, it made ‘Yeah’ even better.”

The performance was also a hit with Adetee from Danville, who watched the game with a group of friends.

“It was awesome, I loved it, that’s the Bay for real,” she said, “My favorite part was seeing my friends dance to it. We represent out
here.”

Before the game, country Music Hall of Famer, actress and “The Voice” coach Reba McEntire delivered a straightforward rendition of the national anthem as CBS showed images of fireworks shooting from the roof of Allegiant Stadium, a giant American flag on Sphere and a military flyover.

McEntire’s career famously began after she was seen performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the 1974 National Finals Rodeo, which led to her first  record deal.

Singer-rapper Post Malone, who’s started a recent residency at Las Vegas’ new Fontainebleau, performed a surprisingly touching and heartfelt rendition of “America the Beautiful,” also playing an acoustic guitar along with a pedal steel backing track. Taylor Swift was shown slowly rocking back and forth with actress Blake Lively.

Grammy-winning soul singer-songwriter Andra Day was the first music performer of the telecast, performing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often called the Black National Anthem. Backed by several vocalists, she seemed teary-eyed, and she delicately delivered her lines. Day became just the fourth artist to perform the song, which joined Super Bowl tradition in 2021. It has been sung by Alicia Keys and most recently, Emmy-winning actress Cheryl Lee Ralph.

Before the game and during several timeouts, producer and DJ Kaskade spun records. He was the first DJ to ever perform during the Super Bowl, replacing Tiësto, who was slated to take the honor until a family matter forced him to withdraw a few days before the big game.

Reporter Mike DeWald contributed to this report. Follow editor Roman Gokhman at Twitter.com/RomiTheWriter.