The Super Bowl is not just for football fans.
Millions of Americans are excited about Sunday’s face-off between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Still, many others will be tuning in for the halftime show, commercials, or the Puppy Bowl.
R&B legend Usher will headline the halftime show for the first time.
The details around his halftime performance have been mostly hushed, but he reportedly revealed to Entertainment Weekly that his show would be longer than the past Super Bowl halftime performance.
However, he has not shared his song list or whether or not he will share the stage with a special guest. Many halftime shows feature a special guest, but not always. Neither Rhianna nor The Weeknd brought out guest performers for their halftime shows in 2023 and 2022, respectively.
National Anthem
Three-time Grammy winner Reba McEntire is set to sing “The Star Spangled Banner,” succeeding Chris Stapleton, who sang it in 2023.The song is fitting for the Country Music Hall of Famer, who got her musical career break singing the national anthem at the 1974 National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Country legend Red Steagall, who was also performing at the event, was wowed by Ms. McEntire’s performance and invited her to Nashville to record demos for his publishing company in March 1975. Mr. Steagall shopped her tapes, and later that same year, she got a deal with Polygram Mercury Records.
The 68-year-old Oklahoma native has become one of the most successful female recording artists of all time. In addition to her three Emmys, Ms. McEntire has won numerous other awards, including 15 American Music Awards and 23 ACM Awards, among others.
‘America the Beautiful’
Post Malone, 28, will sing “America the Beautiful” as part of the pregame festivities alongside Ms. McEntire.The “Circles” singer will perform the song that has been part of a three-song opening lineup for the Big Game since 2021. Last year, R&B artist Babyface sang the song.
Mr. Malone, who reportedly has more than 70 tattoos covering his face and body, has been a steady fixture on the charts since his 2015 debut single, “White Iverson,” according to USA Today. His music has crossed the R&B, hip-hop, and pop charts.
‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’
R&B singer and actress Andra Day will round out the pregame musical lineup with “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black National Anthem.Stevie Wonder helped Ms. Day get her career off the ground when he connected her with producer Adran Gurvitz, who produced her first album.
First-Ever In-game DJ
Grammy winner Tiësto signed on as the Super Bowl’s first-ever in-game DJ, Entertainment Weekly reported.He will play a pre-game set while the players are warming up and during breaks throughout the game.
The NFL first began booking pre-game DJs for the 2020 Super Bowl in Miami, Florida. The slot was held by DJ Khaled last year.
