Justin Bieber praised Usher’s Super Bowl LVII halftime performance after failing to provide a surprise appearance during the show.
“LOVE YOU MY BROTHER NOONE CAN SING AND DANCE THE WAY YOU DO,” Bieber, 29, captioned an Instagram post on Monday, February 12. “LOVE YOU FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY HEART. BROUGHT THE ‘A’ TO THE WORLD, ONLY YOU BABYYYYYY 😘.”
Usher, 45, took the Super Bowl stage on Sunday, February 11, and sang a medley of hits with a few special guests. The musician kicked off his performance with “Caught Up” before moving into other songs like “Love in this Club,” “Let It Burn” and “Confessions.”
When it came to surprises, Usher had Alicia Keys join him on stage for a snippet of her song “I Ain’t Got You” before kicking off a duet of “My Boo.” Both Jermaine Dupri and H.E.R. got moments in the spotlight.
Lil Jon was with fans in the crowd while singing his song “Turn Down for What” during Usher’s outfit change. Will.i.am then appeared for “OMG” before Lil Jon joined Ludacris on stage to finish up with “Yeah.”
Ahead of Sunday’s game, some fans speculated that Bieber would join Usher to perform the “Somebody to Love Remix.” While Bieber was spotted at the game alongside wife Hailey Bieber, the singer supported Usher from afar.
Usher has served as a mentor for Bieber for years. While the “Yeah” singer didn’t discover Bieber’s singing talent, Usher was a big part of getting him signed to a record label in 2009.
Initially, they had more of a father-son bond, but Usher has explained how his friendship with Bieber has grown over the years — even through tough times.
“Our relationship is more man-to-man now,” Usher told The Hollywood Reporter in October 2014. “He’s making his own decisions and it’s important to show support. I can say I’m not happy with all the choices my friend has made, but I’m supportive of him. I try my hardest to give as much positive reinforcement as I can. I’ll punch him in the f—king chest when I need to, and give him a hug and kiss when I need to. It’s more than just mentoring. I love the kid.”
After Bieber announced in 2022 that he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, Usher offered a health update.
“He is doing great,” Usher told Extra at the time. “Seeing him on vacation, we managed to hang out with each other, and I think that whatever he may be experiencing right now, it’s actually really great to see that he has the support from his fans and his family.”
