Usher hinted fans might get a new Justin Bieber collab after all despite not performing together at the 2024 Super Bowl.
Usher, 45, revealed during his Friday, February 16, appearance on The Breakfast Club that he spoke to Bieber, 29, before the big game, but things didn’t pan out.
“I honor and recognize that my brother, you know, he — I think that it might’ve been the fact that he’s just wanting to tell a different story right now, and I understand that,” Usher explained. “But we did have a brief conversation, and we’re gonna do something else in the future. No love lost or anything like that.”
Usher recognized the “pressure” that comes with performing in the Super Bowl halftime show, so he ended up “reaching out to everybody” in order to secure something solid.
“Justin wasn’t the only person that I actually spoke to about doing the Super Bowl, but the moment was maybe for later,” he said. “He’s gonna play the Super Bowl [one day]. I’ll go ahead and give you that — in the future. I profess that over his life. It’s time, because he has a career that deserves it. But it just didn’t happen, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to.”
Before Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, February 11, fans hoped that longtime friends Bieber and Usher would reunite to sing “Somebody to Love Remix.” Lil Jon, Alicia Keys, Jermaine Dupri, H.E.R., Will.i.am and Ludacris all appeared as special guests during Usher’s career-spanning performance, but Bieber remained in the stands at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, where he was spotted with his wife, Hailey Bieber.
Lil Jon, who sang “Turn Down for What” and “Yeah!” with Usher on Sunday, later weighed in on Justin’s absence.
“We wanted to put Justin in the show, so we had the idea of doing a version of the show with Justin in it,” he told TMZ on Wednesday, February 14, saying that Justin was at one point “thinking about” joining in. “But I think Justin just wasn’t really ready.”
Lil Jon noted that when it comes to a high-profile show like the Super Bowl, there’s “a lot of responsibility” that comes from the performers and “a lot of eyeballs” watching.
“I don’t know if he was ready to do all that,” the rapper continued. “He definitely was there supporting us, and they are really good friends, and he was definitely supporting him regardless.”
Though he didn’t take the stage, Justin still appeared to have “a good time” taking in the performance from the crowd. “It’s a lot of time you have to dedicate to being in a show like this,” Lil Jon concluded.
After the game, Bieber praised Usher’s performance via social media.
“LOVE YOU MY BROTHER NOONE CAN SING AND DANCE THE WAY YOU DO,” the singer wrote on Monday, February 12. “LOVE YOU FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY HEART. BROUGHT THE ‘A’ TO THE WORLD, ONLY YOU BABYYYYYY 😘.”
Usher previously served as Justin’s mentor and assisted in launching the pop star’s career.
“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.” Usher told The Hollywood Reporter in October 2014 as Justin sparked controversy with his behavior at the height of his stardom. “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.”
