NFL
Jordan Ramsay
February 8, 2024

Super Bowl 58 Halftime Show Odds and Predictions: Usher’s first song, number of songs and potential guests

Usher has been one of the biggest names in R&B and pop music for close to 30 years and the eight-time Grammy winner is set to headline the Super Bowl 58 halftime show in Las Vegas on Sunday. The Super Bowl halftime show is massive event, with millions of viewers tuning in specifically to watch the musical performance rather than the actual game.

Several of the most popular Super Bowl novelty props revolve around the halftime show, so we’re taking a deep dive to predict the first song performed, the number of songs performed and the likelihood of potential guest appearances.

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First song

The first song always sets the tone for the halftime show and it’s one of the most popular betting markets for the entire game. The decision on the first song for most performers comes down to whether they want to start with their most popular and mainstream song, or do they want to focus on something more upbeat?

Last year, Rihanna went upbeat with “B—- Better Have My Money” over more popular (in terms of downloads) songs like “Umbrella” and “Diamonds”. The Weeknd went the opposite route a few years ago at Super Bowl 55, beginning with a slower song, “Call Out My Name”.

Maybe the best way to look at this is through Usher’s recent history. In December, Usher closed out a two-year, 100-show Vegas residency. During that residency, the song he started his two-hour set with most often was “My Way” followed by “Caught Up”, “You Don’t Have to Call” and “Love in This Club”. Usher usually ended his shows with “Burn”, “Confessions”, “Confessions Part II”, “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love”, “OMG” and “Yeah”.

The Super Bowl halftime show is a big deal for performers, so I don’t see Usher sticking with “My Way” as his opener. He’ll obviously want a classic banger, but he’ll want to do something different to separate this performance from his Vegas residency. I like “OMG” as the opener. It’s one of his signature hits and it’s a great song to pump fans up with a slow open that builds into a high-paced, upbeat, crowd pleaser. It’s great for a stadium show with plenty of chanting choruses for the crowd to join in.

First song prediction: OMG

Number of songs

The Super Bowl halftime show is a sprint, not a marathon. Performers are trying to jam a careers worth of hit songs into a 12-15 minute window, with most shows averaging 13 minutes. Usher has already been quoted as saying he managed to get 15 minutes for his performance, so I’m hammering Over 8.5 songs for his performance.

Most halftime shows average 11 songs, but Rihanna managed to squeeze 15 songs into a 13-minute window last year. Every performance since 2018 has featured at least nine songs, while the last Super Bowl halftime show that featured less than nine songs was Lady Gaga’s seven-song setlist in Super Bowl 51. Here’s a look at the last five Super Bowl halftime shows:

Maroon 5 managed a 10-song setlist in Super Bowl 53.
Jennifer Lopez and Shakira cruised through 17 songs in Super Bowl 54.
The Weeknd belted out nine songs in Super Bowl 55.
Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar combined for 11 songs in Super Bowl 56.
Rihanna pumped out 15 songs in Super Bowl 57.

Number of songs prediction: Over 8.5

Potential special guests

This is a tough one because Usher has a long history of collaborating with stars like Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Ludacris, Lil Jon, will.i.am., Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, Drake and so many others. Or, Usher could elect to go solo like Rihanna did last year last year. The Weeknd also went solo in Super Bowl 55 and Lady gaga was solo in Super Bowl 51.

Usher collaborates more than most musicians, so I’d be shocked if there are not multiple guests. Alicia Keys is the favourite, which makes sense given their collaboration “My Boo” was a massive hit in 2004 and Keys is connected to Jay-Z, who produces the halftime show through his Roc Nation label.

None of my picks offer great value, but I also like Ludacris and Lil Jon to make an appearance. “Yeah”, which features Ludacris and Lil Jon, is by far Usher’s most downloaded song on streaming services and it’s a great mid-show hype anthem, which is the time in the performance you can likely expect guest appearances.

Special guests prediction: Alicia Keys, Ludacris, Lil Jon

For more props bets you can download our 2024 Super Bowl Part Prop Bet PDF here.