Watch: Justin Bieber Dances During Usher's Halftime Performance Despite Allegedly Turning Down Invitation
Justin Bieber supported Usher despite rumors that he turned down the latter's invitation to join him in his Super Bowl halftime show.
NFL shared a video of Bieber "vibing" and dancing during Usher's performance. Beside him was his wife, Hailey Bieber, who seemed to be enjoying the show as much as him.
Justin and Hailey Bieber vibing to @Usher 🔥#AppleMusicHalftime pic.twitter.com/Mt33p2QVeX
— NFL (@NFL) February 12, 2024
Several netizens wished Bieber performed with Usher in the comments section. The duo have been friends for years and previously collaborated on the remix of Bieber's "Somebody to Love" in 2010 for his debut studio album "My World 2.0."
"Usher should've brought the Biebs on stage to make the halftime show watchable," one commented.
Another added, "We needed Justin on that halftime show with Usher tbh."
"Would've loved to see Justin perform with usher!" a third person opined.
"Everyone thought he was gonna perform," a fourth person wrote with a face with tears of joy emoji.
According to reports, Usher invited Bieber to join him in his halftime performance, which featured several guest stars, including Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Lil Jon, Ludacris, Jermaine Dupri, and Will.i.am. A full-on marching band and an army of dancers and Sin City showgirls also performed with Usher on stage.
Unnamed sources told Page Six that the "Baby" singer declined because he "wasn't feeling it." Bieber, however, remained supportive of his mentor's show by watching and nodding along to the performance.
"There's no bad blood between Usher and Justin. Justin just wasn't up for it - he just wasn't feeling it," an anonymous music industry source said.
Usher reportedly tried persuading Bieber to pay tribute to their history together. Usher was significant in Bieber's career.
Bieber and Usher officially met in 2008 when Usher offered the then-teenager a recording contract. The "Yeah!" singer admitted that he had already heard about Bieber before they met.
"I'd heard about Justin through the grapevine because people were talking about him," Usher told Howard Stern in an interview, per The Sun.
"And I said to him, 'Why don't you set up a meeting between me and your manager, I'd love to meet with you and do this in a formal setting. I'm late for an appointment with Jermaine Dupri, and I don't want to keep him waiting, so let's do this the right way.'"
Usher introduced Bieber to record executive L.A. Reid, who signed Bieber to Island Records. In 2009, the "OMG" singer introduced Bieber to the Los Angeles tastemakers as a "young phenomenon. He's definitely a priority for me and Island Def Jam." In the same year, they performed together at Madison Square Garden for Jingle Ball.
In 2011, Bieber made a surprise appearance at Usher's Grammy Awards performance. In 2012, Usher gifted 18-year-old Bieber a $100,000 Fisker Karma electric vehicle on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
In 2022, Usher publicly supported Bieber following his Ramsay Hunt syndrome diagnosis. At the time, Bieber had to cancel some of his shows, and Usher noted that performers live "a life that comes with a great deal of pressure."
"I think [Justin] has obviously taken the world on a journey. I am happy that I was at the beginning of, and I am still a part of to this day, as a friend," Usher told Extra TV.
