In Vegas, Usher and Post Malone talk Super Bowl pregame, halftime shows

While trying to decide which of his many iconic hits he’ll try to jam into his halftime at the Super Bowl Sunday, Usher‘s criteria can be summed up in one word: celebration.

“What I did is, I was very mindful of my past, celebrating my present, which is here in Las Vegas, and thinking about where we’re headed in the future,” Usher said at a press conference in Las Vegas Thursday. “[W]hat songs do I feel people know me for? What songs have been a celebration of all of the journey, of what life and love and emotion has been offered in my music?'”

Usher has done 100 shows in Vegas over two residencies. He said he’ll incorporate elements of those residency shows into his production.

“You’ll now get a chance to see some of what I did here,” he said. “But you’re going to get the best of it because it’s before 60,000 people … and hopefully another 180 million people for the world to see.”

The show, presented by Apple Music, has been described as 30 years in the making; Usher said his belief in himself has motivated him to reach this point.

“All I had was my vision. All I had was the idea that someday I would have fans,” he said. “You know those kids who, like, take a mic in hand and they’re singing and they’re believing in themselves, or they look in the mirror and they’re singing to an audience that’s not there?”

“I’m that kid, at 9 years old, that had this dream, that this moment — and many of the moments that I’ve had in my career — would come true.”

Also at the press conference, Post Malone spoke about how it’s going to feel to sing “America the Beautiful” at the pregame show.

“Nerve-racking,” he said. “I’m very nervous. But excited … it’s just fun and super epic to be able to go out there and sing a song so many beautiful artists have sang before and on this stage. I’m just going to do my best, and give it what I got.”

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