Usher, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Taylor Swift, Ice Spice, Post Malone, Andra Day, Reba McEntire, Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Lil Jon, Ludacris, Jermaine Dupri, and will.i.am all performed or attended the same party on a Sunday night in Las Vegas. Super Bowl LVIII was a combination of a football game and a music festival. And over the past few years, musicians have found a way to achieve success similar to the teams that win the Lombardi Trophy.
From Michael Jackson and Prince’s memorable halftime shows to Whitney Houston’s iconic performance of the national anthem, the Super Bowl has been a major platform for music for many years. And let’s not forget the 20th anniversary of nipplegate, which brought Youtube into the mainstream.
But before we delve into the current state of the music and football connection, we need to go back a few years to examine the pivotal moment when everything changed.
Enter Colin Kaepernick.
Yes, a quarterback for the 49ers who truly made a difference played a significant role in this story. When Kaepernick led San Francisco to the Super Bowl in 2013 in New Orleans, Beyonce performed during the halftime show, causing a blackout. In the following years, we saw performances from acts like Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Coldplay (with Bruno Mars and Beyonce), Lady Gaga, and Justin Timberlake. However, something happened in 2018 when the NFL struggled to find a performer for Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta.
Why?
The controversy surrounding the blackballing of Kaepernick and Eric Reid was at its peak, as the two filed a collusion case against the league in 2018, which was later settled. Artists took notice and showed solidarity.
“I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Why would I? Who benefits from that? Certainly not my people,” Rihanna told Vogue in 2019. “I couldn’t compromise my values. There are aspects of that organization that I vehemently disagree with, and I wasn’t about to support them in any way.”
In a last-minute scramble, the league managed to secure Maroon 5 as the halftime show performer, with special guests Big Boi and Travis Scott. However, the damage had already been done. The NFL was hosting a Super Bowl in a predominantly Black city, the birthplace of Black music loved worldwide, and they couldn’t find a Black artist to headline the halftime show due to their treatment of a Black player (Kaepernick).
The situation became so dire that the league canceled Maroon 5’s press conference to avoid uncomfortable questions.
“As the artists prepare to take the stage this Sunday, their performances will speak for themselves,” the NFL stated. “Instead of a press conference, we have been sharing behind-the-scenes footage and content from each of the halftime performers across our various media platforms.”
So, what brought about change?
Enter Jay-Z.
In 2019, Beyonce’s husband famously stated, “I think we have moved past kneeling. I think it is time to take action… I’m not undermining [Kaepernick’s] contribution. That is necessary. But now that we are aware of the issues, what are we going to do? How will we put an end to it?”
Two significant events occurred that day. Jay-Z was photographed alongside Roger Goodell, giving the impression of a close friendship that undermined everything Kaepernick was fighting for. Additionally, a deal was struck that ensured the Super Bowl Halftime Show would never disappoint again, granting Jay-Z and Roc Nation control over selecting the musical acts.
One step forward, one step back – simultaneously.
Since then, the Super Bowl Halftime Show has featured performances from Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, The Weeknd, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Rihanna, catering to a younger and more diverse audience. It has become a show that resonates with a wider demographic, rather than just Middle and Corporate America.
According to Joe Pompliano’s “Huddle Up” Substack, Justin Timberlake experienced a 534 percent increase in sales after his performance, Travis Scott’s performance fee doubled, Lopez and Shakira gained over three million Instagram followers, and Rihanna became the most-streamed artist on Earth for a period, with searches for her Fenty Beauty products skyrocketing by 833 percent.
On Monday night, Super Bowl LVIII set a record with 123.4 million viewers, making it the most-watched telecast in America since the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. According to FrontOfficeSports, Usher’s performance earned him an estimated $52 million.
Usher achieved as much success at the Super Bowl as Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce did. He released a new album shortly before his performance, and ticket sales for his upcoming tour continue to rise in value. Additionally, Beyonce was featured in a Super Bowl ad that hinted at new music, and two new songs were released during the game, along with the announcement of a forthcoming album. None of these events occurred at the Grammys, as that was last week’s news. The Super Bowl has transformed into a concert that happens to include a football game.
According to the Source deadspin.com