‘OMG’ – how did Usher get to headline the Super Bowl? Before striking NFL gold and landing a Skims campaign with Kim Kardashian, the Atlanta rapper lived with Diddy and ‘babysat’ Beyoncé

Feb 10, 2024

What was Usher like before he got famous? The ‘Yeah!’ singer – who’s set to perform at the NFL Super Bowl and just landed a Skims campaign with Kim K – knew Beyoncé before she got her big break too. Photo: AP

Rumours of a surprise Taylor Swift performance at this year’s NFL Super Bowl have been loudly quashed, meaning the stage will be all Usher’s – so how did he earn the ultimate prize in pop?

Raised by a single mother, Usher was spotted by Bobby Brown’s bodyguard, hung around with Beyoncé, and got sent to disgraced rapper Diddy’s ‘Puffy Flavor Camp’ before striking gold with hits ‘Yeah!’, ‘Burn’ and ‘My Boo’

Rumours around the possibility of Taylor Swift performing at this year’s NFL Super Bowl have been sadly, loudly quashed last week, with TMZ confirming that the stage will be all Usher’s. The pressure is mounting on a man that may not have been many people’s first-choice for the highest-profile appearance in pop.

The singer, who has been in the biz for three decades and counting, is set to bring his A-game to the national event taking place on February 11. In the run-up to his anticipated performance, the “Yeah!” vocalist has just released a Skims collaboration with Kim Kardashian, telling The Hollywood Reporter that the partnership was formed to promote his new album, Coming Home.