Reviews on halftime show

Over the echoes of his flashy 1997 hit “My Way,” Usher opened the halftime show of Super Bowl LVIII dressed in head-to-toe white, including a floor-length bedazzled cape and matching studded gloves.

Amid occasional microphone glitches, he led with a pair of choreo-rich numbers: the Confessions hit “Caught Up” and 8701’s dazzling “U Don’t Have to Call.”

“They said I wouldn’t be here today, but I am,” Usher proclaimed, kinda lying before launching straight into his fan-service serenade “Superstar” and a brass version of one of his sleekest records, “Love in This Club.” Really, no one who’s followed Usher’s career—from his self-titled 1994 debut to his star-making albums, 8701 and Confessions, and recent legacy tour—is surprised that Usher is performing at the Super Bowl.

Least of all, Usher.

But the pretense is all part of the act, which involved Usher pulling out every glide, twirl, hip-thrust, and spin-move in his repertoire to sell the moment, to sell R&B as legitimate pop music.

And, of course, going shirtless. His halftime set had all the energy of a juiced-up 12-

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