Usher Shines in Super Bowl Halftime Show: A Look at His Album and Collaborations

Usher is thinking about home.

His most recent album, “Coming Home,” is already available. Its peppy, humorous cover art and track list pay homage to both his hometown of Atlanta and his beginnings as an R&B master.

Additionally, Usher is “really enjoying getting ready for Super Bowl,” where he will be the main attraction at Sunday’s halftime show in Las Vegas, where he has spent the last few years living after dominating a Sin City residency that ended triumphantly in December with 100 shows.

“I realize this seems absurd, but what? It doesn’t mean I haven’t enjoyed them all when I say I’m going to appreciate this one show. As a performer, though, I feel like I’ve spent so much time serving others that I don’t really get to appreciate it as much as I would like to since I’m practically out of my body when I’m doing it for them. Days before the show, he tells USA TODAY, “Yeah, I’m live and I’m present, but I’m doing it for you.” “This moment, this one’s for me, and I’m going to really enjoy it.”

Six years after his collaborative effort with producer Zaytoven and eight years after releasing his solo album “Hard II Love,” he is now resuming his musical career and is honoring the place and sense of home.

The Essentials: These are Usher’s must-haves as he gets ready for his Super Bowl halftime performance.

Usher’s eighth solo studio album, Comfortable, features 20 tracks that will both relieve fans and the R&B singer himself. These songs are like kicking off your shoes, pulling on a pair of sweatpants, and curling up on the sofa with something you know. That sensation is that of “coming home.”

Regarding the “deeper meaning” of the album’s title, Usher remarks, “After the journey that I’ve had in life over the last six years, I feel like I’m coming back to start.” “I’m more refreshed and more refined as a result of so many experiences that I’ve been able to come through.”

Along with the classic Usher tracks—the slow jams, the love-making grooves, and the get-up-on-your-feet bangers—fans can also expect new sounds that are exclusive to “home,” where Usher’s longtime collaborators Jermaine Dupri, The-Dream, Pharrell, Brian Michael Cox, and L.A. Reid are all back for the project.

“You’re most comfortable when you’re at home,” adds Usher. “Being at ease in my own skin feels like the safest place I’ve found, so that’s coming home.” The other half, you know, is that I’ve spent my entire life jogging, being outside, and moving about. Another thing is for me to have perspective and to provide perspective, and to simply slow down and return home.”

Usher plays a few songs from his just released CD for us.

Usher’s “A-Town Girl” on the Latto is a true smash tune.

This song immediately launches into the well-known refrain, “Uptown girl.” Usher’s “A-Town Girl,” a tribute to his hometown of Atlanta featuring rapper Latto, is based on a Billy Joel song from 1983.

“My little baddie’s such an A-Town girl,” Usher croons, describing her with lines like, “I can tell by the way that she twerks, she from around here,” and “you can find her at Ladies Love R&B Wednesdays,” or at Magic City or down on Peachtree Street. She learned how to skate when she was in the first grade.”

Regarding the positive hit that will surely become a viral sensation for generations of Usher fans, he says, “You felt the essence of Atlanta, you felt a very specific kind of code of culture.” A few tunes later, “Keep On Dancin'” and “Kissing Strangers” are also exceptional examples of pop perfection.)

Usher claims that the music video for “Ruin” featuring his daughter is the most “personal.”

“Ruin” is the album’s “most personal and vulnerable” song, according to Usher.

“I think that ‘Ruin’ is a story that, when you look at the video, it says a lot,” he continues. “This relationship between a father and daughter, or your child, is the foundation upon which we build. That, in my opinion, is the one moment when all men may admit to being wrecked.”

Usher and his 3-year-old daughter Sovereign Bo playfully together in the music video for the song, which also features Pheelz. The singer draws attention to a necklace that his daughter is wearing and a matching tattoo that reads “SR” on his wrist.

“Y’all (daughters) get away with everything,” he jokes, “’til eventually (dads) figure it out, like, ‘Oh, you’re gettin’ over on me.'”

As the usher gets ready for the “celebration” of the Super Bowl halftime performance, she pledges to live with diabetes.

Usher ventures into new genres with Afrobeats with Burna Boy and K-pop with Jung Kook.

Usher made his debut in the K-pop scene with the energetic ending tune “Standing Next to You (Remix),” which featured BTS singer Jung Kook.

“Although I don’t visit Korea frequently, I’ve always liked K-pop artists. Thus, it was an amazing experience to collaborate with Jung Kook,” Usher remarks.

In a similar vein, his trips served as inspiration for his introduction to Afrobeats.

He claims that going to Africa was the reason for “working with Burna Boy and producing alongside Pheelz” on the album’s title track and “Ruin,” respectively.

“Nice Good”: Usher discusses his new song and Vegas residency: “It’s no longer 7 o’clock on the dot.”

Limited-edition digital download of “Naked,” Usher and Skims’ extra tune

Fans may anticipate more understated elements beyond Usher’s half-naked physique donning Skims boxer briefs, since the brand recently launched their latest men’s offering. Usher teamed up with Kim Kardashian’s Skims for a campaign.

The bonus track “Naked” will be part of the album’s limited edition digital download, which will only be accessible on skims.com.

The partnership is a clever business decision for the reality TV star, who featured in the halftime show preview and detailed how she lost out on seeing Usher perform live for her birthday while filming her family’s Hulu reality series, “The Kardashians.” In the end, Kardashian made it to his Vegas residency, where she bonded with him backstage and afterwards raved about his performance to her sister Khloe Kardashian.