Usher has put countless hours into his Super Bowl halftime show - trying to condense his entire music catalogue into a few minutes, rehearsing his routine and planning the inevitable surprises which come with the coveted gig.
But much to the surprise of some people, he won't get paid a penny for all his hard work.
All eyes will be on the singer, 45, on Sunday (11 February) when the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers players trundle off for a quick pep talk in the locker room midway through the pivotal game.
He will join the Super Bowl halftime Hall of Fame alongside the likes of Rihanna, Beyoncé, J.Lo, Bruno Mars, Eminem, Dr. Dre and Lady Gaga - but the singer revealed he has got some special treatment regarding his performance that his legendary peers did not.
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Usher said that he managed to get an extra two minutes added to his slot time, rather than the measly 13 minutes that musicians have previously had no choice but to work with.
Discussing the benefit of having a bit more time during his Super Bowl debut, he said: "I can't explain why, but it's a funny thing that I was able to do and craft. That was a huge strategic thing that happened between me and my agency."
The 'Climax' crooner revealed that Rhianna's set last year was 'fire' because of the incredible choreography and the way it was produced 'like a concert'.
"It actually was a great deal of inspiration [for] how I began to think of my show," Usher said, comparing it to the 'immersive' vibe he tried to create at his 100-show Las Vegas residency titled My Way.
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He explained: "It was all about being immersed - being immersed in an experience that is all of these things that wouldn't necessarily go together."
So if you see him twerking and dropping a pregnancy announcement mid-show, remember who did it first!
Anyway, a lot of people think a huge gig such as the Super Bowl halftime show would come with an equally massive pay packet - but they're very, very mistaken.
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Although the US sporting event is one of the most financially lucrative occasions of the year, Usher won't be monetarily rewarded for all the graft he has put in.
That's because it's pretty much written in the rule book (unofficially) that performers don't get compensated for their halftime set, mostly due to the fact that the artist should realise securing the gig is a priceless opportunity.
But according to reports, the NFL does cover 'all costs associated with the show and does pay the halftime performers' union scale'.
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The lucky star who earns the Super Bowl halftime slot will be playing in front of the largest audience they'll most likely ever have, which obviously has a significant impact on their streaming figures and record sales.
Take Lady Gaga for example - when she did her thing at the Super Bowl in 2017, her album and song sales skyrocketed by 1,000 percent.
Jennifer Lopez earned a whopping 2.3million new followers across her social media channels in 2020 after she strutted her stuff on stage with Shakira.
Some things, money can't buy.
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And conveniently for Usher, his new album Coming Home dropped on Friday (9 February), which he describes as a 'love letter to the legacy of his career' and he has just announced his Past Present Future tour will hit the road later this year.
So, even though he isn't getting paid for his performance, the singer is definitely seeing dollar signs.
Topics: Money, Music, Sport, Super Bowl, US News, Usher, Celebrity
Olivia Burke