Taylor Swift and Usher Duetting in Resurfaced Clip Sparks Hope For Super Bowl Reunion
Super Bowl halftime show reunion? A resurfaced clip of Usher and Taylor Swift duetting on stage in 2011 has sparked hope of a repeat performance. Credit - Swift: John Shearer—Getty Images Usher: Kevin Winter—Getty Images
The Super Bowl LVIII will see the Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers for the all-important Vince Lombardi Trophy. Hype is building over the halftime show, as music icon Usher will deliver his hotly-anticipated performance in the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. There’s also another person whose attendance, although not yet confirmed, has been much debated. That is, of course, Taylor Swift. The singer, who was named TIME Person of the Year in 2023, is dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and has become somewhat of a fixture at NFL games over the past few months.
Swift performed in Tokyo on Saturday, Feb. 10, for the Japan leg of her wildly successful Eras Tour. Japan is 17 hours ahead of PST. Swift has reportedly since begun her trek back to the U.S. to attend the Super Bowl. On Feb. 2, the Japan Embassy in Washington D.C. released a statement, urging fans they needn’t worry, as Swift would be able to complete her Saturday night gig and still make it to the Super Bowl on Sunday, thanks to the time difference.
However, Swift’s mere appearance isn’t enough for everyone, it would seem, as some fans are calling for her to be a special guest during Usher’s halftime show. The singer has never previously performed at the big game, and although it may sound like a surprising pairing, given the fact Usher and Swift haven’t released a single together, it turns out they have dueted on stage before.
Read more: Usher's Super Bowl setlist and special guests, discussed
A clip has resurfaced of Usher joining Swift on stage in 2011 during her "Speak Now" tour. The duo performed Usher’s hit 2004 song “Yeah!” at the Philips Arena (now called the State Farm Arena) in Atlanta. Swift, clad in a purple dress (a color synonymous with her Speak Now era), takes on some of the “Yeah!” rap verses, in lieu of the track’s featured artists, Lil Jon and Ludacris.
Fans on TikTok have been sharing the old video footage of the performance, expressing hope that the two might reunite on stage at the Super Bowl.
One TikTok clip, viewed over a million times, states: “The 2024 halftime show be like…” over footage of Usher and Swift performing. The user captioned the video: “In my wildest dreams, to be honest,” referencing Swift’s 2014 hit “Wildest Dreams.”
Another account shared the footage with the caption: “Do you think Taylor is going to perform with Usher at the Super Bowl halftime?”
Elsewhere, one TikTok user shared the clip, writing: “Who’s ready for Super Bowl Sunday? How awesome would it be if she [Taylor] went on stage with Usher?”
“This is how I imagine the Super Bowl halftime show going!” another user posted. While one fan wrote: “POV: T-Swizzle at the halftime show.”
You can see the resurfaced clip making the rounds among hopeful Swifties on TikTok, below.