Usher brought Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, Ludacris and H.E.R. on the Super Bowl Halftime stage and it was awesome. I heard the wishful-thinking rumors after of the Super Bowl, that maybe Usher would also bring out his former protege, Justin Bieber. I didn’t believe it, just because Justin has largely taken a step back from performing, partly for his own mental health and partly for his physical health. In the end, Bieber did not join Usher on stage, but Justin and his wife were in Vegas for the Super Bowl, so they must have just watched the show from their VIP seats. Afterwards, sources told Page Six that there’s absolutely no bad blood.
Usher asked Justin Bieber to take part in his Super Bowl half-time show — but the “Baby” singer “wasn’t feeling it,” sources told Page Six.
Before Sunday’s event, Bieber’s longtime friendship with Usher sparked social-media rumors that the two would team up onstage in front of the 65,000-strong crowd and a global audience of millions. Instead, a slightly worn-out looking Bieber, 29, and his wife Hailey, 27, watched his one-time mentor’s show from the comfort of Fanatics co-owner Michael Rubin’s $2.5 million suite at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where they were seen nodding along to the performance.
A music industry source told us: “There’s no bad blood between Usher and Justin. Justin just wasn’t up for it — he just wasn’t feeling it.”
Usher did his best to try to persuade Bieber, sources said, and wanted to create a moment that paid tribute to their history together.
The half-time star — who reportedly wed his longtime love Jennifer Goicoechea in Vegas shortly after the show — had a large hand in the creation of the Bieber brand. Usher helped the youngster find worldwide fame at just 13 after he was discovered by music mogul Scooter Braun, and the pair duetted on “Somebody to Love” in 2010.
In Vegas, Bieber was more than happy to soak in the weekend’s atmosphere. He was seen at Rubin’s star-studded Super Bowl Party Saturday at Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, jumping behind the DJ booth and hanging out with rapper Travis Scott.
Again, I think this was less about Usher and more about where Bieber is in his life right now. It would not surprise me at all if the rest of Justin’s musical career was spent primarily as a recording artist, not a touring artist or performing artist. I think he enjoys being in the studio and working with producers, but he’s really lost the taste for tours and big-venue concerts. Anyway, I believe that Usher and Justin are probably fine, and it’s kind of sweet that Usher really wanted Justin to make an appearance on stage.
Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red, Backgrid.
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