Super Bowl LVIII gifted audiences with a tense football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. In addition to the funny SB commercials, the broadcast also featured a show-stopping halftime show headlined by Usher. The iconic singer truly brought plenty of energy and star power to Allegiant Stadium. When it comes to the latter, the Grammy winner brought out Ludacris and Lil Jon for a performance of the hit song “Yeah!” Now, the Fast & Furious cast member is celebrating the fact that their live performance led to a major milestone, and the “Who You Wit?” performer responded in the perfect way.
It would seem that the performance of the 2004 single at the big game had a serious ripple effect. Several of Usher’s songs saw major streaming boosts on Spotify after the Super Bowl this year, with “Yeah!” being one of the most highly played, it seems. Ludacris took to his Instagram to unveil a trophy, which represented the fact that the song has reached over one billion streams. In addition to showing off the certification, the rapper congratulated his collaborators and shouted out the fans who helped make the achievement possible:
If the past several years have proven anything in regard to pop culture, it’s that what’s old is certainly new again. The tune – which is on the album Confessions – quickly became an earworm when it was released two decades ago, and it has managed to stay in the zeitgeist. That information paired with the boost from the Super Bowl makes it unsurprising that the song would hit such a milestone. It also shouldn’t be shocking that when Lil Jon saw the message he responded in a perfect way:
YEAHHHHH.
That’s one of those messages that you can just hear. And he should indeed be proud of what he and his colleagues have accomplished. I’d imagine that it’s not easy to write a hit song, let alone one that continues to get listened to over two decades. The track – which scored the Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration years ago – is likely to remain a beloved tune for years to come.
The halftime show helped solidify the notion that there are still plenty of fans who appreciate his classic hits. During the performance, Usher – who got married shortly before the game – belted out “Caught Up” and "U Don't Have to Call" amid other notable tracks in his repertoire. In addition to Ludacris and Lil Jon, he also welcomed Alicia Keys and H.E.R. The set may not have provided redemption for Janet Jackson’s Nipplegate as some thought it might, but it was a vibrant performance that brought a jolt of energy to the SB.
When fans look back at Super Bowl LVIII – one of the biggest TV events to happen this year thus far– they’ll likely think not only of the game but the awesome music played during halftime. With that, I’m willing to bet that even more of Usher’s songs might continue to generate buzz on streaming platforms. And, to that, I’ll simply quote Lil Jon by saying, yeah!
The Super Bowl marked the end of the NFL season, and those looking for other offerings to watch on the boob tube should check out the 2024 TV schedule.
