Usher has revealed stars including Michael Jackson and Madonna have inspired his upcoming Super Bowl performance.
The R&B legend is due to headline the Apple Music Halftime Show on Sunday and has been studying his favourite past performances to pick up tips.
“I’ve enjoyed Prince, Coldplay, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Madonna,” he said in an interview with Billboard. “There are tons of things that I was able to pick up on, from looking at how they chose to enter, what they did while they were onstage and how they chose to close.”
When it comes to his favourite Halftime headline performance, there is only one winner for Usher.
“But the one that really stands out is Michael,” the Yeah! singer said. “Michael brought in his own director, obviously paid a lot of money and spent a lot of time designing that incredible moment.”
Usher, 45, also revealed he has spoken to a series of music superstars who previously headlined the high-profile event.
“I’ve happened to be around a few people who’ve played the Super Bowl, and they did give me some pointers,” he teased. “I also happened to be on a boat not too long ago with Katy Perry, who gave me some notes. I heard that Rihanna stood up for me and said something really incredible about Usher landing the gig. I really appreciated that.”
Usher went on to reveal he is “so ready” for the performance and promised fans it will be a celebration of his 30 years in the music industry.
“I’m so ready for it to happen. I just want to sing louder than I’ve ever sang; dance harder than I’ve ever danced,” he vowed.