In what was expected to be the Super Bowl halftime performance, Usher took to the stage to deliver a stunning show featuring some of his greatest hits. However, despite the usual expectation of a significant sales boost following such a headline performance, Usher faced stiff competition from new releases from Beyoncé and Kanye West.
Immediately following Usher’s performance, Beyoncé surprised fans by releasing two new country songs from her upcoming album, Act II of “Renaissance.” Within minutes, the songs had risen to the top two spots on the US iTunes chart, eclipsing the hit “Yes!” reached number 3.
Adding to the competition, Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign released their joint album, Vulture 1on Friday, dominating the Apple Music chart with about half of the top 30 songs. Their song Carnival quickly took the No. 1 spot, continuing to challenge Usher’s presence on the charts.
While Usher Yes! and other songs have gained positions on various charts, including Apple Music and Spotify, they have faced stiff competition from outside songs. Vulture 1occupies all but two of the top 10 spots on the US Spotify chart.
Plus, Usher’s new album Go homereleased on the same day as Vulture 1lags behind on Apple Music’s album chart.
Despite stiff competition, Usher still put on a stellar halftime show performance, which featured guest appearances from Alicia Keys, will.i.am, Lil Jon, Ludacris and H.E.R. But the question remains whether his Super Bowl push can outpace new releases from Beyoncé and Kanye West on the charts.
The Super Bowl halftime show has traditionally provided a major platform for artists to boost their sales and streams, with past performers experiencing significant increases in song sales and streams after their performances. Whether Usher can replicate this success amid fierce competition remains to be seen.
With Beyoncé unveiling new music and Kanye West dominating the charts, Usher faces an uphill battle to maintain his chart presence following his Super Bowl performance. Fans will be keen to track Usher’s sales and streaming numbers in the coming days amid this musical battle.
