'Peace up, A-Town down': Ahead of Super Bowl, Usher's got Georgia on his mind

It's a busy season for Usher Raymond.

Arguably the biggest night of Usher's career happens this weekend in Nevada — but expect his Peach State to be well represented.

The superstar is performing the halftime show at the Super Bowl on Sunday evening, at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium.

The longtime Atlantan has alluded to his Georgia history by posing with a peach on the cover of his first solo album in eight years, Coming Home, and in a new ad campaign for the SKIMS underwear brand.

The Jonesboro High School Marching Band is featured in an Apple Music promo for Usher’s Super Bowl show, and he filmed part of his single "Good Good,"  from Coming Home, on the Jackson Street bridge — a vantage point from which the Atlanta skyline is prominently featured.

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The Jonesboro High School Marching Band appears in an Apple Music promo for Usher's Super Bowl LVIII halftime performance.

Credit: Apple Music

Usher's halftime show is 30 years in the making. He has sold over 80 million records in his career, has nine No. 1 singles, and is rumored to bring guests along with him to the big game — and some speculate that could include other Atlanta musicians such as Ludacris or Lil' Jon. But no additional performers have been confirmed or announced.

According to CBS, this year's station host, the Super Bowl halftime show is historically the most-watched musical performance of the year, taking place on the biggest night in American sports. Fans can watch the game at 6:30 p.m. ET, with Usher's performance likely happening between 8:00 and 8:30 p.m. ET. The broadcast airs/streams on CBS, Nickelodeon and Paramount+.

On the heels of his popular Las Vegas residency at Park MGM, Usher is dropping Coming Home on Friday, just two days before the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers take the field. The music features his signature R&B style and includes collaborators Summer Walker, 21 Savage, Burna Boy, Latto, The-Dream, H.E.R., BTS member Jungkook and Pheelz.

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Usher's new album, Coming Home, drops on Feb. 9, 2024.

Credit: Apple Music

But is the new album a tribute to Georgia, where the singer started his career after moving from Chattanooga, at age 12?

“I’m coming home, I’m back with my team,” Billboard magazine reported Usher as saying earlier this year.

The "Yeah" singer told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe that the peach he holds in his hand on the album's cover represents his history with producer L.A. Reid, who signed him to Atlanta's LaFace label 31 years ago when he was only 14 years old.

“Even when you see the artwork, you will understand it,” Usher said. “When you see the peach, you get it. You understand where I’m from and what we’re doing.”

Usher kicks off his 24-city North American tour this summer on Aug. 20 at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. and lands at Atlanta's State Farm Arena on Oct. 17 and 18, 2024.