Usher Overshadowed? New Beyoncé And Kanye West Releases ...
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Usher took the one of the largest stages in music to perform some of his biggest hits Sunday night—usually a guarantee of mega sales to follow—and although he’s already rising on the sales and streaming charts, so is Beyoncé, who released two songs minutes after Usher’s performance, along with Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign, who dropped an album Friday.
Usher performed at the Super Bowl two days after dropping his latest album, "Coming Home." (Photo ... [+] by William H. Kelly III/Jackson State University via Getty Images)
Jackson State University via Getty Images Key FactsSoon after the halftime show, Beyoncé dropped two new country songs from her upcoming album, Act II of her 2022 album “Renaissance,” and quickly claimed the top two spots on U.S. iTunes—ahead of Usher’s 2004 hit “Yeah!” at No. 3.
Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign have dominated Apple Music since their joint album, “Vultures 1,” dropped Friday, with the two claiming about half of the top 30 songs on the Apple Music chart, including “Carnival” at No. 1.
Usher’s “Yeah!” ranks No. 2 on Apple Music, just ahead of Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” at No. 4 and No. 8, respectively—but Usher’s second-highest charting song is his Alicia Keys collaboration, “My Boo,” at No. 21.
Tracks from “Vultures 1” claim all but two of the top 10 spots on U.S. Spotify, ahead of Usher’s highest-charter “Yeah!” back at No. 23.
“Vultures 1” tops the Apple Music albums chart, one spot ahead of Usher’s new album “Coming Home,” which also dropped Friday.
Usher sang, danced and roller-skated through a set of some of his biggest hits Sunday night, including “U Got It Bad,” “Burn” and “Yeah!” He brought out plenty of guests, including Keys, who sang her own hit “Ain’t Got You,” before joining Usher for their collaboration, “My Boo.” He also brought out will.i.am, who performed “OMG” with Usher, and Lil Jon and Ludracris, who joined Usher for “Yeah!” H.E.R. also took the stage for a guitar solo.
TangentBeyoncé teased new music in a 90-second commercial for Verizon, which aired just minutes after Usher’s halftime performance. In the ad, which co-starred Tony Hale, the two try to devise a plan to “break the internet,” as Beyoncé dons alter egos like “Bar-Bey,” inspired by the “Barbie” movie, and “BOTUS”—or “Beyoncé of the United States.” After their plans fail, Beyoncé concludes the ad by stating: “Okay, they ready, drop the new music.” Soon after the ad aired, Beyoncé confirmed on Instagram her new album, billed as “Act II” to her 2022 album “Renaissance,” would release March 29. She then dropped “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” two tracks off the upcoming country-themed album.
What To Watch ForWhether Usher’s Super Bowl halftime boost can overcome these new releases on the charts—and how big Usher’s sales and streaming boosts will be.
Key BackgroundThe Super Bowl halftime show has long been a lucrative performance opportunity for artists seeking a boost in sales and streams for their hits, thanks to the more than 100 million viewers that tune in every year. Last year, Rihanna experienced a 390% overall boost in song sales and a 211% increase in streams from the Friday before and the Monday after her halftime show. Some of her songs, like “Pour It Up” and “Where Have You Been,” saw a more than 1,000% sales boost and 400% streaming boost. Shakira and Jennifer Lopez notched 267% and 187% streaming gains, respectively, following their performance, and Lady Gaga’s sales were up 1,000% after her 2017 performance—which sent her then-latest single, “Million Reasons,” to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Further ReadingWhat We Know About Usher’s Super Bowl Halftime Show: Alicia Keys Spotted Rehearsing—Will Justin Bieber Show? (Forbes)
The Biggest Super Bowl Halftime Show Music Sales Boosts—Including Shakira, Coldplay, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga And More (Forbes)
Why Usher Won’t Get Paid For The Super Bowl Halftime Show (Forbes)