When the confetti settled after Usher's spectacular and nostalgia-filled Super Bowl Halftime Show, fans wondered why Justin Bieber didn't join his mentor during his performance, which did include names like Alicia Keys, Will.i.am, Ludacris, and Lil Jon. Of course, fans know that Usher and Bieber have a duet together, "Somebody to Love," but it didn't make the cut. Leading up to the show,
TMZ reported that Usher did offer Bieber the chance to be part of the performance, saying that Usher “has been hitting up Justin Bieber lately to talk about the prospect of JB joining him during the Super Bowl Halftime Show ... which now sounds like a very real possibility. Still no word on whether Justin agreed — but we know they’ve been chatting a lot.”
Though Usher didn't reveal exactly who'd be joining him, rumors started to swirl when Justin Bieber arrived in Vegas in the lead-up to the game. During the Super Bowl, Beiber and his wife, Hailey, were seen in the stands.
Elle reports that Justin decided not to join Usher even though an invitation was made. Previously, Justin performed at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, following the NHL All-Star Draft on Feb. 1, so he has been back on the mic since canceling his Justice World Tour in 2023.
Previously, a source told People that Bieber has been working on new music. So, his focus could be more future-facing than looking back on his work with Usher. Surprisingly, he won't be working with his longtime collaborator, Scooter Braun.
“Justin’s been working on his new record for the last six months," the source shared. "Scooter and SB Projects have not set up one session or done one thing for this [new] record. The relationship with Scooter has run its course.”