“The way I deluded myself”: Hilarious memes erupt following Justin Bieber’s no-show at Usher’s Super Bowl Halftime performance

Justin Bieber and Usher were reportedly scheduled to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 11, 2024. However, the performance only featured the latter, with the former choosing to watch the show from his booth alongside his wife, Hailey Bieber.

Usher performed alongside Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Lil Jon, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, and Will.i.am. While there had been no confirmation about Bieber performing with Usher at the event, speculation before the performance suggested that Bieber would perform with his mentor at the event. The singer-songwriter has not come forward to provide any particular explanation as to the reason he chose to sit out the event.

Justin Bieber was recently diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, which has led to him slowing down his performance schedule. Ramsay Hunt Syndrome is known to cause facial paralysis in severe cases and the singer being diagnosed with it could have contributed to his choice to decline performing at the event.

Bieber's non-appearance as a performer at the Usher performance has since then gone viral, sparking a memefest, as exemplified by the tweet below:

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Netizens react with memes at Justin Bieber's no-show at Super Bowl Halftime as a performer

Netizens were quick to react to the fact that Justin Bieber did not perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show alongside Usher despite the rumors, and took to social media, particularly Twitter, to express their feelings on the matter.

Many expressed their disappointment via memes and GIFs, which expressed the anger and the sadness fans felt about the singer not performing at what would have been his first ever Super Bowl Halftime performance.

In not performing at the event, Bieber joined other major artists who refused to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show, including Metallica, Taylor Swift, Adele, Rihanna and Dolly Parton, among others.

As mentioned above, Bieber has not provided any particular explanation as to why he didn't perform at the event. However, it is possible that Bieber was respecting his mentor Usher's wish for the performance to be a tribute to Black artists, which Usher stated in a statement to Entertainment magazine on February 3, 2024, stating:

"I think about what our country has kind of represented for Black artists, you know, having to at some point go through kitchens to even be able to perform for an audience, but they had to leave back through that same door, fear for their lives as they went to the next state to do the same thing. So I’m coming through the front door with this one.”

Usher was a major figure in the early rise of Justin Bieber, with the former helping the latter get placed in his first label, Island Records in October 2008. The duo last worked together on the latter's 2010 single Somebody to Love.