Some wasted opportunities hit too close to home. Earlier this year, R&B prince Usher took his throne as the headlining act for the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Her “My Boo” collaborator Alicia Keys joined her on stage, but it turned out that K-pop megastar Jungkook (of BTS) could also be “standing next door” to her at this time.
The youngest member of the South Korean septet was the first among his fellow bandmates to release an album entirely in English. If things had worked out more in BTS fans’ favor, they could have even seen their favorite idol become the first K-pop star to step onto the Super Bowl stage. However, this was never to be.
A new report from The New Yorker Magazine published on Monday, October 7 revealed that the ‘Golden Makane’ almost performed at the prestigious sporting event. The “Hey Daddy” hit-maker originally invited Jungkook to join the performance. However, the ’97 Liner was tied up with prior engagements. February 2024 marks Usher’s return to the star-studded big stage with guest appearances from Ludacris, H.E.R., Lil Jon and more. Meanwhile, the “3D” singer had already left for his military duties with bandmate Jimin in December 2023.
Read this also BTS RM’s first documentary, Right Person, Wrong Place, premieres at Busan International Film Festival
The BTS singer enlisted several guest artists for his studio solo album, “Golden,” including Leto, Jack Harlow and others. Additionally, Justin Timberlake and Usher joined the 27-year-old K-pop heartthrob on remix versions of “3D.” and “Standing next to you.” Many of Usher’s collaborators have shared the stage with him during his career for an unforgettable Super Bowl show, so Jungkook’s addition to the roster was inevitable. The latest confirmation that the American singer planned to bring them on stage has left the K-pop fan community in tears. Eyes and sad.
Fans react to BTS’s Jungkook missing out on potential Super Bowl halftime show performance
After the news broke on social media, a large number of BTS Army expressed their anger online. While most people celebrated that the news was proof of Jungkook’s unwavering relevance in the global music industry, others couldn’t contain their anger.
Read this also Stray Kids pay tribute to NSYNC at the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary special. Watch
Many fans took to Twitter to complain about how South Korea and BTS’s agency, HYBE, “wasted” the beloved pop star’s talent by letting this golden opportunity pass them by. Others pointed out that he enlisted with his group members earlier than most other male K-pop artists of his age so as not to cause further delays in the anticipated, full BTS reunion.
“Standing Next to You is a masterpiece and deserves to be heard and seen in front of a big audience. So sad,” one fan commented. “The South Korean government robbed him, there were 123.7 million viewers, no military service is as important as it potentially was to him and BTS,” another fan wrote online.
On the other hand, a separate faction of fans pointed to Usher’s alleged infamous relationship with disgraced hip-hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, who was arrested in September 2024 and eventually formally charged with sex trafficking and fraud. Was imposed. “Fortunately he is in military service,” said a BTS soldier. Another wrote, “Army, don’t you follow the news or what? Why would you feel bad that he said no? Thank God he refused and I’m glad he’s in the Army.
