It’s not every day that JAY-Z calls and asks you to headline the Super Bowl. When USHER got the call, Hov used three little words: “It’s magic time.” And it was. The R&B icon says he always felt destined for the biggest stage in entertainment, and his recent—and wildly successful—Las Vegas residency was in many ways the perfect boot camp. “Everything led up to this moment,” he told Zane Lowe during an interview celebrating the halftime show’s announcement. “Vegas has always been a place where entertainers find passion and connection [with] their fans. So for the Super Bowl to have made its way to Las Vegas… Wow.” Few R&B artists have ever held this honor, and USHER has found himself in excellent company (among his forebears are Michael Jackson and Prince). “I’m happy to join a shortlist of legacy artists from my genre who deserve this moment, and that JAY-Z and Roc Nation made certain the entire world understands our culture, understands where we come from, understands entertainment the way that they do.” Revisit the songs USHER performed at his instantly iconic halftime show.