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Usher's pre-show routine: The Super Bowl 58 halftime performer uses affirmations and exercise to start his day

Super Bowl 58 halftime performer Usher says his pre-show routine starts first thing in the morning
Pascal Le Segretain | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Usher will dominate the airwaves for 15 minutes on Sunday night when he takes the stage for the Super Bowl 58 halftime show. But his preparation for the massive performance will begin hours earlier.

In an interview with GQ Magazine last year, the "Yeah!" singer says that on days he performs, his preparation routine starts first thing in the morning.

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"I wake up, I have breakfast and I kind of move around," he told GQ. "I do something that gets my energy going. Ride a bike, I walk, I go swimming, do something short."

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The multi-platinum-selling artist will visit the venue where he is performing to to make sure everything from lighting to wardrobe is ready before getting himself to the gym for a proper workout. After that, he told the magazine, he begins to prepare his voice.

"[I spend] about an hour and a half or an hour, literally just doing scales and tryna make certain everything is where it needs to be," he says.

It's a long process, but rather than being exhausted by the time he steps off of the stage, Usher says he feels energized.

"If you were not doing something that you really wanna do, then nine times out of 10 you're going to be really f---ing tired at the end of the night," he said. "But I'm doing something that I really, really enjoy doing."

Earlier this year, the 45-year-old performer told Vogue that he gives himself affirmations in the mirror in the morning.

"When is the last time you looked in a mirror and really looked at yourself?" he told the magazine. "It's a little psyched-out to say this, but it made me feel good. I was like: You need to look at yourself and say, 'Hey, whatever you're dealing with, I love you.'"

Super Bowl 58 will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 11, meaning that Usher will likely take the stage around 8:00 or 8:30 p.m.

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