A Recap of Super Bowl 2024: Kansas City Takes the Win!
The Kansas City Chiefs are victorious once again! On Sunday, February 11th, one of the most highly anticipated events of the year took place—Super Bowl 2024. The Kansas City Chiefs faced off again with the San Francisco 49ers. Back in 2020, the 49ers lost to the Chiefs with a score of 31-20. And this year, the Chiefs were the champions again!
The game took place in the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The game received a lot of hype on social media prior, due to sensational popstar Taylor Swift dating Travis Kelce of the Chiefs. Swift flew in from Japan to watch the game. And it was intense! The score was close, with the Chiefs beating the 49ers during overtime 25-22.
In case you missed it, here are the details of Super Bowl 2024!
Source: Wikimedia Commons
kickoff show
Three artists performed during the kickoff show, which started at 6 p.m. est. Post Malone, a 10-time Grammy nominee, performed “America the Beautiful.” Dressed in a white button-up, dark brown blazer, and denim jeans, the singer delivered a soulful performance of the song while playing the guitar.
Grammy-winning R&B singer Andra Day also performed, delivering a stunning performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The song—also known as the Black national anthem—expresses racial inequality, while also imagining a future where Black Americans are liberated. Day looked stunning while performing, wearing a light gray suit and matching high-heeled boots with a studded heel.
The last to perform was Reba McEntire, who opened the Super Bowl by singing the national anthem. She gave a dazzling rendition of the song with a country flare. The performance was a special one for McEntire’s career, because it marked 50 years since she was discovered singing the national anthem in her home state at just 19 years old. It was the perfect way to open the game and celebrate her career.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Celebrities who attended
Super Bowl 2024 didn’t just have Swift, Malone, Day, and McEntire in attendance. Many celebrities attended this year, such as Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton, and even Elon Musk.
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo—costars in the upcoming musical film Wicked—also attended, wearing matching, sparkly football jerseys with their character names on them. Grande will play Glinda and Erivo will play Elphaba. The trailer debuted during the Super Bowl, and the film is set to be in theaters on November 27th, 2024.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
halftime show
Among the celebrities to attend was Usher, who gave a star-studded halftime show performance. During the performance, Usher danced on roller skates and even had a marching band that spelled out his name. He also brought out surprise guests, such as Alicia Keys, H.E.R., will.i.am., and more.
Usher was dressed in white and silver for the performance, wearing a bedazzled silver top, white coat and pants, a large, jeweled fish pin, and a sparkly white glove on his left hand. Some of the songs he performed were “Caught Up” and “U Don’t Have to Call.” With Alicia Keys, he performed “My Boo.” H.E.R. had an epic guitar solo during the performance of “Bad Girl,” and “OMG” was performed with will.i.am.
Usher had originally asked Bieber to perform with him, but the singer turned down the offer. Usher told Page Six that Bieber, “wasn’t feeling it.” Despite this, the performance was still highly anticipated and didn’t disappoint!
Source: Squarespace/Unsplash
commercials
One of the highlights of every Super Bowl is the unique, funny commercials featuring fan-favorite celebrities airing throughout the game. And this Super Bowl had many notable ones. The first was a Verizon commercial with Beyoncé, showcasing her during the Lemonade era and ending in a Renaissance: Act II announcement. The singer dropped two new songs off her upcoming album when the commercial aired.
T-Mobile featured a commercial with multiple celebrities in it. Some included Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Hudson, and Zach Braff. The commercial features the various celebrities giving a sequence of hilarious “auditions” for T-Mobile's Magenta Status. Metro by T-Mobile also aired a commercial with Puerto Rican actor Luis Guzmán. It showcased Guzmán stumbling through the city, shocked by both the high prices of everything and his abusive phone contract. At the end, he came across a Metro by T-Mobile building and made the switch.
Other celebrities featured in Super Bowl commercials were Ken Jeong with Popeyes, the cast of Friends with Uber Eats, Jenna Ortega with Doritos Dinamita, and more. According to the Wall Street Journal, a 30-second Super Bowl commercial can cost up to $7 million, and many of them are up to a minute long. But with the Super Bowl gaining over a hundred million views last year, it’s worth the cost!
Source: Squarespace/Unsplash
the win
Before the game, the Football Power Index (FPI) predicted that the 49ers would win, with a 59.4% chance compared to the Chiefs at 40.6%. But the Chiefs pulled through in the end, snagging their third Super Bowl win in the past five seasons.
The game was intense, with the two teams tied at 19 points for a while. But with 13 seconds left in overtime, quarterback Patrick Mahomes connected with receiver Mecole Hardman on a one-yard touchdown pass, making them the champions of Super Bowl 2024. At the end of the game, the camera panned to Kelce and Swift kissing to celebrate the win.
conclusion
With many hot celebrity attendances and a suspenseful, heated game between two rival teams, Super Bowl 2024 did not disappoint. From McEntire’s heartfelt performance of the national anthem, Usher’s show-stopping halftime show, to the Chiefs’ last-minute win—this Super Bowl is one to remember!
Anyone interested in watching the kickoff show, Super Bowl, or any post-game coverage can tune in to CBS or Paramount+.
