It was recently revealed that BTS’s Jungkook was offered the chance to perform alongside American pop star Usher at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, which was held back in February 2024, part of the U.S. NFL, but had to turn down the opportunity due to his impending military enlistment.
Some fans expressed disappointment over missing what could have been the “first K-pop performance at the Super Bowl.“
On October 7, The New Yorker reported that Scooter Braun, CEO of HYBE America, had produced a remix of Jungkook’s solo album title track “Standing Next to You” in collaboration with Usher. Jungkook had been invited to perform with Usher at the Super Bowl Halftime Show, but due to his military enlistment in December 2023, he was unable to accept the offer.
Had Jungkook performed, it would have marked the first appearance by a K-pop idol at the Super Bowl. He enlisted two months earlier, on December 2023, which prevented him from participating in the February 2024 show.
Fans were particularly disappointed because Jungkook, born in 1997, could have deferred his military service until the age of 30 under South Korea’s revised Military Service Act, which allows exceptional figures in the arts to delay enlistment with a recommendation from the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. Despite this, BigHit Music announced in November 2023 that RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook had started the enlistment process, with the goal of a full-group comeback in 2025.
The decision prompted criticism from some fans who felt that the label should have facilitated Jungkook’s participation in the Super Bowl performance. On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), hashtags like “Jungkook Leave HYBE” trended, with users expressing frustration, writing, “What shouldn’t have been postponed was the Super Bowl, not enlistment.”
International fans also voiced their discontent with statements like, “BIGHIT STOP SABOTAGING JUNGKOOK” and “HYBE STOP SABOTAGING JUNGKOOK.”
Jungkook has not only demonstrated his talent as a member of BTS but also as a solo artist. His solo album ‘Golden,’ released in November 2023, was a massive success with hits like “Standing Next to You,” “Seven,” and “3D.”
The album marked Jungkook’s entry as a global pop star, and he became the first K-pop solo artist to chart four songs on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously. His album also stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for 22 consecutive weeks, setting a record for the longest-charting Korean solo artist.
The Super Bowl Halftime Show is considered a dream stage for many musicians, with past performers including icons like Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, and The Weeknd.
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