Some missed chances came a little too close to goal. Earlier this year, R&B prince Usher ascended to his throne as the headliner of the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. His “My Boo” co-star Alicia Keys joined him on stage, but it turns out K-pop megastar Jungkook (of BTS) may also have been “Standing Next” next to him the entire time.

The youngest member of the South Korean septet was the first of his bandmates to release an album entirely in English. If things had gone better for BTS fans, they could have also seen their favorite idol become the first K-pop star ever to take the Super Bowl stage. However, it was never meant to be this way.

A new report from New Yorker Magazine published on Monday, October 7 revealed that the Golden Maknae almost performed at the iconic sporting event. The “Hey Daddy” hitmaker originally invited Jungkook to his performance. However, the 1997 liner was tied to previous deployments. Usher's star-studded big stage comeback rolled out the carpet in February 2024 for guest appearances from Ludacris, HER, Lil Jon and more. Meanwhile, the “3D” pop singer had already set off for his military duties alongside his bandmate Jimin in December 2023.

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The BTS singer enlisted a number of guest artists for his solo studio album Golden, including Latto, Jack Harlow and others. Additionally, Justin Timberlake and Usher joined the 27-year-old K-pop heartthrob on remixed versions of “3D” and “Standing Next to You.” With several collaborators sharing the stage with Usher for an unforgettable Super Bowl show throughout his career, Jungkook's inclusion on the roster was inevitable. The recent confirmation that the American singer was aiming to get him on stage has brought the K-pop fanbase to tears. eyed and dejected.

Fans react to BTS's Jungkook missing out on a potential Super Bowl Halftime Show appearance

Hordes of BTS ARMYs unleashed their anger online after the news hit social media. While a large majority celebrated that the news was proof of Jungkook's unwavering relevance in the global music industry, others couldn't contain their anger.

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Scores of fans stormed X, formerly Twitter, complaining about how South Korea and BTS agency HYBE had “wasted” the popular pop star's talent by letting this golden opportunity slip by. Others pointed out that he joined the members of his group relatively earlier than most other male K-pop artists his age, so the expected full-fledged BTS reunion would not be delayed even further.

“Standing Next To You is a masterpiece and deserves to be heard and seen by a large audience. Such a shame,” one fan commented. “The South Korean government robbed him, there were 123.7 MILLION viewers. No military service is possibly as important to him and BTS as this one,” another fan wrote online.

On the other hand, another faction of the fandom alluded to Usher's alleged infamous ties with disgraced hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was arrested and eventually formally charged in September 2024 on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. “Luckily he’s in military service,” said a BTS ARMY. Another wrote: “Army don’t you follow the news or what? Why should you feel guilty that he refused? Thank God he refused and I’m glad he’s in the military.”