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When the Buffalo Bills open the new Highmark Stadium on Thursday night against the Detroit Lions, they will also be hosting the first halftime show performance in the stadium’s history.

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Pop band OneRepublic will have the honor of performing the halftime show in Buffalo, with a portion of the show also being shown on Amazon Prime. The standalone game marks the first official «Thursday Night Football» game of the season, and is it particularly special with the Bills debuting their new stadium.

While some fans may not be familiar with OneRepublic, the band has been in the mainstream for two decades and has connections with some of the biggest stars in music today. Here’s a look at the Bills’.decision to have OneRepublic perform at halftime.

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Why OneRepublic is performing halftime show

The Bills and Amazon Prime landed on OneRepublic to perform at halftime of Thursday night’s game in Buffalo vs. the Lions.

«The performance will add another layer to an already memorable night as the Bills officially open their new home in front of a national audience,» the Bills said.

OneRepublic does not have any connections to the city of Buffalo, but lead singer Ryan Tedder has worked with Josh Allen’s wife, Hailee Steinfeld, before on the song «Most Girls.»

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Who is OneRepublic?

OneRepublic is a pop band from Colorado Springs, Colorado that features six current members, with singer Ryan Tedder as the headliner. OneRepublic officially formed in 2002, with Tedder on vocals and Eddie Filkins as the lead guitarist leading the way.

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OneRepublic has six official albums, with the first being Dreaming Out Loud in 2007 and the most recent being Artificial Paradise in 2024.

Tedder, specifically, is influential beyond just his status in the band, as he has become one of the bigger producers in the music industry. Tedder has worked with dozens of famous artists on their music including Taylor Swift, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Hudson.

Tedder himself has won three Grammy Awards, all for album of the year and all related to his work with other artists. He won the award in 2012 for Adele’s album 21, in 2016 for Taylor Swift’s album 1989, and in 2017 for Adele’s album 25.

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Where is OneRepublic from?

OneRepublic was originally formed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but they rose to fame after the group relocated to Los Angeles, where it is still based. Lead singer Ryan Tedder and lead guitarist Eddie Filkins met at Colorado Springs Christian High School, then reconnected half-a-decade later to form OneRepublic in Los Angeles.

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OneRepublic popular songs

OneRepublic’s most popular song is probably one that isn’t actually the group’s, as the band was featured on Timbaland’s song «Apologize.»

As for the band’s own music, OneRepublic’s biggest hits includes «Counting Stars,» «Secrets,» «Love Runs Out,» and «Stop and Stare.»

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