ONE SHOW, TWO TAKES: USHER’S TINY DESK CONCERT
On the 25th anniversary of ‘My Way’ Usher’s Tiny Desk cements his position as the King of R&B
Concluding Black Music Month, Usher was invited to the studios of the NPR Tiny Desk concert series for a live performance. As part of June’s roster, NPR had performers such as FKA twigs, Ravyn Lenae, Denzel Curry, Monica, Adekunle Gold and Naira Marley. The month-long series comprised 11 Tiny Desk and Tiny Desk (Home) concerts, curated by NPR Music producer Bobby Carter. However, as the saying goes, “save the best for last”. It was Usher’s mesmerising performance that stole the entire series and got the internet buzzing — so far it has been viewed 10-million times on Youtube.
The R&B legend donned black as he and his band performed a string of hits to a studio audience, which he had eating out of the palm of his hand.
Masterful renditions of songs like U Make Me Wanna and My Way had the crowd singing along and swooning to Usher’s crooning. His signature falsetto never once faltered, despite the fact that he is ageing — gracefully, I might add.
He also sang the chart-topping single Confessions Part 2, inadvertently creating a meme with his “watch this” intro to the song.
Twitter went into a frenzy after the show, with many showering the R&B superstar with compliments as the reigning crown jewel of real R&B, deserving of all the flowers.
Joined by backing singers Eric Bellinger and Vedo, Usher entertained with stellar performances of his beloved slow jams Superstar and Nice & Slow, which allowed their vocal prowess to shine.
So many moments in the 25-minute showcase — rightfully — ended up being fodder for social media, with people then picking parts they liked to underscore Usher’s talent.
Visibly appreciative of the opportunity himself, Usher expressed the joy he felt sharing his career-spanning material. “This is Black magic right here,” he said. “I really, really am happy just to be able to celebrate all the years of music.”
Testament to his longevity as an artist, he announced his breakthrough album My Way was celebrating its 25th anniversary this month. The breadth and width of his career is astounding, illustrated by well over 50 charting singles, as well as more than 100-million records sold worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
Some would argue he didn’t even perform his biggest hits on Tiny Desk — songs such as U Remind Me, U Got It Bad and Burn. Nonetheless, because he has a plethora of other, equally good, songs, fans were not left wanting with the selection of songs.
What seemed to be the most fun song to perform was scorned-man anthem U Don’t Have To Call, during which he urged the cameras to pan to the crowd.
Usher is a serious musician with exemplary showmanship. He is a vocal legend who has cherished his most prized possession — his voice. This is why, at the age of 43, he still sounds as good as he does. Dare I say, he might even sound better now than ever? He is charming and disarming when he performs and he takes time to lift his colleagues. Outside of the brilliant music, these are some of the attributes that make Usher’s Tiny Desk concert a must-watch. — Sekese Rasephei
Self-proclaimed King of R&B, Usher Raymond IV, has had an illustrious career touring sold-out venues worldwide. With almost 30 years of musical experience, Usher remains on the charts and in the headlines. He has managed to stay relevant in the R&B genre, which often has to compete with hip-hop on music platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.
Usher’s mix of sexy lyrics, melodic voice and personal storytelling has solidified his icon status. His professional singing career began when he was just 16 years old with the release of his self-titled debut album Usher in August 1994. The album didn’t perform well on the charts, debuting at number 167 on the US Billboard 200, but it played a huge role in helping him make his mark in the R&B genre, which was dominated by male artists such as Tevin Campbell, Brian Mcknight, Keith Sweat and R Kelly.
A crucial part of the “Usher baby” appeal is his pulsating dance moves. He has been outdancing every other R&B male artist since he was a teenager. Heavily influenced by the
King of Pop Michael Jackson, Usher’s performance relies on outlandish moves.
When I watched his NPR’S Tiny Desk performance, I was excited that the focus would be on his vocal ability, which is underrated.
This, Usher’s first NPR Tiny Desk performance, came hot on the heels of Black Music Month, celebrated in June in America.
The performance went viral, with Usher memes dominating the internet for a solid two days. They gave “the slap” from Will Smith and Chris Rock a run for its money. The most meme-worthy moment in Usher’s performance came at the beginning of Confessions Part II, where the singer urges, “watch this”.
During the performance, you see Usher bouncing to the music, motioning with his open fingers over his eyes as he whispers “watch this” — you have to see it to understand it. The audience started laughing, as did Usher, before he launched into a rendition of the hit 2004 single.
There are countless versions of the hilarious meme. However, it stopped being funny when US politicians started using it and ruining the fun for everyone. The tweet that killed the viral “watch this” meme was from New York Governor Kathy Hochul. Black Twitter officially gave it a time of death — “July 5th 7.04pm”.
When you look back at Usher’s performance on Tiny Desk, the question of whether or not he is the King of R&B is irrelevant. His vocals are phenomenal and his consistent hits grab hold of you throughout.
The R&B superstar is backed by a full band when he runs through six tracks from his notable albums: (1997’s My Way) You Make Me Wanna, My Way and Nice & Slow; (2001’s 8701) U Don’t Have To Call and Confessions
Part II and (2004’s Confessions) Superstar.
His 25 sold-out residency Usher: The Vegas Experience in Las Vegas demonstrates the pull he still has on audiences. The show has been so popular it’s been extended into next year.
The R&B legend is booked to perform at the Global Citizen Festival in Accra, Ghana, on 24 September, alongside artists such as SZA, H.E.R, Tems, Uncle Waffles and many more. —