Usher
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Source: Michael Owens / Getty / Usher / Alicia Keys
The “Usher Bowl” went down, and it was full of many memorable moments, new memes, and plenty of reactions. One moment in particular between Usher and Alicia Keys has the internet still talking.
Since his Vegas residency took off, the Usher experience now involves the iconic R&B superstar crooning and swooning guests who happen to be in his line of sight during his show.
He continued that trend during his highly anticipated Apple Music Halftime performance at Super Bowl LVIII. Just like when he sang to Keke Palmer, leading to the downfall of her relationship with her son’s father, Usher got very close to Alicia Keys.
Keys was one of the many guests during his electrifying performance. Alicia Keys kicked her guest spot off, singing “If I Ain’t Got You” while playing a red piano that matched her form-fitting body suit.
Usher eventually helped her close out the song, and the two stars began singing their hit record, “My Boo,” during the performance, Usher hugged Keys from behind, and she looked thrilled during the moment.
Swizz Beatz Was Over The Social Media CAP
As expected, the moment sparked plenty of chatter. Alicia Key’s husband, Swizz Beatz, was very much aware of what was happening on social media and plugged him and his wife’s art exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum.
Taking to Instagram, the producer wrote in the caption of a gallery post of photos of his wife:
Y’all talking about the wrong damn thing !!! y’all don’t see that amazing dress covering the entire stadium. Tonight’s performance was nothing but amazing with 2 amazing Giants ! Congrats @usher and my love @aliciakeys that song is a classic. We don’t do negative vibes on this side we make history. Go see GIANTS at @brooklynmuseum it’s open until July blessings.
Regardless, people were more upset about Usher hugging Alicia Keys from behind than her own husband. Professional homophobe Boosie Badazz had something to say. On Instagram, he wrote “@USHER ENOUGH IS ENOUGH BRO‼️U NEED TO APOLOGIZE TO SWISS. SHE MARRIED MY N-GGA I KNOW THAT WASNT PLANNED.”
Professional boxer Gervonta Davis said on X, formerly Twitter, “Usher would have been on his way to the hospital as I write this if I was Swizz,” HipHopDX reports.
Some folks, like Gillie, believe people are doing too much.
Regardless, it was a moment, and Usher understood the assignment, plus we got an excellent damn football game.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. This Druski moment will always be relevant
3. Howling
5. Y’all are dead wrong
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Source: Ethan Miller / Getty
On Sunday (Feb. 11), Usher had the world in the palm of his glittery gloved hands with a heck of a Super Bowl Halftime performance. And while everyone was enjoying his hits from yesteryear, sneakerheads were infatuated with the chrome Air Jordan 4s Usher was rocking while cutting a rug.
Sporting a outfit designed by Off-White (RIP Virgil Abloh), many sneakerheads were quick to notice the chrome and blue Air Jordan 4s on the “Lovers and Friends” singer and were wondering if these were exclusive 4s made specifically for Usher’s highly-anticipated Halftime Show. With Bruce Brown having sported a chromed out version of the Air Jordan 11s that were made for him a few weeks back, many assumed Usher’s Air Jordan 4s were made exclusively for him as well.
They were, but not by Jordan Brand.
As it turns out the sneakers were crafted beautifully by revered sneaker remixer, the Shoe Surgeon, who’s known for taking sneakers and reworking them into the kind of styles that heads wish would actually release. Sporting a chrome, blue and white color blocking with a big “U” on the heel tab, these Air Jordan 4s are a one-of-one that will never see the light of day outside of Usher’s home.
Sorry sneakerheads, but these ain’t for general consumption.
Check out pics of the kicks below, and let us know if you’d want Jordan Brand to drop something like this in the comments section below.
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Source: Lauren Leigh Bacho / Getty
Ursher ate. During Usher’s highly-anticipated Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show, he brought the Atlanta vibes to Las Vegas with an amazing performance that included a medley of his smash hits along with on point dancers, rollerskates, and guests like Jermaine Dupre, Lil Jon, Ludacris and Alicia Keys.
From “You Don’t Have To Call” to “Confessions, Pt. 2” to “Nice N Slow” to “Burn” and more, Usher managed to hit all the major hits from his incredibly deep catalog. And he didn’t really need the help, but Alicia Keys, Luda, Lil Jon and H.E.R. only exponentially rose the star power. And we ain’t even mention the Jackson State Marching Band.
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that Usher was singing, dancing (and rollerskating) live without backing vocal tracks. You’re fav R&B artist would never.
Check out the best reactions to Usher’s Super Bowl performance in the gallery.
1. Roller, Skates.
2. Stephanie Mills approved.
5. No chill on X
6. Y’all gotta relax.
8. Again, no chill.
11. Anita Baker approves.
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After conquering Las Vegas, Usher is officially taking his show on the road, and fans can’t wait to see him live. Presale tickets for the R&B star’s Past Present Future Tour, announced earlier in the week, went on sale on Friday (Feb. 9).
General onsale starts on Monday (Feb. 12) at 10 a.m. local time.
The tour launches on Aug. 20 in Washington D.C. and will make stops in Boston, Philadelphia, Oakland, Calif., Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami and other cities before coming to a close in Chicago on Oct. 31. The tour has been extended due to “overwhelming demand,” Usher revealed Thursday in a post on X.
The “Good Good” singer added extra shows to most of the cities on the tour, including Washington D.C., Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore, Boston, Brooklyn, Miami, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C.
A select number of tickets are currently available on resale sites such as Vivid Seats, StubHub, SeatGeek, Viagogo and GameTime. Prices range from around $100-$125 on the low end to over $1,000 for VIP tickets.
How to Get Tickets on Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster’s presale is happening now. The lowest prices that we’ve seen online range from around $725 to more than $1,000 for opening night in Washington D.C. and Usher’s shows in Los Angeles in September.
Tickets for later dates on the tour, such as Sept. 13 in Detroit and Sep. 29 in Oakland, are priced at $482-$595. Most of the VIP presale tickets are currently priced at more than $1,000 at Ticketmaster.
Fans can also purchase VIP experience packages like the Ultimate Meet & Greet Experience, which includes one premium reserved ticket in the first three rows, a VIP host, light snacks, desserts and beverages, a ride share voucher, early access to shop show merchandise, an exclusive VIP tour poster and VIP gift, and of course, you’ll get to meet Usher and take a photo.
The Diamond Barstool, Onstage Photo and VIP Lounge Experience and Gold Hightop Table & VIP Lounge Experience includes group photo opportunities and special seating in the VIP Bar section.
How to Get Tickets on Vivid Seats
Looking for the cheap tickets to see Usher? At Vivid Seats, you’ll find resale tickets for under $100, though most tickets are around $125 and up for general admission and around $1,000-$1,500 for VIP. Use code: BB2024 to save $20 off ticket orders of $200 or more.
How to Get Tickets on StubHub
StubHub is a great resource for last-minute, cheap tickets — but the key to getting the best deal is striking at the right time. In this case, it’s better to secure your tickets as soon as possible as ticket demand will likely spike following Usher’s Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday (Feb. 11).
Tickets on StubHub are priced as low as $89, but most of the cheaper tickets fall in the $100-$150 range. VIP tickets are priced from around $800 to more than $6,000.
Which tickets are the most expensive? Certain cities will cost you more than others. For example, Usher’s shows in Atlanta are some of fastest-selling tickets at StubHub and more expensive than some of the other cities on the tour. Right now, tickets for Atlanta range from as low as $270 for general admission to over $9,000 for VIP.
How to Get Tickets on SeatGeek
SeatGeek is serving up some of the cheapest ticket prices that we’ve seen for Usher’s tour. Prices range from $65 to $246 for general admission. VIP packages range from $383-$3,963 (take $10 off eligible purchases of $250+ with code BILLBOARD10. Valid on first purchase only).
GameTime is another site that has reasonably-priced Usher tickets starting as low as $86 for select dates. But no matter how you score tickets, you’ll probably end up spending at least $200-$300 for a good view of the stage, and even more for VIP.
Usher has a busy performance schedule ahead. Before kicking off the Past Present Future Tour, the Grammy winner will headline the Lovers & Friends Festival in Las Vegas in May.
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Source: SKIMS / SKIMS
SKIMS is continuing to tap into the culture seamlessly. Usher is the face of the brand’s newest menswear campaign.
As spotted on Variety Magazine the music legend has lent his talents to Kim Kardashian’s popular line. SKIMS has curated a new collection to coincide with the crooner’s forthcoming album COMING HOME. The capsule includes a variety of men’s undergarment essentials including tank tops, briefs, boxer briefs, socks and t-shirts. Each of the items are available in multiple colors including black, white, grey, green and more.
Source: SKIMS / SKIMS
Aside from the apparel the campaign is offering his fans special access to his ninth studio effort. On Friday, Feb 9 a limited-edition digital version of the album will be available on SKIMS.com. This exclusive will feature the bonus track “Naked” and an alternative album cover. The “My Way” singer detailed his enthusiasm in a formal statement. “When I was asked to partner with SKIMS Mens, I was so humbled” he said. “Kim’s been a longtime friend of mine who’s always been so supportive of my work, so the opportunity to collaborate together on a campaign that supports both of our highly anticipated launches made total sense. “Launching this campaign ahead of multiple career milestones feels like a full circle moment, with SKIMS supporting the release of my new album, COMING HOME”.
The new SKIMS menswear collection will be available Feb. 12. You can preview the pieces here and watch the promotional trailer below.
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Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
The 2023 Soul Train Awards were full of festive performances, featuring wins from SZA and Usher with honors given to Janelle Monae’ and T-Pain.
On Sunday (November 26), BET aired The 2023 Soul Train Awards from Hollywood, California with Emmy Award-winning actress and entrepreneur Keke Palmer as the host. The night was filled with top-notch performances from Coco Jones, BJ The Chicago Kid, Danté Bowe, Fridayy, Muni Long, and Jermaine Dupri along with SWV who appeared as special guests. The winners’ list was dominated by SZA, fueled by the success of her recent album, SOS. She would take home the Best R&B/Soul Female Artist, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award. It’s the second time that SZA has won the Best R&B/Soul Female Artist Award, and the sixth straight time a woman has won the Album of The Year.
R&B superstar Usher followed behind her with three wins in the Certified Soul Award, Best R&B/Soul Male Artist as well as the Best Collaboration Award, which saw him win for “Good Good” which he did in conjunction with Summer Walker and 21 Savage. Victoria Monét would also walk away with two trophies for her hit single “On My Mama”, winning the Best Dance Performance and Video of The Year Awards. Keke Palmer would also perform her single “Ungorgeous” in addition to her hosting duties.
The crowd also witnessed Coco Jones take home the award for Best New Artist, and then get on stage with SWV as part of the iconic trio’s appearance later on in the show.
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Janelle Monáe was honored with the Spirit of Soul Award, which was presented to her by the viral Hip-Hop duo Flyana Boss.
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T-Pain was also honored with the Legend Award. The R&B singer and producer took the stage and delivered a moving speech to the crowd, before taking the stage to perform some of his major hits including “I’m In Luv”, “Good Life” and “Got Money”.
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Source: Paras Griffin / Getty / Keke Palmer / Sharon Palmer
The Keke Palmer / Darius Jackson drama hit another level, and poor Usher is caught a stray for no reason after Keke’s momma brought up the singer’s name during a recorded phone conversation.
Spotted on HipHopDX, Keke Palmer’s mother, Sharon Palmer, is now copping pleas after claiming Usher was “gay” and now says she only said that to protect her daughter.
Her allegations came during a recording of an intense phone call with her daughter’s ex-boyfriend, Darius Jackson, which surfaced online on Wednesday, November 15, following allegations of Jackson being abusive towards Keke Palmer.
Per HipHopDX:
During the heated conversation, Palmer can be heard yelling at Jackson for “harassing” her daughter, calling him a “dick sucker” and saying he has “mental problems.”
She also references the incident that sparked issues between the couple (at least in the public eye): the viral clip of the Nope star dancing with Usher during the singer’s Las Vegas residency earlier this year.
“Usher is gay!” she exclaimed. “You and your stupid-ass family, y’all don’t even understand business. Usher’s gay, guys.”
Sharon Palmer Quickly Clarifies Why She Lied About Usher’s Sexuality
As expected, the recording went viral on social media and was picked up by multiple news outlets. Sharon Palmer quickly ran to Instagram to explain her “lie” about Usher’s sexuality after saying she was worried about her daughter’s “safety.”
“The lie I told about Usher was to get Darius to stop abusing my daughter on account of his jealousy,” she wrote in a comment on The Neighborhood Talk’s page, as reported by HipHopDX. “So I said he didn’t like women for her SAFETY.”
“Everything else I meant with my chest and didn’t expect anyone to hear it because recording me is illegal. I guess he is okay with jail but I knew that when he put his hands on my daughter. He is still abusing her in all of this, trying to paint himself as a victim. Textbook behavior.”
Damn, Usher didn’t do anything but give Keke Palmer an experience at his show.
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Photo: Paras Griffin / Getty
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Usher is on cloud 9 about performing at Super Bowl LVIII. He recently shared how he got a call from Jay-Z right after the announcement was made.
On Saturday, September 24 the National Football League made the reveal with a hilarious spoof of Usher’s “Confessions, Pt. II” video featuring Kim Kardashian. Huffington Post is reporting that the Grammy Award winner recently sat down with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. While the two discussed several things the hottest topic was that he will be headlining one of the biggest shows of 2024. He went on to say that Jay-Z was one of the first people to hit his phone to congratulate him. “But when I got this call… he said, ‘It’s time, it’s magic time. You know, it’s time for you to have that moment.’ I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’” Usher recalled. “He’s like, ‘The Super Bowl.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, you ready? Absolutely.’”
The “I Don’t Mind” singer went on to explain that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was destiny.
“I think that everything that led up to that moment, going to Las Vegas for my residency for the last two years, the legacy, obviously that is the music, the celebration of entertainment in that place. It’s the City of Lights. You know, it’s always been a place where entertainers go and find love and passion, connection to their fans,” Usher said.
This is not the first time Usher has graced the Super Bowl stage. Back in 2011, he joined The Black Eye Peas during their headline show. You can see Usher and Zane discussing things below.
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Photo: Candice Ward / Getty
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Source: Candice Ward / Getty
For the second time, Usher will be gracing the stage at the Super Bowl halftime show, but this time he’s the headliner.
As previously reported, the NFL announced Sunday (Sept. 24) that the R&B icon, who performed during the halftime show in 2011 as a special guest of the Black Eyed Peas, will be leading the performance next year for Super Bowl LVIII in February in Las Vegas, Nevada.
On the same day his halftime show performance was announced, Usher spoke with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe about the moment he got the call informing him he had been tapped for the show by none other than the “big homie” Jay-Z, whose entertainment company Roc Nation has a long-term business partnership with the NFL.
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“But when I got this call… he said, ‘It’s time, it’s magic time. You know, it’s time for you to have that moment.’ I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’” Usher recalled. “He’s like, ‘The Super Bowl.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, you ready? Absolutely.’” The Confessions singer added that being booked to headline the halftime show was “destined to happen” at some point during his three-decade-long career.
“I think that everything that led up to that moment, going to Las Vegas for my residency for the last two years, the legacy, obviously that is the music, the celebration of entertainment in that place,” Usher explained. “It’s the City of Lights. You know, it’s always been a place where entertainers go and find love and passion, connection to their fans. He also talked about how fortuitous it is “for the Super Bowl to have made its way to Las Vegas while we were in Vegas.”
Usher indicated that he would likely bring guest performers to the stage in February, but he wouldn’t say who would be joining him if anyone.
“I’ve collaborated with a lot of incredible artists throughout the years. If anything, I’d like to socially engage the world. I’d like to hear who you think would be a great guest to complement this,” Usher told Lowe.
It may or may not be a coincidence that Usher has a new album called Coming Home that is set to release on the same day as his Super Bowl performance. Either way, February 11, 2024 is going to be a hell of a day for Usher fans.
Y’all excited?
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The NFL’s famed Super Bowl halftime show just became a ca n’t-miss event. On Sunday (Sept. 24), the NFL announced that Usher would be the headliner in LasVegas
This will be the second time Usher has performed at the NFL’s season-closing game (the first was back in 2011 when he was a guest of the Black Eyed Peas). The announcement was made via a virtual skit that included Kanye West’s ex-wife—no one else was available, respectfully?
Well actually, the announcement via the classic “Confessions” skits is coming in multiple flavors, including Deion Sanders and vintage Usher speaking to current Usher.
“It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list,” said Usher in a statement. “I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before. Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon.” The halftime show is being sponsored by Apple Music, of course.
For now, Usher is still holding down his Vegas Usher: My Way residency which is scheduled to be coming to a close in early December. The Super Bowl goes down Sunday, February 11 at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium
Now the question is, out of all his legion of hits, what’s not going to make the cut? Talk about an impossible task.
Check out reactions to Ursher holding down Super Bowl Halftime show duties in the gallery. Keke Palmer definitely gonna be there, right?
2. The homies called it.
14. Lovers & Friends Music Festival
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 06: Usher performs during the Lovers & Friends music festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on May 06, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images) color image,photography,people,arts culture and entertainment,friendship,horizontal,usa,music,performance,two people,nevada,las vegas,music festival,usher – singer