IIf anyone has the right to sit on a throne in the middle of Las Vegas, it’s Usher. During his 18 months in town, the king of R&B was crowned an ambassador of near-unparalleled showmanship, sweet escapism, and good times. He’s an old-school performer, give or take, the type of person who is constantly on his quest to better himself. entertain. And the 45-year-old Las Vegas star opened the Super Bowl halftime show (in honor of Adele) – a move clearly aimed at both celebrating and continuing his 30-year career. It was an achievement – all dressed up, dressed in a regal white suit, surrounded by circus performers, and meticulously and skillfully hitting the bull’s-eye.
The 15-minute show, which has been added twice to the regular running time to account for his vast catalog, is an exuberant, daring, if at times chaotic and unusually wobbly show, about his own goodness. It was a display of showmanship by a performer who had no reason to prove anything. It was a mistake, but I did it anyway. His microphone was live, his dance moves locked and loaded, and at one point he even wore roller skates. It was a crowd-pleaser and a libido-fueled presence – the show opened with a mock “U” rating from Apple Music due to the risk of “gyrations” that “could cause relationship problems” – Usher turned a football field into a treasure trove of dance gymnastics and went on a nearly sprint tour of nostalgic hits.
This was to be the culmination of Usher’s strenuous efforts. to move the country – And back to R&B – his new album “Coming Home” was released just two days before the show that cemented this tradition. Asher seemed to feel the weight of the moment at times, especially in the first half. His nerves are palpable as he struggles for his mark, dripping in sweat and ticking off a few notes into the backing track. The song barely had time to land, let alone deliver Usher’s signature punch of ecstasy and lust. Opener “Caught Up” backflips from “U Don’t Have to Call” to “Superstar into Love in this Club,” which felt like a blink of an eye. (Perhaps because time passed so quickly when trying to take your eyes off the singer amidst the cacophony of choreography and tracking cameras.)
But Usher has now become a politician in the field of large-scale tent performances. He seemed to struggle at times to keep up with his breakneck pace, but never once did he miss a beat. His voice was still velvety and supple, and his falsetto still had that rococo feel. He didn’t sit around much. For better or worse, the heavy lifting of the job was spread among many people, and the 14-song setlist was overkill. Wearing a red cape and leotard, Alicia Keys stole the show with her highly anticipated rendition of “If I Ain’t Got You,” outshining Usher on My Boo. Jermaine Dupri hyped up a knee-jerk version of “Confession Part II” (to be fair, anything shorter than the entire song would be disappointing). HER played electric guitar on Bad Girl and U Got It Bad. Will.i.am provided the backbone of his OMG and everyone else was behind the wheel.
Before the show, Usher promised two things. Taking off my shirt and roller skating. The former was exciting, dizzying, and fun for Byrne. Oh, and the latter was alternately thrilling (backing dancers slipped in the splits and felt sick) and stressful (Usher looked like he’d half-skated from disaster), OMG. did. The clearly off-balance star’s wheel-sliding choreography, which featured a cut scene of Lil Jon in the crowd singing “Turn Down for What” to a shaky camera, was similar to last year’s I missed Rihanna’s relaxed yet dignified take on the show, and her disinterest in the choreography chilled the show’s atmosphere. Usually at breakneck speed.
Still, there is strength in numbers. Full of songs, dancers, collaborators, nostalgia, hype, and skill. The show ended with a triumphant run through of the radio super-smash “Yeah!” Lil Jon and Ludacris in black and blue gladiator outfits, and Usher in a sparkly suit with a padded midsection, as if preparing for the final Legacy battle. All in all, the vibe is charismatic, as if his mid-2000s dancing Avengers were present everywhere at his parties (complete with a family-friendly yet uplifting mix of Lil’ John’s Get Her Raw) It was the final exclamation point of sex. You could literally see the stage bouncing. Victorious, Usher flashed a beaming smile and added a final melismatic note to the undisputed. We want to be entertained, and for 30 years he has always responded.
