
Usher kicks off 10-night London residency, with mixed results
Titled "Past, Present, Future", the tour is billed as an "intimate" look at Usher Raymond IV's 30-year career, as well as "a glimpse into the future".It comes as the star, one of the best-selling artists of the 2000s, is enjoying a career rebirth - following an acclaimed Super Bowl half-time show, and the release of his ninth studio album, Coming Home.With 10 sold-out shows at the O2, he enters an elite group of artists who've played double-digit residencies at the venue, alongside Queen (10 shows in 2022), Bon Jovi (12 nights in 2010) and Prince (21 nights in 2007).
At its core, Past, Present, Future illustrates the skill with which the 46-year-old has navigated the evolving trends of the music industry.We see a video clip of him, aged 14, dancing to his debut single, Call Me A Mack, then watch as he transforms into a teenage heartthrob, a confessional balladeer, an EDM party-starter, and an elder statesman of R&B.He arrives from under the stage in a fog of dry ice and a cone of laser beams, apparently controlling the lights with his bare hands, before dancing to the middle of the arena with the molten fluidity of his idol, Michael Jackson.Clad in a sparkly raincoat and wide-brimmed Pharrell hat, he races through hits like Coming Home, Hey Daddy and U Make Me Wanna, backed by a funky 10-piece band and a dance team that echoes his every move.The choreography is a constant highlight. Usher's moves are so effortless that they look unrehearsed, but such ease comes at a cost: Last year, he had to postpone the start of the tour after injuring his neck in practice.At the O2, that pain seemed a distant memory, as he careened around the U-shaped stage on roller skates, pulling off a flawless moonwalk, and even freeze-framing in a handstand.He might have fumbled a hat at one point, but it was one of his dancers who came closest to calamity - losing his balance during an elaborate chair routine, sending the chair spinning across the stage.The band also suffered a mishap, missing Usher's cue to extend the intro to Superstar, and coming in four bars early. Not disastrous, but still unusual for a show on this level.
The hits were punctuated by numerous interludes, narrated by Celeste, a glitch-prone "computer driven by AI technology to help Mr Raymond tell his story", from teen wannabe to global superstar, against a backdrop of infidelity, tabloid infamy, redemption and survival.The problem was his songs couldn't support the weight of that story. With a few exceptions, Usher mostly sings about lusting after women in the club, and carnal pleasures in the bedroom.The result was a weirdly disconnected show, where Usher followed a moving video about his absent father with a song about his ex, which he sung while straddling a motorbike.Priapism was a running theme. Women in the audience were fed with cocktail cherries ("oh, it's your first time?" Usher mugged into the camera) and part of the stage was turned into a strip club, complete with pole dancers, during Bad Girl.That sort of tongue-in-cheek raunch has been a hallmark of Usher's career, but it felt dated and shallow in a concert that promised an intimate look into his personality. Perhaps he just wanted us to know that, deep down, he really, really likes sex.
Luckily, the songs still hold up. A trio of quiet storm ballads - Climax, Burn and Confessions Part II - had couples serenading each other, while a trio of women near me took the opportunity to slow dance a security guard who was mopping the floor.To his credit, Usher sang everything live, with an airy falsetto that's undiminished after 30 years on tour. During U Got It Bad, he held one sustained note for over 10 seconds.At times, he struggled to hold the audience's attention during the slow jams. The UK has always preferred him in club mode - and it was his three biggest-sellers, Yeah, OMG and DJ Got Us Falling In Love that really set the O2 alight.Strangely it was one of those empty club anthems, I Am The Party, that ultimately carried the most meaning."Hopefully my [music] has been something to you," Usher said over the introduction."Maybe we fell in love together, maybe we had a good time together, but something brought you here. And I just want you to know, I appreciate the connection.""If I didn't have you to cheer me on, I wouldn't continue to do this."Pop stars say this sort of thing all the time. But as he stood at the O2, drenched in sweat, remembering the father who abandoned him and soaking up the audience's affection, Usher didn't seem to be putting on an act.By the encore, he'd given up all pretence of being a high-rolling playboy. Instead, he bounded around the stage, giddily filming the audience on his phone, as they hollered out the chorus to Without You.If only that performer had shown up earlier.

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Scottish Sun
6 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
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Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
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Though the bridesmaids dress incident continues to be disputed, it remains one of the most talked-about moments leading up to the Sussexes' wedding - and a lingering factor in the family's rift. William, Charles and Harry are pictured in an official portrait in the gardens of Buckingham Palace ahead of RAF 100 commemorations on July 10, 2018 The body language expert offered an alternative explanation to William's body language at the RAF event. Judi said: 'There is a spatial gap between William and Meghan that doesn't really show at this angle. 'When the royals greet their hosts at services like this, there is something of a royal queue with gaps that can turn into a log jam if a royal keeps chatting, as Kate often can. 'Meghan was new to the royal Firm and William's body language to this point had shown him being friendly and welcoming. 'This movement and change of position could be the kind of adjustment you make to the position of a group at a party when someone new comes to join in. 'It is rude to keep your back to the newcomer as it is a sign of rejection. So, we often shuffle to ensure we encompass the new arrival. 'Meghan would not have been allowed to join William and Kate here as the pecking order is firm, but it would be completely conceivable for a very polite William to move in to place to ensure his back is not turned against her as she arrived behind him. 'He does move back as soon as the procession takes off so that his and Kate's backs are naturally and inevitably turned to Harry and his wife. At the time of the Royal Foundation forum, Harry said 'working as family does have its challenges', but insisted 'we're stuck together for the rest of our lives' Bridesmaid dress-gate! How reports of Kate and Meghan arguing ahead of wedding unfolded May 2018 - Meghan Markle and Prince Harry tie the knot in St George's Chapel in Windsor The bridesmaids, including Jessica Mulroney's daughter Ivy and Princess Charlotte, have bare legs November 2018 - The Telegraph's royal editor Camilla Tominey wrote she had 'spoken to two separate sources who claim Kate was left in tears following a bridesmaids dress fitting for Princess Charlotte' May 2020 - Tatler reports the two argued over protocol of the young bridesmaids wearing tights or having bare legs March 2021 - Meghan confirms there was a disagreement in her bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview, but she says it was actually the Duchess of Cambridge who made her cry Royal expert Katie Nicholl says Kate 'never wanted' reports of a rift to come out in the press and has found the situation 'mortifying' January 2023: Harry's memoir reveals new rifts between the Sussexes and William and Kate 'It is conceivable that William was trying to be polite to Meghan here, although it is also equally conceivable that he might turn himself into something of a buffer between the two women as he did so if he was aware of any friction.' While the Sussexes did not step down from the Royal Family until 2020, there had been signs of discord between the brothers and their partners even before the wedding. In his book Spare, Harry detailed how Meghan asked to borrow lipgloss from Kate ahead of their appearance at the first Royal Foundation forum summit in February 2018. He wrote that Kate was surprised, but rummaged around in her bag before offering it to Meghan. He claimed that Meghan applied a little gloss to her finger and rubbed it across her lips before Kate made a 'disgusted' face. The summit marked the first official appearance of the 'Fab Four' to announce that Meghan would become the fourth patron of the Royal Foundation. At the time, Harry said 'working as family does have its challenges', but insisted 'we're stuck together for the rest of our lives'. But according to reports, it was an 'awkward' affair as Meghan took up the majority of the airtime, which apparently did not sit well with Kate. There is a litany of reasons why the brothers and their partners no longer see eye to eye, but tensions between Meghan and Kate were certainly an aggravating factor. As reports of peace talks made recent headlines, many royal observers hope that this could be a sign of reconciliation between the Sussexes and the Royal Family.


Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
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