Usher pulls up to Tiny Desk to remind people

When NPR announced that Usher would be hitting up the Tiny Desk, the R&B sector of the Internet broke a little bit. Usher hasn’t really had any huge hits in a minute, but has been gaining a lot of online popularity and going viral over the past few months as a result of his obsession with roller skating. Something that I think put Usher back into the consciousness of more people, which started sparking discussions about his music, what he did, what he’s going to do, and how good he really is compared to a lot of the dudes in R&B right now.

Then there was that disastrous Verzuz with Omarion and Mario, featuring a whole bunch of (I hate this term, but can’t think of any other term) washed up R&B acts of yester-decade; who showed themselves up on stage and really showed everybody why they ain’t selling records and why they’re not part of any wider conversations when it comes to R&B. Mario was the only one who was taking his craft seriously. And then there was Giveon and that moment of mess vocals at the 2022 BET awards.

People have been talking some shit about Usher’s vocal ability a lot as of late, but this string of ‘today’s R&B acts’ struggling to sing the simplest of songs really made some people realise that not only can Usher more than hold a note, but that he would NEVER go on a stage and show himself up the way the likes of Omarion and Ray J did. So this Tiny Desk came right on time, to remind people that Usher truly is in a whole league of his own.

Usher isn’t an artist whose voice I thought much of until Confessions, an album where I was really surprised by just how good he sounded. The vocal growth from 8701 to Confessions was HUGE. Usher was doing things with his voice that I had no idea that he had it in him to do. And whilst his follow up albums weren’t that great and showed Usher losing his way a little musically, his voice continued to get better. For all of the shit about Usher’s music falling off (which it did), his voice certainly never fell off. His range grew. His vocal control grew. He showed a full understanding of his voice and what it was capable of. So I was really confused at the online discourse around him not being able to sing, which seemed to come outta nowhere. And for people to have the audacity to compare him to Chris Brown.

Gurl.

There is definitely a generational divide which is happening when it comes to artists from a certain generation being woven into discussions with artists who came later. And it’s become a trend to just write off artists who aren’t charting the way they used to, and claim the ‘newer’ artists are better for that reason and that reason alone. We see it with Mariah Carey. We’ve seen it with Brandy. We’re seeing it with Usher. 

During the late 90s and through the early 2000s, there was no Black male artist in R&B or pop selling what Usher was selling, who as as popular as Usher was. What we’re not gonna do is act like Usher wasn’t that bitch, that he doesn’t still have fans, and that he still can’t sing and outperform a whole bunch of these dudes in the game right now under a table - which is exactly what he did with his Tiny Desk.

Usher’s Tiny Desk concert really showed why he is still around, and what separates him from some of the young R&B / pop acts in the game now. His artistry was on clear display. And whilst Usher hasn’t been a prominent figure in music over the past few years, he is very much still plugged into what is happening in the game, and also what is happening online. He’s very aware of the conversations happening around him, the ways in which he’s being meme’d, what the fans want, and how his music is perceived - and he’s taking it all on the chin.

Usher | NPR, Tiny Desk Concert

The thing that people also forget about Usher, is that he came up at a time in music when you really had to know how to sing and / or carry yourself on stage, because constant stage performances were part of the game. You couldn’t get around it. So his level of artistry and showmanship is just different to a lot of these ‘kids’ out here now. He earned his stripes and got a level of experience that many of these acts who came up post 2010 won’t ever get. Also, Usher has performed on stage with music Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston.

Usher | NPR, Tiny Desk Concert

Usher’s Tiny Desk was great. He showed great showmanship and camaraderie with his band. Had a great energy. A great rapport with the audience. He never ducked a single note. And was so confident in himself, that he let his backup singers have their own moment. And the new arrangements of some of these songs? I’mma need that soulful flip of “You Make Me Wanna...” released to streaming.

The response to Usher’s Tiny Desk has been overwhelming to say the least. And I think Usher should definitely consider doing a lounge tour. Usher loves to dance, and as with most artists, likes big stages and spectacle. But he really shone in this more intimate setting, which seemed more fitting for him at the point that he’s at in his life and his artistry. And in this day and age, logistically, it’s going to be easier to do a smaller scale tour than a large one. Also, can he really be bothered with all that big tour shit now?