Usher Emotionally Reflects On His Journey To Super Bowl Performance
HuffPost
As the "Confessions" singer winds down his Vegas residency and makes room for a new album, he talks about the power of vulnerability on "I Know That's Right."
Usher has been on quite the run lately, and that train isn’t stopping anytime soon. The eight-time Grammy-winning singer is currently wrapping up his hit Las Vegas residency after a brief pause in September for a residency in Paris, and gearing up for a new era with his forthcoming studio album “Coming Home.”
After 30 years of being a mainstay in R&B, Usher is taking this time to reflect on what’s in store for him as he enters a new era, one he calls his “magnum opus.”
“[Vegas] brought everybody together,” Usher told me on the inaugural episode of “I Know That’s Right,” HuffPost’s podcast about entertainment news and internet culture. He said his residency and these recent years have put him on a clear path to be able to tackle one thing that has been on his bucket list for a while: a Super Bowl halftime performance.
“I’m very fortunate to have gotten that call from Jay-Z that it was time, and of course, I was ready, and I am ready for it,” the “My Way” singer said. “I can tell you that you should expect a celebration, a celebration of life for those people who are not able to be here with me for this performance. I’m going to be celebrating for them. ... We’ll be celebrating for the 30 years of a career that I stand on. I’ll be celebrating because music has been this connective tissue between me and people, because for every experience that I’ve had, I put it into music and maybe that gave us something to cry to, that gave us something to be vulnerable and transparent to.”
During the interview, Usher took time out to honor the life of his friend and drummer Aaron Spears, who died last month at age 47. He also put an emphasis on cherishing the life of his children. The musician has partnered with Sanofi to encourage families to test early for type 1 diabetes with “The 1 Pledge.” His child, who he asked not to be identified, was diagnosed with the disorder at age 6. It was a shock to Usher, but he said he wants to be more vulnerable about their story to help other families.
The “Tonight Show” host dunked on the president as the NCAA basketball tournament was set to begin.
The comedian eviscerated the pair for selling her a "disaster" of a house.
The new Taylor Sheridan series on Paramount+ turns its female characters into caricatures.
See what else is trending on streaming services this week.
The nominated star of "One Battle After Another" had her say as well on the tense incident.
The director shaded the "Marty Supreme" star's controversial ballet and opera comments at SXSW last week.
The filmmaker addressed the longtime discourse surrounding his action dramedy after taking home three Oscars on Sunday, including Best Picture.
The actor was all smiles as he brought his Oscar in to the restaurant.
The two-time Oscar winner kept it light but did question her fellow icon's role in the homage.
He wasn't even the Academy Awards host, but he still got under the administration's skin.
The “Last Week Tonight” host warns viewers not to be fooled by the vice president.
The "One Battle After Another" star reprimanded a security staffer -- and it was caught on film.
An investigation spanning Ukraine, London, New York and his home city of Bristol claims to have identified the world’s most famous anonymous street artist.