Usher, one of the R&B kings, is preparing to hit the road with his sixth concert tour, “Past Present and Future.” I’ve had the chance to see all of his solo tours since 2002’s “8701 Evolution Tour.” Following his recent BET Lifetime Achievement Award, it was only fitting to revisit his OMG Tour, which I attended in the winter of 2010 at Washington D.C.’s then-Verizon Center.
Up-and-coming talents Miguel and Trey Songz supported the acts on the tour, with both men showcasing performance chops, leading to both men headlining their shows in a few years. However, this show was all about Mr. Raymond. The show opens with Usher ascending the stage to the songs “Monster” and “She Don’t Know” from his sixth album Raymond v. Raymond. While I usually skip both songs on the album, they sound great live. Usher then captivates the audience with a powerful sequence of classic hits, starting with “Yeah,” “U Remind Me,” and “U Don’t Have To Call,” before delivering a moving tribute to the late King of Pop through a heartfelt medley. After an energetic performance of “You Make Me Wanna,” the pace slows down, creating a soulful atmosphere.
Since I’ve always been partial to slow jams, I was delighted to hear arguably one of Usher’s most underrated ballads, “Mars vs. Venus,” in the set list. The track was written by longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis in conjunction with The Avilla Brothers, “Mars vs. Venus.” A lush ballad, the song delves into the complexities of relationships by using the planets Mars and Venus as metaphors for the differences between men and women. The song explores themes of desire, control, passion, and the inevitable clash when two worlds come together. A seductive performance of “Nice & Slow” follows and sets the stage for a lucky audience member to make her way to the stage for a serenade of “Trading Places.”
The remainder of the show finds Usher hitting fan favorites from the rest of his discography with “Bad Girl,” “There Goes My Baby,” and “Love in This Club,” all met with adoration from his fans. As the night winds down, Usher moves to the EDM phase of his show, performing “DJ Got Us Fallin in Love,” “More,” and an encore of “OMG.” While I loved hearing some album tracks from his new project, I do wish he would tape more into album tracks from the early days, Usher’s talent is undeniable, and I highly encourage you to see him if he’s in your town.
Final Grade: A-
My introduction to Nate Dogg goes back to Dr. Dre’s 1992 debut, The Chronic, and the song “Deeez Nuuuts.” Even then, something about Nate’s voice set him apart from everybody else. He wasn’t just singing on rap records. He was bringing soul, gospel, street knowledge, and West Coast cool into the same space. He set the standard for hook singers in hip-hop, and dare I say, he’s still vastly underrated.
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to give Stevie Wonder his due as he prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his masterpiece, “Songs in the Key of Life,” on tour. While the easy choice could have been “Knocks Me Off My Feet”—a classic that still resonates fifty years later—I chose “From the Bottom of My Heart,” the second single from his twenty-third studio album, “A Time to Love,” released in 2005.
It’s hard to believe that an iconic singing competition like American Idol has produced only two Black male winners in its more than two-and-a-half-decade history. Jamal Roberts made history last year when he won the show, following Ruben Studdard’s well-deserved victory in Season Two.