Usher showcases showmanship as O2 residency continues

R&B star Usher showcased his showmanship with air-flipping dances, quick clothing changes and smooth moves in his latest London show.

The 46-year-old actor and singer’s latest date in his 10-night residency at The O2 arena was opened on Wednesday evening with a medley featuring his 1994 track Can U Get Wit It.

Usher announced his tour last year during his Super Bowl half-time show, which stunned crowds with roller skating, and medleys of his hits.

The eight-time Grammy winner built on this success with a breathtaking London show featuring his greatest hits Burn, U Remind Me, OMG and Yeah – with many of the multiple tracks across the around two-hour show appearing to stretch the sweat-covered musician to his limits.

Most of the time Usher was prancing around the stage to the delight of fans, and also for some tracks rollerblading with other dancers as he asked the crowd if they are also “celebrating life” in the joyous catalogue of his more than three decade-long career.

At times, he relied on a screen that said it was “AI”, a reference to the changing music scene, to keep the audience entertained while he needed to make radical costume changes.

These ranged from Union Jack clothing, a nod to his residency’s setting, to sparkly gold suits and a white suit complete with a pimp-esque cane.

The aide of the screen also allowed the show to conjure up what was happening on stage with dancers’ impressive acrobatics, and moves in-step.

At one point, during U Got It Bad, it appeared that the dancing with a woman and man on stage that was pre-recorded on the big screen seemed intentionally out of synchronisation – to suggest that both were seeing different realities play-out.

Mainly, Usher seemed to be delighted to come back to audiences in the UK after a decade-long absence.

“(I’m) so happy to perform after 10 years,” he told the crowd.

“This music that ties us together represents 30 years of a career.”

A key highlight for fans appeared to be There Goes My Baby, when Usher broke it down for the crowd, handing out cherries from a bowl to the female audience to eat as he moved among them to much delight.

He also had fun during Birthday, when he seemed to make two women who were dressed as staff drinks shots, before they were revealed as poll dancers as I Don’t Mind was sung.

Usher also told the crowd: “Since we’re in the United Kingdom, respect to the Queen, but I’m going to turn it into the United Kingdom of Atlanta for two seconds.”

The last moments were a non-stop push to entertain, with US rapper T.I. brought on to excite the audience, rollerblading reintroduced and the triumphant ending with Yeah and Without You.

Aside from his eight-night residency at La Seine Musicale in Paris in 2023, his current tour is his first European performances since the 2015 UR Tour.

Last year, he had to reschedule some of his series of dates in the US due to a neck injury he sustained during rehearsals.

Usher was propelled to fame in 2004 by his record Confessions, which went number one, secured a Grammy win, and featured his biggest hits Yeah!, Burn, Confessions Part II and My Boo.

Usher, who has served as a coach on the US version of The Voice, has also dipped his toe into the world of acting, appearing in films including comedy Hustlers and thriller Light It Up, as well as teen show Moesha and horror movie The Faculty.