Photo: Mike Marsland/WireImage.com
news
The Week In Music: Jon Bon Jovi's Labor Day Bash
Cops crash Bon Jovi's Labor Day blowout
Jon Bon Jovi and friends got a little too "Wild In The Streets" this past weekend during the singer's Labor Day end-of-summer blowout at his pad in the Hamptons, N.Y. Jack Nicholson was reported to be among the guest list. In a scene straight out of one of his rock concerts, the party culminated in a lavish fireworks display set to a backdrop of Bon Jovi classics, which drew a visit from local police due to neighborhood noise complaints. But the master frontman proved his negotiating skills in persuading the officers to allow him one more song and even invited them inside to watch. Fresh from the party, Bon Jovi unveiled the artwork for his band's new best-of compilation, simply titled Greatest Hits, due Nov. 9. How about a re-record of "Who Says You Can't Go Home" as "Who Says You Can't Party At Home"?
Get your popcorn ready. The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards will air live from Los Angeles on Sept. 12. The show will be hosted by Chelsea Handler, who recently revealed what viewers can expect this year, and artists scheduled to perform include TWIM favorite Justin Bieber, Mary J. Blige, Drake, Eminem, Bruno Mars, Usher, and Kanye West. Of course, we'll be making out our fashion report cards in next week's installment of Snapshot. On that note, take a look at Billboard's 50 most outrageous VMA outfits to get in that fashion state of mind.
One of The Recording Academy's favorite founding fathers, Quincy Jones, will be celebrated with a new tribute album due Nov. 9. Q: Soul Bossa Nostra will feature tracks closely associated with the man they call "Q" from artists such as Akon (the Brothers Johnson's "Strawberry Letter 23"), Ludacris and Naturally 7 ("Soul Bossa Nova") and, marking a gradual return to her career, Amy Winehouse with Mark Ronson (Lesley Gore's "It's My Party"). Said Jones of the Winehouse contribution: "I am thrilled that she and Mark wanted to be a part of this album and I absolutely love what they did to make the song their own."
Would you still love him if he was well past 64? John Lennon would have turned 70 on Oct. 9, and according to USA Today, a number of events are on tap to celebrate the big day. Among them, several CD projects, including eight Lennon solo album reissues as well as an 11-CD box set; a biopic, Nowhere Boy, examining Lennon's early life, set to open on Oct. 8; plans by widow Yoko Ono to stage We Are Plastic Ono Band tribute shows, featuring Lady Gaga, Iggy Pop and others, on Oct. 1–2 in Los Angeles; and don't forget the GRAMMY Museum's new exhibit, John Lennon, Songwriter, which will run from October through March 2011. It's sort of like Christmas in October, though certainly Lennon would never compare himself to Jesus.
In more Beatles news, Sir Paul McCartney was announced as one of the honorees for the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors. Additionally, The 4 Complete Ed Sullivan Shows Starring The Beatles was released on Sept. 7. The DVD set includes 20 songs as featured on the Fab Four's appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964 and 1965. The first night, Feb. 9, 1964, is considered to be a landmark in U.S. television history with an estimated 73 million Americans having tuned in.
Is Carrie Underwood contemplating a career change? Following a recent screening of the upcoming movie Soul Surfer, Underwood says she was pleasantly surprised by her feature film debut. "I really liked how everything turned out, including myself," said Underwood. "I was really expecting the worst from myself, and I really surprised myself." The GRAMMY winner plays a youth counselor in the film, which is based on the story of surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack. "It's definitely an uplifting movie," assured Underwood. The film is slated for release in 2011.
What's all the Twitter chatter about out there? Check out the TWIM Twittertable: keshasuxx: What the hell do I wear to the vmas?; kanyewest: How much is a s**t load exactly? I'm assuming it's more than a piss load; justinbieber: back from playing some hoop ...not the best outing for the squad. @scooterbraun & @kennyhamilton u guys are starting to get old on me. lol; genesimmons: I hate twitting; katyperry: We're all on the bus having a drag queen loca off to ur new song "Only Girl" @rihanna! I'm winning so far. That song is #1, bet a kitten.
Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" holds the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, while Bruno Mars' "Just The Way You Are" is No. 1 on the iTunes singles chart.
Any news we've missed? Comment below.
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Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
video
2024 Oscars: Watch Ryan Gosling And Mark Ronson Perform A Soaring, Hilarious Version Of "I'm Just Ken" From The Motion Picture 'Barbie'
At the 2024 Oscars, Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson performed an unforgettable version of "What Was I Made For?" [From The Motion Picture Barbie], which is up for Best Original Song at the ceremony.
At the 2024 Oscars, Ryan Gosling and Mark Ronson performed a jubilant version of "I'm Just Ken" [From The Motion Picture *Barbie*], which is up for Best Original Song at the ceremony.
With an effervescent backing of black-suited dancers, Gosling leaned into the universal male yearning of the instant Barbie classic. And the arena rock magnitude was helped along by two guitar shredders who rightly dominate that world: Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen.
As Gosling put it at CinemaCon in 2023, Gosling initially doubted his Kenergy.
"It was like I was living my life and then one day I was bleaching my hair, shaving my legs, wearing bespoke neon outfits, and rollerblading down Venice Beach," he said.
"It came on like a light scarlet fever and then I woke up one day and was like, 'Why is there fake tanner in my sheets? What just happened?'"
2024 Oscars: Watch Performances & Highlights
Billie Eilish and FINNEAS won the Oscar for Original Song for "What Was I Made For?" [From The Motion Picture Barbie] at the 2024 Academy Awards.
Keep checking this space for more updates on the 2024 Oscars — including GRAMMY winners and nominees who are featured during the big night!
Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
list
2024 Oscar Nominees Who Have Won A GRAMMY: Billie Eilish, Martin Scorsese & More
From Bradley Cooper to Diane Warren, 12 nominees at the 2024 Oscars have a golden gramophone to their name. Ahead of the Oscars ceremony on March 10, check out the GRAMMY history of this year's nominees.
Music's Biggest Night and the film industry's biggest night are a little more intertwined than one might think.
The GRAMMYs have four Categories that tie in with the Hollywood machine, from Best Song Written For Visual Media to Best Music Film. And the Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording award has offered thespians such as John Gielgud, Viola Davis, and Mike Nichols a route to EGOT glory.
The Academy Awards, meanwhile, gives both composers and songwriters their dues in the Best Original Score and Best Original Song categories, respectively. And the latter's nominees will often be performed to help break up all the drama at the podium, no matter how un-Oscar-like the track may be. Who can forget the fever dream that was The Lego Movie's "Everything Is Awesome," for example?
The 2024 Oscars bring both ceremonies even closer together, with 12 nominees walking in as previous GRAMMY winners. Half of them were even victorious at the 2024 GRAMMYs, including Billie Eilish, Finneas O'Connell, and Mark Ronson, who all took home golden gramophones for their Barbie contributions (and are all up for the same film at this year's Oscars).
Ahead of the March 10 ceremony, take a look at the GRAMMY stories of 2024 Oscar nominees — from celebrated composers to iconic directors to a few of this year's performers.
2024 Oscars: Watch Performances & Highlights
Jon Batiste
Jon Batiste has had quite the GRAMMY run as of late, picking up 19 nominations in just the last three years alone; he scored five wins for 2021's We Are in 2022, including the prestigious Album Of The Year. The jazz maestro, formerly the bandleader of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, has also enjoyed Oscars glory in the same time frame.
Firstly, in 2021, he shared the Best Original Score Oscar with Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor for their work on Pixar animation Soul. And this year, he's nominated in the Best Original Song category for "It Never Went Away," a track featured in his own powerful documentary biopic, American Symphony.
Danielle Brooks
Two years into her memorable run as prisoner Taystee in "Orange Is the New Black," Danielle Brooks proved her talents extended far beyond the walls of the Litchfield penitentiary with an acclaimed turn in the 2015 Broadway revival of The Color Purple. After the Juilliard graduate picked up a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 2016, she became a GRAMMY winner in 2017, when the cast won Best Musical Theater Album.
The all-singing, all-dancing film adaptation of the Alice Walker novel earned Brooks her first Academy Award nod, too. For she once again stole the show in its Hollywood transfer as the strong-minded Sofia, a character first played on the big screen by Oprah Winfrey.
Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper spent six years practicing conducting just six minutes of music for his portrayal of legendary composer Leonard Bernstein in acclaimed biopic Maestro. And the multi-talent's admirable commitment paid off when he received Academy Award nods for Best Original Screenplay, Best Picture, and Best Actor.
Cooper was also nominated in the latter two categories, along with Best Adapted Screenplay, five years ago for another musical, A Star Is Born, and earned two GRAMMYs for the same project. In 2019, he shared Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Lady Gaga for "Shallow," the spellbinding ballad which also picked up a Record Of The Year nod. A year later, the same film triumphed in Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.
Billie Eilish
Like Batiste, Billie Eilish has made an impressive GRAMMYs run in a short span of time. The alt-pop phenomenon has already picked up nine awards from 25 nominations (and she's only just turned 22!). And at her first GRAMMYs just four years ago, Eilish already cemented herself in GRAMMY history: not only did she become just the second artist to claim Best New Artist and Record, Song, and Album Of the Year, but she became the youngest artist to do so at 18 years old.
Eilish added to her GRAMMY legacy with two more wins at the 2024 ceremony, for "What Was I Made For?" [From The Motion Picture *Barbie*], which won the star her second golden gramophones for Song Of The Year and Best Song Written For Visual Media; her James Bond theme, "No Time To Die," won the latter in 2021.
"What Was I Made For?" — played during the poignant scene where Margot Robbie's titular character meets her creator — has also enamored Oscar voters. In fact, it's the predicted favorite to clinch Best Original Song, which "No Time to Die" helped Eilish claim in 2022.
Ludwig Göransson
Ludwig Göransson is predicted to win his second Best Original Score Oscar this year thanks to his suitably intense arrangements for Oppenheimer; his first win came in 2019 for Black Panther. The Swedish composer has already won Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media for the same projects at the GRAMMYs.
But it's in the realm of socially conscious hip-hop where Göransson has been a GRAMMYs awards trailblazer. Childish Gambino's "This Is America," a powerful state of the nation address which he co-produced, picked up both Song and Record Of The Year at the 2019 ceremony — marking the first time a rap track had won either accolade. Göransson's fruitful partnership with Gambino has also seen him receive nods for Album Of The Year and Best R&B Song.
Finneas O'Connell
Finneas O'Connell might have eight fewer GRAMMY nominations than his sister (Billie Eilish), but he does have one more win under his belt. Indeed, having masterminded Eilish's blockbuster breakthrough, 2019's When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, and hit the studio with artists such as Tate McRae, Camila Cabello, and Selena Gomez, the Californian picked up Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical at the 2020 ceremony. (Alongside the nine golden gramophones he's shared with his younger sibling — and primary collaborator — that takes his overall tally up to 10.)
As a co-writer on Eilish's James Bond theme "No Time to Die," Finneas and his sis will have two Oscars a piece should their co-written song, "What Was I Made For?" [From The Motion Picture Barbie], win Best Original Song as predicted.
Mark Ronson
Mark Ronson first caught GRAMMYs attention for his behind-the-scenes efforts, winning Best Pop Vocal Album, Record Of The Year, and Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical in 2008 for his work on Amy Winehouse's seminal Back to Black. But eight years later, he scooped two GRAMMYs for his very own throwback, the Bruno Mars-featuring "Uptown Funk," and in 2019, picked up Best Dance Recording as part of the supergroup Silk City alongside Diplo and Dua Lipa.
Ronson and Lipa were once again nominated together at the 2024 GRAMMYs for their global chart-topper, "Dance the Night" [From The Motion Picture Barbie], which didn't receive a Best Original Song Academy Award nod. The DJ-turned-hitmaker still notched an Oscar nomination, though, thanks to a different Barbie number he co-wrote: the Ryan Gosling-sung "I'm Just Ken."
Martin Scorsese
Here's a staggering fact: Martin Scorsese, widely regarded as one of the finest filmmakers in Hollywood history, has as many GRAMMYs to his celebrated name as he does Oscars: one.
The auteur received his GRAMMY in 2006, when his Bob Dylan documentary, No Direction Home, won in the Best Long Form Music Video Category. (He had been nominated the previous two years, in the same Category in 2005 for his PBS series Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: A Musical Journey, and in the Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media Category in 2004 for Gangs Of New York.)
His sole Best Director victory at the Academy Awards came not for Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, or Goodfellas, but for his 2006 remake of The Departed in what many interpreted as a career win. He earned his tenth nomination in the coveted category at the 2024 Oscars, for Killers of the Flower Moon.
Diane Warren
Diane Warren is responsible for some of the all-time great movie power ballads: see the late '90s holy trinity of Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me," LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live," and Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing." However, the prolific songwriter has never won an Oscar outright (she was awarded an honorary one in 2022). She has another shot at the 2024 Oscars thanks to Becky G's "The Fire Inside" from the Cheetos-inspired Flamin' Hot, which earned Warren her 15th Best Original Song nomination.
The songwriting dynamo has received the same number of nods at the GRAMMYs, and celebrated a win in 1997, when "Because You Loved Me" (from 1996's Up, Close and Personal) took home Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television.
John Williams
Where to start with John Williams? The veteran composer received his 54th Academy Award nod this year, with his work on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny recognized in Best Original Score. He remains second only to Walt Disney for the most Oscar nominations ever, he's the only individual to be recognized across seven decades in a row (his first came back in 1968 for Valley of the Dolls), and he became the oldest nominee ever in 2023 — a record which he topped again this year at 91.
And Williams has been even more successful at the GRAMMYS, picking up a remarkable 26 golden gramophones from 76 nominations. His latest came only last month when "Helena's Theme," the piece of music composed for Phoebe Waller-Bridge's character in Dial of Destiny, was crowned Best Instrumental Composition.
Dan Wilson
Dan Wilson picked up the first of his six GRAMMY nominations with his own band Semisonic's anthemic "Closing Time." But following the alt-rock trio's initial split in 2001, all of his other nods have been for his work as an in-demand songwriter. Wilson has won two of the General Field GRAMMYs, first for Song Of The Year for Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice" in 2006 and Album Of The Year for his work on Adele's 21 in 2012.
And he added a third GRAMMY to his trophy haul this year, as his co-written Chris Stapleton track "White Horse" won Best Country Song. Thanks to his contribution to the aforementioned Batiste ballad, the hitmaker can also now call himself an Oscar nominee, too.
Andrew Wyatt
Ronson co-produced and co-wrote "I'm Just Ken" [From The Motion Picture Barbie] with longtime collaborator Andrew Wyatt. The pair won the 2019 Best Original Song Oscar for their co-write on A Star Is Born cut "Shallow," and also picked up Best Song Written for Visual Media with the same tearjerker (alongside Cooper) at the GRAMMYs.
Wyatt, who first found fame as one-third of electronic trio Miike Snow before launching a solo career, has also enjoyed a taste of GRAMMY recognition elsewhere. The New Yorker's first nod came in 2012 when Bruno Mars' "Grenade," the emotive heartbreak anthem that counted him as one of six songwriters, was nominated for Song Of The Year.
Photo: Shervin Lainez
interview
'On The Lips' Of Whistler Molly Lewis: How Her Debut Album Harnessed The Power Of Collaboration & Mood Lighting
Molly Lewis' unique instrument has caught the ear of Dr. Dre and soundtracked a pivotal scene in 'Barbie.' Out Feb. 16, the whistler's first LP takes listeners to a less glamorous — but equally vivid — space: the Hollywood lounge.
To properly consume her music, whistler Molly Lewis suggests incorporating the following into your listening experience: candlelight, cold libations and, if possible, a hot date.
Though all are merely suggested tips for conjuring an ideal mood, the 33-year-old Australian says her debut full-length album was conceived with these conditions in mind. On the Lips captures the oft ethereal, sometimes sensual energy of Lewis' live act, which she's honed for years in legendary Hollywood lounges.
“I thought it would be a good idea if my first LP was like the essence of my live show,” Lewis shared. “At one point, we even talked about putting clapping in between the songs to make it feel more like a live album.”
Lewis is hesitant to place any demands on listeners, though she holds firm in her belief that having the right lighting is always a plus. For proof, look no further than last fall, when Lewis performed at Children's Fairyland — a historic amusement park in Northern California credited as a source of inspiration for the original Disneyland.
Curated by Oakland experimental pop artist SPELLLING, the bill for September's Through the Looking Glass festival included a slot for Lewis, who was staged in an area decorated like The Wizard of Oz's Emerald City. Bathed in an eerie glow of green lights, Lewis emerged in a sparkling red evening gown and the crowd bewitched before she'd ever pursed her lips.
"That night [in Oakland] was very surreal and magical," Lewis recalled. "Lighting helps me get into the feeling of the music and, of course, it's helpful to the audience too. If I'm doing a show in L.A., I try to dress the stage and create an atmosphere. Obviously, with budget limitations, it never goes too far but maybe one day I'll get around to pyrotechnics."
Until that day arrives, the highlight of seeing Lewis perform is unquestionably the opportunity to hear her world-class whistling skills. From recording sessions with Dr. Dre to her sonic contributions to a pivotal scene in 2023 Oscar Best Picture nominee Barbie, Lewis continues to lend her lips to all manner of notable projects. At the same time, she's also simultaneously nurtured a solo career that's seen her grow from open mics at Canter's Deli to touring with Weyes Blood and taking calls from Mark Ronson.
In an upbeat conversation via Zoom from her home in Los Angeles, Lewis detailed her roots as a whistler, mused on her skills as a raconteur, and paid tribute to the L.A. lounge legends who helped her pave a truly singular career.
**You recorded On the Lips in a studio equipped with a tiki bar and an open-door policy that saw a slew of talented folks swing by. What was the atmosphere like during those sessions?**
[Producer] Tom Brenneck and I have made my last three records together. Basically, one of my best friends in L.A. is an artist named Ariana Papademetropoulos. For many years, she was like, "Molly, you have to meet my brother-in-law, Tom. I feel like you guys would make such good music together." When we finally met up and worked on something, it was easy and fun. We obviously have very similar taste in music.
When I first got a small budget to record some music with, I didn't know where to start. Explaining music is a skill that you can learn and get better at, but when I first started, I didn't know how to articulate what I was feeling and wanting. It reminded me of when you go to the hairdresser and show them a photo of what you want, then they start cutting and you're like, "Ah, it doesn't look like that." But they're a professional, so you don't say anything, and then you get home and wish you'd said something.
Working with Tom was easy because he's very encouraging and generous. He really made me feel like I could do this. I'm not a trained musician. I don't know how to play a lot of instruments. I can play very basic guitar but I don't know how to read music. Sometimes I felt like I didn't belong, but Tom really encouraged me and helped me bring my little demo ideas to life.
A lot of his musician friends and people he works with would come by to hang out and to see what was going on. [Samba guitarist and Latin GRAMMY nominee] Rogê would be over and we'd write a song together. Chester Hansen of BADBADNOTGOOD was there to work on his record and luckily, he was down to record with me too. It was a very relaxed atmosphere.
To see you live is to also be treated to your exceptional stage banter. How did that element of your craft develop?
Thank you! It isn't something that was very thought out when I first started performing. When you're the singer — or the whistler, as it is with me — and you have a microphone in front of you, there are moments of silence between songs. I just started doing the thing I do when I'm nervous, which is to make some chit chat.
I was always a bit jealous of musicians who could remain very mysterious and silent in between songs. That also says a lot and conveys something beautiful and mysterious and untouchable. I always felt like I really need to just shut up and be this other character on-stage — this ethereal whistler — and leave the other parts of myself, like the awkward silly chit chat, at home, but I didn't want to put on an act in that way.
I saw Mary Lattimore, this incredible harpist, perform once and I was just so taken by her playing this incredible, ethereal, magical instrument and, in between the songs, telling these funny anecdotes and stories about the [origins of] song names and little things about her life. It was such a wonderful contrast, and it's so wonderful to get to know the musician or artist in that way. I think that's when I realized that it is a nice thing to include banter and little stories and silly jokes.
I try not to think too much about it because I don't want it to be rehearsed, but of course, I've got a few little tricks up my sleeve. It's fun to be on the spot and to see what happens. That also keeps it fun.
Chromeo On Their New Album 'Adult Contemporary,' Taking Risks And 30 Years Of Friendship
Photo: Michael Owens/Getty Images
feature
Usher's Super Bowl Halftime Show Was More Than A Performance, It Was A Celebration Of Black Excellence
From celebrating Atlanta's HBCU culture to shining light on Southern rappers like Ludacris and Lil Jon, Usher brought the brilliance of the Black South to Las Vegas.
In the days leading up to Usher’s Super Bowl performance, the singer waxed poetically about the significance of this moment not only in popular culture but for Black music.
Speaking with Kelly Carter on "Good Morning America," Usher reflected on the history of Black entertainers who performed for the masses under restrictive laws. Although a majority of those laws have been overturned, it would be remiss to not think about the recent series of court cases that have targeted Black musicians, such as Atlanta-based rapper Young Thug, whose music is currently being used against him in court.
For singers like Usher who have been privy to the ways in which Black music — and those who create it — have been mistreated, his halftime performance was as much as a statement as it was a tribute to those who came before him. "I'm coming through the front door with this one," Usher told Carter.
It is only fitting that the performance opened with lines from "My Way" — the title of his Las Vegas residency, which has featured a who’s who of prominent figures in pop culture — before launching into "Caught Up." Usher then descended from his anointed throne in a crisp, all white Dolce & Gabbana ensemble, he began a Michael Jackson-inspired dance routine with an array of backup dancers; the standout being renowned celebrity choreographer Sean Bankhead.
Usher made it clear early on, however, that his performance was no mere spectacle. He paused to deliver a testimony, one that bears repeating despite his new album and $100 million-earning Vegas residency: "They said I wouldn't make it, they said I wouldn't be here today, but I am."
Once the air cleared and Usher thanked his momma for her steadfast advocacy and faith in him, he led Allegiant Stadium in a sing along of "Superstar." The track from 2004’s Confessions recently inspired a viral challenge on TikTok.
A consummate performer and supporter of his peers, Usher wasn't content to simply highlight his own success. The singer transformed Allegiant Stadium to "The Yard" — the singular place at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, where students gather to talk, discuss, and have fun — and filled it with music.
Usher’s Yard included a performance of "Love In This Club" with the assistance of two members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., the second oldest Black fraternity in the U.S. The trio was supported by the Jackson State University marching band, known as the "Sonic Boom of The South," to finish the song.
Even his brief moment of affection with singer Alicia Keys, who joined the singer for "My Boo," can be described as a "homecoming hug." Homecoming is another HBCU tradition, where alumni convene at their respective campuses and greet their former flame with a hug.
When Jermaine Dupri entered the stage to announce the 20th anniversary of Confessions, the transportation was complete. The audience was no longer in Vegas, but in Atlanta, the Black Mecca of the world. And Usher is Atlanta’s nucleus.
It is here that the spirits of Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, and Prince accompanied Usher as he bewitched millions with a singular microphone and momentum stage presence. A haze of purple clouds and smoke led the way for singer H.E.R., the night’s self appointed "Bad Girl" and her crew of roller skating baddies.
While Usher may have began the halftime show with the enthusiasm of a young boy who just got his chance to perform a solo in the church choir, by its end he was fully inhabiting his chart-topping sex icon persona.Will.i.am’s voice rippled through the stadium as Usher, donning a blue and black Off-White outfit reminiscent of football shoulder pads, glided onto the stage with an aura that is equal parts charismatic and sinful sweet.
Skating, a main tenant of Atlanta’s culture, is embedded in Usher’s ethos and a part of his larger business. The singer loves skating and owns several skating rinks.
Usher finished the extravagant performance with "Yeah!" — a song beloved in Atlanta and far, far beyond. That the song is turning 20 this year and still resonates with a global audience (not to mention a football-loving one) is further evidence that Usher truly is the "King of R&B."
"Your moment is your moment. And this is a moment I’ve prepared for during the last 30 years," Usher told Billboard ahead of the Super Bowl.
He certainly owned his moment. Usher's Super Bowl halftime show was no singular performance or an audition, but a coronation. He was receiving the torch carried by all the Black entertainers who preceded him, and reminding the world that the South still has something to say.
Surrounded by Ludacris and Lil Jon, strippers, and his own marching band, Usher closed the night out with the A-Town Stomp and one important phase: "I took the world to the A!"
Usher's Biggest Hits, From Baby-Making Slow Jams To Dance Floor Classics