Before a full house mainly consisting of young girls in full-on scream mode, Usher delivers an impressive set that proves he can make it work on stage, as well as on his high-gloss records.
The opening segment is quite tentative and slow, focusing more on his seriously impressive dance moves. When he shifts focus to his singing, however, we get to appreciate his undoubted vocal prowess: classics like ‘You Make Me Wanna’ and ‘U Remind Me’ showcase his voice very effectively.
Less brash than so many of the urban crew, he has a pleasant way of talking to people, and there’s a nice touch when he brings a delirious fan onstage to serenade during ‘So Many Girls’. There is also a terrific medley of older songs, including ‘My Boo’ and ‘Burn’. Also his dance tribute to his ‘inspiration’, Michael Jackson – which included ‘Thriller’ – is nothing short of brilliant.
Usher ends the night by bringing the tempo right back up with ‘DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love’ and ‘OMG’, featuring a blizzard of confetti. Along the way, he also treats us girls to nice views of his very buff, toned torso. A show that more than lived up to expectations...