And now the moment we’ve all been waiting for today we get to hear directly from Usher about what this moment means to him please join me in welcoming [Applause] Usher hey everybody how you guys doing hello good morning good to see you come come get comfortable here
Absolutely how are you oh I’m doing great you know but as I was watching you walk up there I realized it is really strange to see you walk onto a stage to see you descending from the rafters and landing in a split normal roller skating backwards on the stage normal but
Walking it just doesn’t look right so hopefully this is the last time we have to see you walk onto the stage you know in 2011 you made a a cameo at the halftime show yeah and it was so incredible and I’m wondering what is your memory of that
Performance um man oddly enough that was a moment that only I think I remember my um hand got caught in the The Wire that was holding me like 30 feet in the air and I almost missed my first Mark I was like oh my God don’t let this
Malfunction cause me to miss something but um that was one and the second was uh afterwards and how amazing it felt to be in front of that many people and feel the energy um so much so that it made me you know really passionate about eventually getting this moment that I’m
Getting ready to have but it was really fueled by being able to be just in that moment with uh with the black IPS you know I wonder that and I would say watching that performance it stuck with me that I’ve watched it a few times I would have never realized that you
Almost got stuck there because you’re such an incredible showman what I remember was you leaping over Will i Am head clearing it by a couple feet and landing in a perfect split and I thought this man has to headline the halftime show one day so at that moment you were
Already visualizing yourself yeah headlining the show yeah you know sometimes um affirmations and words of confirmation isn’t enough you have to like put in the work uh but great that um JayZ and uh the Super Bowl would have me uh be able to be there to entertain
The world Las Vegas has been amazing for me having 100 sold out shows at a residency and to have the next one be the cresendo which is a Super Bowl um with apple is has really really really given my time here in Las Vegas an incredible button at the end you know
Yeah this is the kind of thing you couldn’t plan this out right it feels like some of these things just have to fall into place and this performance truly has been 30 years in the making you know you dropped your first album in 1994 you followed up with multiple
Classic albums and hits like you mentioned coming off this huge res residency only to perform on music’s biggest stage how does it feel 30 years in to still be hitting brand new heights in your career feels amazing um you know this being because I’m putting my album
Out actually on the ninth so um you know this this is just really a testament of dedication um I I I don’t have this moment by myself all of my fans that I bring with me each and every person that had anything to do with the music the
Creativity everybody is a part of this celebratory moment um but what I feel is that this is only the beginning because I launched that album as an independent artist and I will be up until this date the only independent artist who’s ever performed the Super Bowl halftime show
So um this is a beginning this is a new beginning for me yeah and it’s just a testament to your hard work right the longevity you’ve had and the Legacy you’ve created I think we live in a time when so many artists feel pressure to have a viral moment you know now
Everything has to be now but we’ve seen you build this over time and so that’s incredible and so is this also a moment for you to just sit back and reflect on all the things you’ve had to maneuver to get to this point yeah but I got to do it in 133
Minutes and that that makes it a bit difficult but you seem like a man who loves a challenge oh yeah and it definitely has been a challenge to squeeze 30 years into 13 minutes yeah but but how did you approach that then picking the right songs the choreography the perfect set
For 13 minutes um you know there’s been these fantasy lists that have been going out and people trying to figure out what song I’m going to perform first middle last who’s going to to come on the stage with me what I did is I I was very mindful of my past celebrating my
Present which is here in Las Vegas and thinking about where we’re headed in the future um and that was really the the idea uh what songs do I feel people know me for what songs have been a celebration um of all of the Journey of what life and love and emotion has been
Offered in my music you know that was the the idea um I thought about a few moments that were special in dance I thought about some things that I had created here in Las Vegas I.E skating and doing things that I had not you know
Done on stage up until this point um to be able to share that with the world U for everybody that you know heard about my show in Las Vegas you’ll now get a chance to see some of what I did here but you’re going to get the best of it
Because it’s before 60,000 people in this room and hopefully another 100 80,000 people 80 million people for the world to see roller skating in front of 60,000 people so casual I don’t no pressure no pressure but that’s the thing you have done this so much that it
Is in your blood right you’ve put in those 10,000 hours so I imagine that once you step out there it feels natural and to your point of this being it’s a celebration for OG fans like me I’ve been listening to you my entire life it feels like but there’s a whole audience
Who’s going to be seeing you for the very first time which is so exciting how I guess how did you factor that into the performance also just that brand new audience seeing Usher for the first time um I wanted to put on a show that I felt would represent my idea of
Creativity what I’ve been able to do is bring a great deal of Atlanta and the Melting Pot that it is uh musically culturally uh to Las Vegas um you know that is the source that has been fueling me for these years creatively so why not make certain that the rest of the world
Rather they’re seeing me for the first time or either they’re celebrating because we’ve been you know listening to me you’ve been listening to my music from for these years um you know to make certain that at least what I’m putting together is something that would be entertaining
Um as I said before if you’ve not seen me or you’ve been with me yeah yeah you know you were just a true showman in every sense of the word and you’re a rare breed of artists we have very few artists who have the level of skill and
Talent that you do to sing and dance so well at the same time and I wonder what is it that is motivate you to put so much time and effort into becoming such an excellent performer the fact that I said I believed it and to see that out
Is something that the 9-year-old who believed in me uh deserves because I didn’t have any of this all I had was my vision all I had was the idea that someday I would have fans all I had was the idea that someday I’d find a
Record all I had was the idea and the vision that eventually a audience would show up you know those kids who like take a mic in hand and they’re singing and they’re like believing in themselves and they look in the mirror and they’re singing to an audience that’s not there
I’m that kid at 9 years old um that had this dream that this moment and many of the moments that I’ve had in my career would would come true right yeah that that dream my earliest memory of you is on Star Search I don’t know if anyone
Remembers that show I think that was in the early 90s yeah you know and so yeah even back then you’ve had it so you know in any moments I think for an ambitious person a person who wants to be great who wants to master their craft there
Are going to be highs and lows how have you navigated some of those moments I think for artists who are looking at you now thinking while one day I hope I can be as great as Usher what advice would you give to them I would hope that um
That what I have found resonates on many levels for artists or people period that what you put in you get out um and and that’s it you know you know I I’ve been motivated Honestly by artists like Michael Jackson and the fact that you know he was a hard worker um motivated
By athletes like Michael Jordan and the dedication that he you know he put into his craft and his his skill he received not only Accolade but also too recognition that would make him a legend and you know that’s what I’ve always hoped for myself that you know maybe
Someday I’d be recognized in the same light and in the same title uh as those people I just mentioned well Usher I’m going to say that this is the day this is the day you’ve put in 30 years of work and for anyone who hasn’t had a
Chance to see or experience it I’m excited I’m truly excited a little bit jealous of anyone who’s going to be seeing it for the very first time on Sunday you know um at this point in your career you have transcended any one genre Superstar status right because of
The work but you were born of R&B culture and it’s a culture that is so influential R&B is everywhere but it still doesn’t get the do credit so is it important to you to be repping R&B on the Super Bowl Halftime stage it’s nice uh to be in any category
Uh but not to be categorized is what I’d always hoped um that R&B as a trade and as a style as a genre as an emotion as a spirit um be it it being found through gospel music jazz rhythm and blues blues and then R&B that then created all these other the genres
Of music we don’t understand how relevant R&B has been to the development of the industry that we have and the artists and the creatives that have been a part of that that they didn’t get recognized either so I’m happy that R&B gets the stage on Sunday I’m happy that
R&B and rhythm and blues uh gets to and and the the matter of what it is as song and per dance performers uh it gets uh that recognition that deserves um I’m honored but don’t want to be categorized as just an R&B artist I’m an artist who
Loves music I’m an artist who’s lived through my emotional experiences and was able to share it through this this um this genre um but I wanted to to speak to the entire world that if you believe in something and you put the work in you can have whatever you want you know you
Can go and try and create anything that you want rather that then becomes popular music or that becomes like oh this is a you know and I’m a piano and in a afro beats um merge that becomes this new version of R&B who knows whatever it is I’ve tried so many things
My entire career and I’ve just managed to be able to gather people who celebrate my music and celebrate my experiences and maybe they tied to theirs maybe they got married to a song maybe they fell in love to a song maybe they made love to a song you know maybe
They you know celebrated and laughed and had an incredible time maybe they cried maybe they hurt maybe they got a chance to be confident in a way uh that they didn’t have before they listened to that song that’s what R&B has been to me and
I hope that the rest of the world can celebrate it in the way that I’ve celebrated it that’s so beautiful we’ll definitely be celebrating with you you know it’s been incredible watching you push yourself over these 30 years and push boundaries you know and does it ever feel scary sometimes it’s not
Always easy to try something new with the whole world watching but that’s never stopped you you know how do you push yourself to do that um you know what I’m still trying to figure it out the reality is I just I have this idea that if you manage to
Collaborate with people who are just as passionate as you you’re going to create something amazing um you know I push myself because that’s just a choice I want to be great I want to set standards I want to be a standard um that is seen through my passion my passion for music
My passion for creativity and then rather that become something that’s artistic by way of you know the videos that we create or the narratives that are inside of the music that then become something else TV seriousness you know you look at you know people like 50 Cent
Right he creates power right you heard the music first and then you then see the V the visuals um I’m hoping that I can do more things like that with with with the brands you know that I created through these songs you know um but yeah
It’s just a m it’s a matter of managing to um you know monetize at the same time emotionally give people an escape you know when you look at a movie you you you relate to it you hear a song you relate to it it becomes a um an
Assistant in your emotional whatever it is whether you’re crying or you’re laughing you know so for me it’s more than just music it’s it’s all of those things um most importantly it’s a connection right that’s what I’ve always wanted to have a connection to this audience of people
That I might not necessarily see every day but when they hear this song We’re connected we’re connected and it takes us back to such special moments I was thinking recently about you know I’m hoping you might do my boo when you got on stage and you know ba we finally were
Retired that thankfully I would love it if boo made a comeback like you’ve created these these cultural moments that you’re right it’s it’s connections and it takes us back to those special moments and it’s just amazing how much you’ve already accomplished but I know for you know an an ambitious person a
Creative person there is almost always more so what are some of the things you are visualizing next you also have the tour coming up like what are you visualizing in the next couple of years um I visualize in this next few years that there will be more um opportunity
To build here in Las Vegas um I love this city um you know when I received the key I started trying to open doors and um you know trying to figure out ways to do more things that activate this immersive experience that I feel like I had for an
Underserved audience uh that want to have a certain experience that enjoyed the you know the curation of the world that I created when I was here in Las Vegas what does that lead me I don’t know maybe it’s businesses maybe it’s more shows maybe it’s shows that I
Curate maybe it’s festivals like the lovers and friends Festival maybe it’s you know um hotels maybe it’s you know a different idea and standard for artists who came from this world and then created business here in this town you know so much to look forward to yeah
Anything is possible I mean you got Tim Cook to make his acting debut you know while trying to find you so I think anything really is possible and it’s possible if you believe it yeah believing and putting in the work I don’t think you could say that enough
Times so people don’t get to see the work that you put in behind the scenes but your friends know you know uh Luda and Lil John definitely know like you’ve collaborated with these people and there’s so many people who have been so important on your journey until this
Point so when it came to thinking about putting together the Super Bowl show was it easy if you’re going to have guest performers I don’t know anything you know were there people you thought of immediately to join you on that stage if you’re having performers of
Course was it hard there’s a lot of them you’ve had a lot of good friends that you’ve worked and collaborated with I think I made it easy for myself when I decided to have like features on songs that became hit records so that um that gave me the greatest point of
Reference um but um here’s what’s beautiful is that Apple has been following me throughout this entire process so we’re uh in the process of you know figuring out how we’re going to share it with you break the Internet by that conversation but there’s also to a documentary crew that’s been collecting
All of the moments that have happened um you know so there’s cameras around us at all times looking at you know the process that we went through you know you get a chance to see from the first moment that I got the call all the way
Up until the moment that I walk off the stage wow yeah um at least that’s the idea um but I um I am definitely you know went through a lot of ideas of who I would have uh shared this moment with me and um I do feel like the people whom
Are going to share it deserve just as much recognition for what they do in their careers um rather we have collaborated together or rather they’ve had moments of their own there’s also two very special things that um I’ve woven into this entire performance things that speak to culture things that
Speak to Quality things that speak to my creativity um you know as you know know I’m skating so the idea of being able to skate on uh skates that I created is something that I’m I’m really looking forward to doing um but this you know
This has just been an amazing time in my life and I’m so happy that you know God and the universe has kind of led me to this moment what it means to other people and how they believe in themselves you know that’s up to them
But me I’m really a product of my belief I’m a product of uh believing that I could come to this city and I could do something amazing and it’s happened and I ain’t done here I’m going to continue to keep going uh past present future is
My tour and um I plan on now sharing a bit of this energy that I created here with the rest of the world looking forward to it and you know once you get off that halftime show stage we have a new album to enjoy album Number Nine y
Coming home you know how does it also feel then yeah to step off and be able to share this this new body of work and also there’s some really nice the city of Atlanta is going to be going crazy when you’re performing um there’s also some Beautiful Moments a lot of artists
From Atlanta even featured on the project so what is that like for you I mean it wasn’t easy to do but I turned Vegas to Atlanta you know what I’m saying I took that V and turned it upside down you know what I’m saying or either took the
A and turned it into a v but um you know that that was you know the influence that Atlanta has had on me so much so that I collected everything that um I experienced I benefited from in Atlanta and brought that culture uh to to Las
Vegas and now to the rest of the world on the Super Bowl uh halftime show it’s going to be incredible yeah but the album is which we talking about right you know it’s it’s just really the the last um really 5 years of my life there was a
Huge stop in the middle of that because of the pandemic and and what that offered uh and then coming back out of it I needed a little bit of motivation which is why I decided to put my shows on sale in Las Vegas there was no
Promise it was a real bold move um and you know I I decided to move forward and since then since that moment of belief this has happened and now I’m ready to share some of what I was working on before and what I worked on after I
Decided to start my shows here in Las Vegas my ninth album coming home um working and building with LA Reid who is my partner uh in mega our our label I’m our first I’m our first artist and um again as I said I’m the first independent artist to ever play the Super
Bowl so inspirational
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