Usher Brings Out LL Cool J and Boyz II Men at Decades-Spanning Los Angeles Show

Source: variety.com

As Usher ticked towards the end of his second of four nights at Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome, Boyz II Men’s Shawn Stockman, who emerged alongside bandmate Wanya Morris to perform a soul-stirring rendition of “End of the Road,” paused to give the evening’s star some high marks.

“This man has been in business a long time,” said Stockman of Usher, who stood next to him in a floor-length black fur coat. “This man has amassed a lot of hit records. This man has sold out stadiums and arenas across the entire planet Earth. There’s no one, in my opinion, that has come close. First, there’s Michael. Michael inspired us all. First, there’s Michael. Then there’s Usher.”

That’s a lofty designation to bestow upon any performer, but Usher makes a strong case. After all, just this year, the 45-year-old has continued to hit new career highs more than 30 years after his debut. With tens of millions of records sold and a dedicated space etched into the pop firmament, he commanded the Super Bowl stage, fresh on the heels of his ninth studio album “Coming Home.” He crossed the $100 million threshold for his “My Way” residency in Las Vegas, and swiftly embarked on his current “Past Present Future” tour, which kicked off in Atlanta last month.

But it all boils down to talent, a muscle that Usher has worked for decades. During his nearly two-and-a-half-hour show at Intuit Dome, he toured his discography with professionalism and ease, revisiting the smashes that have stacked over the years. He hit choreographed dance moves with precision, glided across the stage on rollerskates in a rhinestone-adorned outfit, and landed every vocal run with invigorated flair. The non-stop spectacular was an assault on the senses in the best way, something both singular to Usher and in lockstep with the legends that came before him.