Usher Proves He's The King Of R&B During NPR Tiny Desk

BYAron A.Updated on September 26, 20228.1K Views

Usher attends the "Hands Of Stone" photocall during the 69th annual Cannes Film Festival at the Palais des Festivals on May 16, 2016 in Cannes, France.

Usher effortlessly breezes through the classics during his Tiny Desk performance.

There have been many discussions surrounding the King of R&B in recent years, and a few names have popped up. Usher seemingly comes up more often than most, and there's a good reason for that. In a career of nearly 30 years, Usher's blessed fans with nothing but hit records that have withstood the test of time. Not to mention the countless records he wrote for other artists.

Paras Griffin/Getty Images

On Thursday morning, NPR unveiled their latest Tiny Desk performance featuring Usher. The set was a firm reminder of Usher's greatness as he breezed through classics and showcased his vocal range. Usher delivered a 25-minute set reflecting his wide catalog with songs like, "You Make Me Wanna...," "Superstar," "Confessions Pt II," and more. Usher came through with a slew of talented artists to back the live renditions including Eric Bellinger and Vedo, who help out on vocals throughout the performance.

Usher's Tiny Desk set is part of NPR's Juneteenth celebration that highlights artists who "represent the past, present and future of Black music."

Usher hasn't actively released new music in recent times. Back in 2018, he teamed up with Zaytoven for their joint project, A. Last year, he teamed up with Marshmello and Imanbek for "Too Much."

Check out Usher's performance for NPR's Tiny Desk series below and sound off with your thoughts in the comments.

About The Author

Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.

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