Usher shirtlessly shed tears during the 100th and final performance in his legendary Las Vegas residency.
Source: Denise Truscello / Getty
It’s the end of an epic era. Usher closed out his My Way residency in “Superstar” style for yet another sold-out crowd on Saturday. According to HipHopDX, emotions overwhelmed the 45-year-old as he performed “Without You” surrounded by his dancers, crew and collaborators.
The “Confessions” crooner dropped to his knees with gratitude as he celebrated the milestone. At one point, he turned away from the audience as he took it all in. When he regained his composure, he led the crowd in an acapella chant. “God bless you, I love you,” he told his adoring fans.
A viral clip of the historic moment racked up more than 7 million views on Sunday. It was a dream come true for the visionary artist. The same X (formerly Twitter) user posted a clip from nearly 20 years ago of Usher manifesting this residency.
Back then, Las Vegas wasn’t on the radar for the biggest stars at the peak of their careers, but Usher is built differently. During his record-breaking Confessions run, Usher already saw this iconic showcase in his future. In a 2004 interview with Trevor Nelson, he “spoke the greatness of the shows into existence.”
“I am such a theatrical artist. I would love to be in a space… if I did decide to go to Las Vegas, it would be the most phenomenal thing you’ve ever seen in your life,” he said.
“It wouldn’t be like, ‘Oh God, he’s washed up and this is just his opportunity to just, you know, collect as many checks as he wants to.’ No. It will be a phenomenal show.”
Usher chimed in on the resurfaced video after it went viral. “I saw it then… Look at me now.”
There’s still “No Limit” to where Usher goes from here. On the heels of the Super Bowl tapping him as the next Halftime Show performer, he announced his next album, Coming Home.
On Thursday, he released the “Standing Next To You” remix with Jungkook of BTS.
Usher crying tears of joy wasn’t the only viral moment from his final Las Vegas residency show. His panty-dropping performances usually make the ladies melt, but another R&B icon seemed immune this time.
Check out Mary J. Blige playfully pumping the breaks during Usher’s serenade after the flip.
