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Molek FMUsher Live @ National Stadium Bukit Jalil
Before there were Chris Brown and Ne-Yo, there was Usher and he still stands at his own right. When I found out he’s coming to Malaysia for a concert, there was no way I would miss it, even though his new materials are just not on the same par as his earlier stuff. Being a huge Usher fan and have watced his concert videos over the years, I made my way to the National Stadium Bukit Jalil to see what’s up.
I missed the opening acts, but was in time to catch Usher’s entrance. About 1/3 of the stadium space was used for the concert and I was placed at the section next to the Royal Box, which was quite a bore… I wished I was on the ground screaming, cheering and dancing along with the rest, but hey, I work with what I have….
Usher kicked off the night with ‘Caught Up’ with his 6 dancers. The crowd went bananas – girls can really scream! Having that said, the vibe was not as hyped up as one may expect. I’m just glad he performed the songs that made him, namely ‘U Make Me Wanna’, ‘Nice & Slow’, ‘U Remind Me’ and ‘Confessions’, which is a great treat for all of us who listened to him on radio when we were still in school. It was unfortunate he didn’t do the original and full version to ‘U Got It Bad’ though.
Having watched his concerts on video before, this was on the mild side for Usher – and I am not saying that because he can’t rip his shirt off or drop to his boxers. It was the show’s energy level. I can’t really tell if it was where I was seated, the crowd or Usher himself. Some ‘Usher highlights’ were the occasional stomach abs tease, water splashing on self, sweat-soaked towel throwing (uhm), suggestive dance moves -Â he even ‘made love’ to the mic stand, and when he saw a sign that says ‘Marry Me’ in the crowd, he said, “I tried, but it wasn’t for me.” At least he was able to joke about his divorce.
He ended the night with ‘OMG’, which was probably the loudest roar of the night. Guess the whole pop commercial rnb sound is what sells these days. There were a mixed reactions from friends and on Twitter. Some thought it was amazing and some were left lingering for more, just like me. This is probably the first time I left a big concert stadium feeling underwhelmed. Maybe my expectation on an Usher concert was way too high. Despite all that, Usher did a fantastic job. It was just nice to see a Grammy-award winning artist like Usher in Malaysia. It’s about time we have some rnb singers.
So what did you think of it?
Usher Live In Malaysia was held at National Stadium Bukit Jalil on Wednesday, 7 July 2010. More Usher grindin’ at www.usherworld.com. For more upcoming Galaxy Group shows, check www.galaxy.com.my. More snaps from the show here.
Image Galaxy Group
