Some people are saying that Usher was disrespectful to Alicia Keys and her husband for the one moment during the Super Bowl Halftime Show (cued up in this link, because the NFL won’t let me embed it).
But I HIGHLY disagree!
In the week leading up to the Chiefs Bowl (I mean, wut??), Usher had said that he wanted to really honor the people in his life that got him to where he was… and I think he achieved that! One of those people was Alicia Keys with their collab from 2004 “My Boo.” And their friendship was evident in that performance. The choreography was for Usher to wrap his arm around her from behind (because they’re playing characters while singing the song). But the end, the small hug, and the giant smile from both of them, that was excitement. Celebration. FRIENDSHIP. That was my literal FAVORITE part of the whole performance, because I was like “oh they’re really good friends!” But never once did I see anything salacious or lust-filled in that moment. Only joy and friendship.
People see what they want to see. This is going to shock some people, but two people of the opposite sex CAN be friends with no other agenda. I know.
But of course, Usher now has to DEFEND that moment. He said, “It was literally about having fun because of a song that me and Alicia made many years ago and we celebrate it because of the legacy of it.”
As you should.
