Pop star Usher was the first artist in history given the opportunity to select songs for the Macy’s 4th Of July Fireworks show. But things didn’t go that smoothly as the R&B king is getting backlash for selecting too much of his own music. During the show, the Twitterverse lit up with complaints about Usher and his song selections. It’s an odd gripe considering it should’ve been expected that Usher would favor his own music since he’s one of the best artists of his generation, whose songs are generally in the pop category. But as reported by huffingtonpost.com:
“the show — which was broadcast by NBC — was legendary, but perhaps for the wrong reasons. Usher’s 4th of July Fireworks playlist included Jimi Hendrix’s take on The Star-Spangled Banner, Kanye West, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, Frank Sinatra, and four songs performed by Usher: “Euphoria,” “Yeah!,” “OMG” and David Guetta’s “Without You” (with vocals by Usher). Usher’s focus on his own music didn’t go unnoticed by many a Twitter user on Thursday night.”
It seems like unfair criticism since he appeared sincerely honored to be selected to curate the music for the show. He seemed to be taking the process quite seriously and not just as an opportunity to promote himself. As he told nydailynews.com:
“Me curating, it’s far more than me just showing up and allowing my name to be on a bill. I wanted to represent America. I wanted people to understand something more about me artistically. It’s not just me being a dancer on a stage, but being able to recognize other incredible people and what they’ve done. To highlight incredible things we’ve overcome as people in America. Making an investment and being able to empathize and understand and give credence to some of the things we’ve had to overcome. And that right there is what I think creates a legendary artist, a legendary person, a legendary show.”
Sounds like someone wanted to create a great show. On this one, I’m going to have to call FOUL! Flag on the play. The penalty? Unnecessary roughness by the critics.
Check out Usher and Macy’s preparation for the show:
