Usher and Alicia Keys perform onstage during the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas on Feb. 11, 2024.Photo:Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
Usherdoesn’t think his intimate moment withAlicia Keysduring hisSuper Bowlhalftime show performance was that serious.
In an interview with Charlamagne Tha God and Jess Hilarious onThe Breakfast ClubMonday, the “Yeah!” artist, 45, addressed the fan reaction to him tightly grasping the “Girl on Fire” musician, 43, who has been married toSwizz Beatzsince 2010, during their performance of their 2004 collaboration “My Boo.”
Usher ultimately said he and Keys' music producer husband, 45, laughed about what people were saying about the pair’s close hug on stage.
“It was literally about having fun because of a song me and Alicia made many years ago and we celebrate it because of the legacy of it,” he said on the radio show.
Usher and Alicia Keys on stage during the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show in Las Vegas on Feb. 11, 2024.PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty
Usher explained that there “no disrespect” intended in their onstage choreography.
“It’s crazy how people think,” he said on the radio show. “It’s all about how you present things, man, it’s all about love."
Beatz even appeared to address how fans weren’t paying attention to the right parts of the “No One” singer’s performance during the halftime show in anInstagram poston Feb. 12.
“Y’all talking about the wrong damn thing !!! y’all don’t see that amazing dress covering the entire stadium ⚡️🚨😂😂😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨 Tonight’s performance was nothing but amazing with 2 amazing Giants ! Congrats@usherand my love@aliciakeysthat song is a classic 🤍 We don’t do negative vibes on this side we make history ✌🏽 Go see GIANTS at@brooklynmuseumit’s open until July blessings 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽,” he captioned a slideshow of images that featured Keys at the piano on stage, Usher holding her from behind and her showing off her sparkly red bodysuit and cape.
The R&B star initially attempted to laugh off the moment and provide an explanation.
“Absolutely! That was Jamaican culture! So you gotta go to Jamaica. That was just a moment that was fun,” Usher said, referring to the island’s dance culture. “By the way, it was me playing my bass, so I probably would’ve bumped my shoulder or my hand, but I had my bass in my hand and I was playing, so I kind of bopped off her body a little bit. If you go back and look at the video, you’ll understand because I did it there for the first time.”
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He later admitted: “I think I was reaching a bit when I smacked her, though. I shouldn’t have smacked her. I shouldn’t have did that.”
Jess, 42, then pivoted their chat to how Usher had been emphasizing supporting fellow Black artists.
“See, you gotta lift her up!” she said.
“Iwaslifting!” the “U Got It Bad” musician said of the controversial moment.
source: people.com
