R&B icon Usher shared in a recent interview that he believes K-pop girl group BLACKPINK has set a new standard for live performances that helped motivate him to improve his own.
The 44-year-old singer explained that his sons begged him to take them to a concert, so they went to BLACKPINK’s show in Atlanta last year that was part of the K-pop quartet’s “Born Pink” world tour.
“I literally went to a Blackpink concert in Atlanta, and I was like, man! I’m goofy! I’m looking like, ‘Wow, this is amazing,’” he told GQ in an interview published online on Wednesday.
He shared that he was blown away by BLACKPINK’s attention to detail, saying, “They were putting on a show. Wardrobe, great sequencing, with the lighting and everything working in sync — there’s no detail spared. I loved that.”
Usher’s experience motivated him to put out a similar level of excellence for his own concerts, particularly his “My Way” Las Vegas residency at the Park MGM, which is running through July.
According to GQ, he designed the show to “cater to the female gaze,” as he believes women who attend his concerts “are overdue for a good time.”
I really wanted to give women something to look forward to, something to come here to Las Vegas with their friends for. They’ve been saving up all year and were able to manage to get away from their kids or get away from their problems.
This is not the first time Usher has shown his appreciation for K-pop.
Back in 2004, he performed his hit song “Yeah!” on the South Korean music broadcast show “Inkigayo.” He held his first concert in South Korea over a decade ago.
