Yung Miami also took to the stage during the Past Present Future tour’s first night at Barclays Center
Usher‘s first of four nights at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for his electrifying Past Present Future tour featured collaborators and friends joining him onstage including Taraji P. Henson, Victoria Monét, Yung Miami, Fat Joe and Ja Rule.
The Grammy-winning artist performed a career-spanning set including tracks from his ninth studio album Coming Home released earlier this year. Throughout the two-hour show, Usher serenaded the audience with career hits including 2001’s “U Remind Me,” “Love in This Club,” the lead single from his 2008 album, Here I Stand; and “U Got It Bad” from 2001’s 8701.
During the second half of the show, Usher walked out into the audience and down through the crowd, reemerging with Henson and Yung Miami. They were soon joined by Monét who sang her hit single, “On My Mama.” (Usher and Monét recently collaborated on R&B slow-jam “SOS” in August, the first drop from Monét’s upcoming Jaguar II Deluxe.) As the set transitioned to “I Don’t Mind,” a dancer and pole appeared in the middle of a small stage, momentarily turning the show into a makeshift strip club as the audience roared in approval as Henson and Monét threw fake $100 bills with Usher’s face on it into the air.
The scene was a welcome nod and reunion to Henson’s birthday celebration during Usher residency show in Las Vegas in 2022 to celebrate her 52nd birthday. Videos of the memorable moment captured the “OMG” singer and Henson dancing together as Usher sang Bobby Brown’s “Rock Wi’tcha” to the birthday girl.
Nodding to his New York location, Usher brought out Fat Joe later in the show to perform Terror Squad’s 2004 hit “Lean Back” and 2017’s “All the Way Up.” Ja Rule subsequently appeared with the duo for “What’s Luv?” and “Put It on Me.”