Usher often drives fans wild with his steamy and sultry shows, even when that lands him in hot water with certain celebrity couples. But during a recent show for Abu Dhabi's Club Social at the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) Etihad Park in Yas Island on Saturday (April 19), he chose to turn down the heat a little bit.
"Well, I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen. No, I will not be giving out any cherries tonight," the R&B superstar apologized to the crowd in a clip obtained by The Art Of Dialogue. "But I got nothing but love for you. I give you my heart in exchange for the cherries. I give you my love in exchange for the cherries tonight."
While he didn't explicitly confirm this, social media users assumed the possible reason for this decision. It may be because of the UAE's reportedly strict public decency laws, which Usher's viral cherry moments might not mesh well with. But again, that's just an interpretation and not a confirmation.
Usher & Keke Palmer Controversy
But it wasn't just cherries that cause a lot of sensual tension in his shows, as his viral concert moment with Keke Palmer caused a huge rift in her relationship with Darius Jackson. They joked about the matter on Keke's podcast back in February.
"Did I have anything to do with what was going on in your home?" Usher asked Keke Palmer. "Did I send you that dress? I just want to know that… I can not be responsible for how people choose to react to my experience as an entertainer. I’m not tying to do anything that’s going to deliberately try and rock anybody’s home. [...] This is what I say to myself in the mirror before I go out and hit the stage. I am not here to break up your home. I am here to entertain you, my love… We were having a great time!"
Meanwhile, the Dallas native was a part of some recent viral R&B debates, so whether musically or performance-wise, he always has some narrative to address. We'll see if any future Usher shows have to pump the brakes on the cherries as well.
