Usher is one of the most technically accomplished performers in popular music. His dance ability, his vocal range, and his capacity to command an arena are each individually exceptional. Watching all three simultaneously at the Accor Arena in Paris was a reminder of why some artists are in a different category from their peers.
The Past Present Future Tour in Paris opened with a Michael Jackson tribute that set the tone for the entire evening. Usher’s relationship with Michael Jackson, both as an influence and as a personal connection, is well documented, and the tribute was not performed as obligation. It felt like genuine homage from someone who carries that lineage seriously.
The moment I keep thinking about happened about halfway through the set. Usher pulled a fan from the audience onto the stage, a moment that is part of his concert format. He typically gives the person a cherry. In Paris, he gave her a macaron. A small detail, but the crowd’s response to that single Parisian substitution was disproportionately warm, the way an audience responds when an artist has paid attention to where they are.
GIMS appeared as a surprise guest, which produced one of the louder reactions of the evening. The collaboration between American R&B and French music culture represented something specific about what Paris is as a music city.
I met the fan who had been pulled on stage after the show. She was still processing what had happened. Watching someone experience that kind of unexpected moment from close range is its own version of the concert.
The show rated 9 out of 10. The production, the performance level, and the specific generosity of the macaron moment made this one of the more memorable international concerts I have covered in Paris.
