R&B king Usher brought the soul to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series Thursday, delivering a soulful set of his classic songs.
The Grammy-winning singer opened his set at the NPR Washington, D.C., office with the throwback tune “You Make Me Wanna…,” the lead single off his sophomore album “My Way,” which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
Usher followed this up with another dose of nostalgia, performing “Superstar,” a deep cut from his chart-topping 2004 album “Confessions.” Before starting the song, he gave a shoutout to singer-songwriter Eric Bellinger, who served as one of his backup vocalists during the performance and created the Usher-themed #SuperstarChallenge on social media, which challenges people to sing the song’s smooth falsetto riff.