All eyes were on Usher Raymond as he was honored with the 2024 BET Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The prestigious award recognizes the musical and cultural contributions of a veteran artist. With Raymond’s successful three-decade career, it was only natural for the beloved superstar to receive his flowers for gifting generations with timeless R&B hits. He was serenaded with a special musical tribute encompassing his chart-topping hits, with nods to his most talked about performances throughout his career. Childish Gambino (Donald Glover’s musical alterego), Keke Palmer, Marsha Ambrosius, Coco Jones, Summer Walker, Chlöe, Tinashe, Teyana Taylor, Victoria Monet, and Latto celebrated the R&B king in a nearly 20-minute production.
Female artists leading Usher’s tribute seemed to be a controversial choice for some folks watching from home. But despite the backlash for the decision to have women pay tribute to the King of R&B, the tribute made perfect sense. Women dominate the Billboard charts. The growing support of women in music has resulted in increased representation of songwriters to artists landing top placements on music charts. Billboard reported that at the end of 2023, the increased percentage of female artists reached an all-time high, with over 40% reflecting women. Victoria Monet’s 2023 breakout hit, “On My Mama,” achieved No. 1 status on the charts, subsequently knocking SZA’s “Snooze” to No. 2 after remaining in the spot for 21 non-consecutive weeks. Coco Jones also earned the No. 1 spot on the R&B charts for her famous hit, “ICU,” from her 2022 EP. Women are redefining the standards of a traditional male-centered industry, so it makes sense for the biggest names in music to deliver Raymond’s tribute front and center.
Donald Glover (as Childish Gambino) was the only male exception during the Usher tribute. Glover opened the act by hitting Raymond’s high notes from his 2001 smash single, “U Don’t Have To Call,” moments after jokingly calling out BET for the little recognition he’s received from the network. Before presenting the winner for Album Of The Year, the award-winning artist and actor took a moment to shade BET for his award snubs.
“I’m really excited to be here, but I wanted to get some things off my chest,” Glover said during his speech. “This isn’t personal, but I feel like I should have more BET Awards. I’m serious. It’s the Black Entertainment Television Awards. How much more entertaining do I have to do? It doesn’t really make sense. I have more Grammys than Will Smith, but I have the same amount of BET Awards as Sam Smith.”
Instead of focusing on the undeniable talent of the selected female artists, many viewers were more concerned that male artists weren’t included in the tribute. That critique not only lacks consideration for the current state of the music industry, but also the understanding of who Raymond makes music for.
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Source:: Refinery29
