USHER Breaks Silence on BET Awards Tribute After Female-Led Tribute Receives Backlash

USHER received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 BET Awards on Sunday after a musical tribute performed primarily by women.

However, the nearly 17-minute performance received mixed reviews, with some saying BET completely missed the mark. Many questioned why the show’s hosts opted for a female-dominated segment, citing several male singers who fit the bill perfectly.

Childish Gambino opened the tribute, followed by Keke Palmer, Summer Walker, Coco Jones, Marsha Ambrosius, Chloe, Tinashe, Teyana Taylor, Victoria Monét, and Latto. Others, however, thought the controversial choice was ultimately a fitting tribute and reflected the current state of R&B.

USHER – Tribute to the 2024 BET Awards

USHER remained silent on the topic until Monday night (July 1). Despite the criticism, the iconic singer loved the tribute. He took to X (Twitter), sharing his appreciation for all the artists.

“My tribute was amazing man,” USHER wrote. “Thank you to everyone who was involved in making this moment happen.”

My tribute was amazing man…thanks to everyone who was involved in creating this moment 🙏🏾

— Usher Raymond IV (@Usher) July 2, 2024

In a follow-up post to his Instagram Story, USHER doubled down on his support, thanking BET and giving the “extremely talented” tribute artists their flowers.

“You all did AMAZING,” he added. “It was so amazing to see each of your talents through the eyes of my own journey… thank you.”

One of the highlights of the performance was Teyana Taylor and Victoria Monét’s danceable cover of “Bad Girl.” Sharing a clip of their duet on Instagram, Taylor revealed that they only had 48 hours to perform it.

“We don’t regret doing this for a second, knowing that we had a job to do for one of the GOATS,” she explained. “Believe me when I say we would do it all again and wouldn’t change a thing!”

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A post shared by Jimmy Neutch (@teyanataylor)