Usher performs onstage during the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 24, 2014 in Inglewood, California.
Usher -- a true VMA veteran -- stirred up anticipation for his upcoming studio album with the third VMA performance of his two-decade career.
This time around, Usher Raymond IV enlisted a fellow superstar to share the spotlight. Nicki Minaj brought some extra swag to the stage as the pair performed the single “She Came To Give It To You.”
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After a rousing introduction from the stars of Orange Is the New Black, Usher hit the stage, decked out in all white and ready to dance. A similarly-dressed backing band helped the master entertainer strut through the funky new song, though the performance hit its peak when Nicki Minaj took the mic. Usher proved he truly was “all about that bass,” doing a little bit of bump ’n grind next to Nicki while he played an actual bass guitar.
For her guest verse, Minaj finally got her wardrobe functioning properly, following a dicey situation as she opened the show alongside Ariana Grande and Jessie J, holding her top together with her hand. But it was smooth sailing through this performance, as Usher truly came to give it to the VMA crowd.
Usher last performed at the VMAs in 2010, when he tore through a rendition of “OMG.”