Miguel Sets Tone for Usher's 'OMG Tour'
After opening up for Mary J. Blige’s “Music Saved My Life” tour, newcomer Miguel will have another opportunity to showcase tunes off his debut album, All I Want Is You, in front of thousands. The L.A. native will embark on a 25-city performance spree with Usher, beginning tonight in Seattle.
Miguel will set the stage before the “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” hitmaker greets his fans during the “OMG Tour,” which also features crooner Trey Songz. So how did the half-Mexican, half-black singer score the opportunity to perform with two veteran R&B charmers? “I was on the train coming from Washington, D.C. and Usher called and asked me to come on tour with him,” Miguel tells staging-rapup.kinsta.cloud. “That’s my boy too, by the way. That’s my big bro.”
The 22-year-old singer-songwriter, who developed a relationship with Usher after writing for his Raymond v. Raymond and Here I Stand albums, respects the entertainer’s work ethic. “Usher is a beast and just doesn’t quit when he is in the studio,” Miguel shares. “We can go at it for about three to five hours, throwing out melodies and vocal ideas. So far we’ve done about six or seven songs together. He is one of the hardest working guys I know and [someone] that I look up to. With stage performances, I’ve learned from Usher that it’s all about repetition.”
In preparation for the grueling itinerary, Miguel sticks to a strict schedule. “I do lots of push-ups and jump rope,” he says with a laugh. “Nah, just playing about the push-ups. I try to rehearse everyday. When it comes to music, Usher and everybody else tells me the same thing: ‘Keep doing what I’m doing.'”
Longtime fans and newbies are guaranteed to be entertained with his J. Cole-assisted hit “All I Want Is You.” “It’s really my job to set the tone for the show,” Miguel reveals. “On tour, I like to pull my guitar out on stage and sing by myself. I get everyone warmed up for Usher and Trey Songz. People pay a lot of money, so I just want them to enjoy the show.”
–Felicia D. O’Garro