Tell me I’m not the only one who’s ever Googled “How old is Usher?” because Confessions Part II (yes, my forever fave) dropped 20 years ago, and the man still looks like he’s sipping from the fountain of youth.
Well, spoiler alert: Usher is 46 years old. Yeah, I know. And if you’re wondering what keeps him looking so dazzlingly youthful, his secret is, according to People, skating.
Okay, that might not be much of a surprise – this is Usher, after all, who skates everywhere from the Superbowl Halftime stage to his Past, Present, Future Tour.
But, according to the magazine, Usher swears by skating so much so that he teamed up with his longtime friend and model Liberty Ross to open Flipper’s World Roller Palace, a one-of-a-kind, full-service skating rink residency at The Venetian Hotel in Vegas.
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“This is kind of a victory lap for Las Vegas,” Usher told People at Flipper’s grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday (November 16).
The event, buzzing with energy and star power from guests like Dr. Dre and Dita Von Teese, saw the “OMG” singer skating through the Venetian Hotel as fans cheered him on.
Reflecting on his journey, Usher said:
“It really all started with my residency and we had a second residency and we played the Super Bowl. We went to Paris. Now coming back with this tour, I’m in the flow, having a good time, enjoying and doing things that I really love.”
When asked about the secret to his youthful good looks, fit physique, and boundless energy, Usher shared:
“Skating has always kept me young. It’s something I feel is a necessity for youth nowadays. Everybody spends so much time scrolling—we want you to roll. Come out, get active, come and have a good time.”
The “Good Good” singer’s connection to skating runs deep. Having skated since childhood, Usher sees it as more than a pastime.
“It’s a form of self-care,” he explained. “The freedom and expression—I really feel like it’s a language when you get deeper into the cultures of skating for rhythm, period. And people need to understand how fun this really is.”
As for his future plans, Usher hopes he can convince his superstar friends to lace up a pair soon.
“Dre, Snoop, and Pharrell on skates? That’d be crazy,” he laughed, adding, “NWA came up through skaters, a lot of those early hip hop bands could only get space to perform in the roller rinks. I can still remember as a kid performing in rinks. It’s always been the grounds for culture.”
For now, Usher wants novices and seasoned skaters to hit up the rink.
“There’s no judgement here,” he said. “You fall, you get back up. We invite the entire family to come.”
As for where you’ll likely find him this festive season, the BET Lifetime Achievement Award recipient shared that it probably won’t be in the kitchen.
“I wouldn’t bank on me for your Thanksgiving dinner,” he said with a smile. “No, no. I might be able to do some mac and cheese and a little banana pudding but that’s about it.”
