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Usher has replaced Diddy at the Roots Picnic 2023 lineup, after the latter's appearance was cancelled due to unforseen circumstances, according to a press release. Usher will perform at the June 6, 2023 show at the The Mann Music Center in Fairmount Park as well as at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The replacement was announced by the festival organizer, Questlove, via a post on his official Instagram page:
Interested patrons will be able to attend the Usher show with their festival tickets, which are priced at $225 plus processing fees for 2 days and can be availed at https://www.therootspicnic.com/tickets.
Fans responded to the announcement with excitement and joy, as one netizen summed up with their tweet:
Usher's inclusion at Roots Picnic sends fans into frenzy
Usher released his first song in two years recently. The single GLU, was released on March 17, 2023 and has since then peaked at number 35 on the Kiwi album chart. The single also peaked at number 47 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Fans expressed their joy and excitement by taking to the social media. Some commented how the inclusion of Usher improved the festival's popularity. Others pointed out the convenience of seeing the star on a festival ticket. Others simply stated that the replacement was a good idea, while some Netizens commented on the limited availability of Roots Picnic festival tickets.
Many netizens also seemed intent on attending the festival just due Usher's inclusion in the lineup, while also pointing out the lateness of the lineup change, with the festival being only a week away from start date.
Usher is also set to perform at the La Seine Musicale in Paris, France from September 24, 2023 to September 28, 2023 following the Roots Picnic performance. Combined, the two performances will be the rapper's first major performances in a year.
The rapper last performed at the NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts on June 30, 2022, where he was joined by vocalists Eric Bellinger and Vedo, bassist, Dmitry Gorodetsky, trombonist Lemar Guillary, trumpeter Brandyn Phllips, saxophonist Jay Flat, keyboardist Darek Cobbs, guitarist Erick Walls and drummer Ryan Carr.
Usher is best known for his fourth studio album, Confessions, which was released on March 23, 2004. The album was a major chart success, peaking as a chart topper on the Billboard 200 album chart, as well as at the Canadian, UK and Kiwi album charts respectively.
Roots Picnic festival celebrates its 15 year anniversary with the 2023 edition, with the festival having been initially started as a one-day event in 2008. Aside from its special 2016 edition, the 2023 edition of the festival represents the largest version of the festival, with the three-day event scheduled to feature more than 30 performers.
