Usher’s 'Watch This' Move During a Recent NPR Concert is the Latest Viral Meme
"Watch this."
That's all eight-time Grammy award-winning artist Usher had to say in order to go viral on Twitter.
The two words came during his recent NPR Tiny Desk concert, a series in which big names perform live concerts with just their band, a mic and nothing else. Usher was starting the title song from his classic album, "Confessions," for which he won a Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2005, when the soon-to-be viral moment happened.
The song has always started with "watch this." But during his performance, Usher looked dead into the camera around the 17-minute mark and sang it while doing a hand gesture in which he covered his face with fingers that were separated between his index and middle finger. He and audience members immediately started laughing afterwards, and then Usher continued the song, which released in 2004, two years before Twitter existed.
Laughter from Usher and the audience members was only the beginning of the moment's reactions. It's now a meme fitting for practically every context.
For example, going to the grocery store with kids somehow turns into a broken record of "don't touch anything." But, of course, most kids do anyway.
My Mom: When we get to the store, don't ask for anything, don't touch anything.
Me: #UsherTinyDesk #WatchThis #Usher pic.twitter.com/3U6J1o9sta— BREEZO.Katz (@iamxbreezo) July 2, 2022
Toddlers who are new walkers are always excited to show off their new moves — usually some combination of spinning or dancing without immediately falling down ... this time.
#WatchThis #UsherTinyDesk my favorite pic.twitter.com/zZurS9lrf3
— V I K K I (@VikkifortheWin) July 4, 2022
Parenting approaches sometimes change after the first child. What was unacceptable for the oldest nevertheless ends up being permissible for the rest of the kids, or at the very least they just have to try it once.
Eldest daughter: Man, our parents wd never allow that!
Youngest son: pic.twitter.com/PlOcHELlJQ— Hodan (@hyfreelance) July 3, 2022
It's no secret that people who are lactose intolerant sometimes try their luck at eating dairy. Just when they think they can get away with it, their stomach is not having it.
Me: “A little dairy won’t hurt”
My stomach:
pic.twitter.com/jRqihSqCCJ— Hype William Carlos Williams (@sheedemilio) July 3, 2022
There's little else that compares to the joy of playing Uno and surprising the person with one card, who thought they won the game, with a draw four card.
When they say Uno but you got a draw 4 for they ass pic.twitter.com/yu5KXi9V9D
— hσtєl nírvαnα 🌹 ® (@fcckjulius) July 2, 2022
During special occasions, it's so easy to forget bills that are on auto pay, and the new account balance afterwards sometimes changes what level of celebration is possible.
Me: I have big plans for the holiday weekend.
Bill auto pay: pic.twitter.com/pgj1CxCXkt— O.J. Spivey (@OJPhilly) July 3, 2022
Unfortunately, cars always seem to break down at the most inconvenient times.
"I'm gonna use my pay to treat myself this month"
My car: pic.twitter.com/5xtLuYvt1a— Why are you so tall? 🤔 (@DatTallUteWes) July 2, 2022
All of the Usher memes are so good, and they just keep coming.
Me: I’ve already seen 200 of the Usher memes. I’m sure they’re done now.
My Twitter timeline: pic.twitter.com/FGmHAymY5o— Melcolm X (@MelcolmRuffin) July 3, 2022