Usher reveals the Australian treat he demands is ALWAYS on his rider and says he'd like to retire Down Under - ahead of first Aussie tour in more than a decade
The American R&B star appeared on The Project on Thursday night and raved about the local red liquorice.
'There should be loads of this waiting on me when I get there' the 46-year-old told host Rove McManus.
'I have no idea why it's so good and what you do that's so different than American liquorice but it is by far the best liquorice that I have ever tasted in my life.'
The hitmaker added that he always ensures that he has lots of liquorice on his rider when he's in town.
'It is a necessity. It is on every single list of rider that I have for anything that I do. It's by far the best liquorice in the world. It's great!' he said.
Usher added that he is a big fan of Australia in general and would even retire Down Under.
'It's been maybe 10 years since I've been there. I love, I love Australia.I love the energy, the I love the food, I love the accent, I love all the things about it.
'When people ask if I decided to retire, where would I retire to? I say Australia.'
Usher will be heading Down Under later this year, as part of his Past Present Future Tour.
The multi-platinum artist is bringing the globetrotting tour for eight shows - four at Melbourne 's Rod Laver Arena, and four at Qudos Bank Arena In Sydney.
It will be more than a decade since Usher headlined an Australian run, with his last visit back in 2011 on his OMG tour.
The singer was last in the country back in 2018, performing alongside the likes of Salt-N-Pepa, T-Pain and Naughty By Nature for the RNB Fridays Live tour.
The tour, which kicked off in the US back in August last year, has since jetted to Europe and the UK.
The hitmaker added that he always ensures that he has lots of liquorice on his rider when he's in town. 'It is a necessity. It is on every single list of rider that I have for anything that I do. It's by far the best liquorice in the world. It's great!' he said
Usher took to Instagram to make the auspicious announcement, sharing a compilation video of some of the best tour moments.
Fans were quick to issue their excitement over the announcement with the likes of, 'I'm so excited, I'm headed to Australia'.
Others, who had already witnessed the tour, first-hand admitted how excited they were for Australian fans.
'They in for a treat,' one fan wrote. 'A time was HAD at his London show I had an amazing time!'
It seems the critics agree, too with culture bible Billboard praising the show.
'Much of the two-hour show felt less like a concert and more of a celebration of the man whose music has soundtracked lives, redefined a genre, and shifted the pop-culture landscape over the last 30 years,' they wrote.
The gig promises to run the gamut of Usher's 30 year career featuring fan favourites such as My Boo, U Got It Bad, and Love In The Club.
The set is also sure to include tracks from Usher's ninth studio album, Coming Home, which dropped in 2022.
With the tour currently in full swing fans can expect a very well oiled machine by the time it hits Australian soil.
Also, Usher has been on top of his performing game of late, with a bravura turn at the Met Gala in New York this week.
The superstar also honed his act in a 100-show Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace and Park MGM between 2021 and 2023.
He also delivered a critically lauded Super Bowl performance in 2024, prior to Kendrick Lamar, who also recently announced a Down Under visit.
The Past Present Future tour got off to quite the rocky start however, with Usher having to postpone the commencement of the US leg due to injury.
The hitmaker ended up missing a trio of concerts after he hurt his neck preparing for the shows.
Usher also recently shared his secret for keeping fit in his 40s.
The Yeah! hitmaker is well-known for his ripped physique and six pack - and shared that his fans motivate him to stay in optimal shape.
'The consistency that comes with being a performer who has to dance and sing and still have a six pack at 45 years old? Yeah, there's a little bit of mindfulness there,' he told Us Weekly.
'But thank God that I have fans that I go work hard for every night.'
Usher will play at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on November 19, 20, 22 and 23, before heading north to Sydney's Qudos bank Arena on December 1, 2 4 and 5.
Tickets for all dates are on sale go on sale Friday May 16.
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