Vogue Silent After Backlash Over Usher’s Cover Also Featuring ‘Random’ White Actress

Usher is seen, outside Valentino during the Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 as part of Paris Fashion Week on October 1, 2023, in Paris, France. | Source: Edward Berthelot / Getty

Usher’s Vogue cover has left fans puzzled as to why he appears in the magazine with model and actress Carolyn Murphy. The cover shot is a direct homage to his upcoming Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show performance in February.

On Wednesday, Vogue posted a picture from the “Love in this Club” crooner’s new cover story, in which he could be seen smiling from ear to ear alongside adorable members of the Nevada-based Jr. Gaels 6U football team. Murphy, 49, wore a black Miu Miu jacket, skirt and sandals as she smiled at the star interacting with the youth football players.

Inside the feature, Murphy can be seen in most of the photos posing in lavish garments as Usher flaunts fashionable threads made by high-end brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Ami, and Alexander McQueen.

Oddly, Vogue never states why she’s included in the story.

Netizens on X, formerly Twitter, were also baffled by the model and actress’s presence, which some described as “random.” Understandably, fans were confused as to why Usher wasn’t given his own cover story. Some urged for Vogue to go “back to the drawing board” and conceptualize another feature for the Grammy Award-winning artist. A few netizens said they had no clue who Murphy was. Some were under the impression that she was the singer’s longtime girlfriend, Jenn Goicoechea.

Vogue didn’t immediately respond to the criticism.

Usher Vogue Cover Backlash

.@Usher Raymond IV, known to the world simply as Usher, has a lot on his mind. https://t.co/dk3ZVxS14A pic.twitter.com/hGV6qItKDf

— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) January 17, 2024

It looks like she was nearby and they jus asked her to step in real quick

— Apocalypse Pony (@SymoneCapone) January 17, 2024

USHER DESERVED HIS OWN COVER! WHY IS HE IN THE BACKGROUND ON HIS OWN COVER?????????????

— 𝙱𝚎𝚌𝚌𝚊 (@MJFINESSELOVER) January 17, 2024

The way I just assumed that was his wife lol that’s how bad it is…. pic.twitter.com/4WB9WeC81f

— Oni (@OniMara5) January 17, 2024

So… lemme get this right.. Vogue didn’t think Usher was a big enough star for HIS OWN SOLO cover … so they called in a random white lady to accompany him??? https://t.co/syfPaJQqdK

— Deets (@ScottieBeam) January 17, 2024

Usher’s new cover story wasn’t a complete bummer. Inside, the father and performer gave a few hints about his upcoming Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show performance slated for Feb 11. The star told writer Alessandra Codinha that fans could expect “killer choreography,” skating, and a few special guests scattered throughout the 13-minute-long performance.

“This night was specifically curated in my mind to have R&B take the main stage,“ he said. “Not just R&B music, but R&B performance, R&B connection, R&B spirit.”

Usher also revealed that the upcoming show was curated and designed with legends like the late Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra in mind

“I’m thinking about the fact that I’ve been able to walk through the front door as a result of their sacrifice and ability. So I’m carrying a little bit of that,” he continued. “It’s made me feel joyous. It made me feel like I want to go out there, and I want the world to smile when they look at me. I want them to feel something, and feel my passion, my love, feel like I was the right person to sit in this position, and I was the right person to bring this kind of energy and love and connection to the entire world.”

By the end of the show, the star hopes that his fans, especially the women in the audience, will feel like they have received a personal serenade from him.

“I’m literally speaking to every woman,” the singer added. “I want to make it feel like that.”

Yes! We can’t wait to see it.