Chris Brown may have been absent from the BET Awards tribute to Usher, but that didn’t stop him from showing love to the R&B icon in his own way. A video surfaced on Friday, July 5th, of Brown singing along to Usher’s hit song “Nice & Slow” in a club, prompting fans to question why he wasn’t part of the official tribute performance.

Many social media users expressed disappointment that Brown, along with other male R&B artists, were not included in the tribute, which featured an all-female lineup of performers such as Victoria Monét, Teyana Taylor, Summer Walker, Coco Jones, and Chlöe Bailey. Some suggested that Brown and Ciara could have done the tribute together, while others referenced the reported scuffle between Brown and Usher in 2023, noting that the two had since squashed their beef.

Fans continued to voice their frustration, with one user writing, “This could have been the tribute right here, but no, we got Keke Palmer in some Plato’s closet clothes.” Another fan expressed their disappointment more directly, stating, “I’m so aggravated that he wasn’t the ONE to do the tribute!! I wouldn’t have even wanted it if he couldn’t be [a part] of the legacy.”

In a separate interview, fellow R&B artist Mario praised the women’s performances but agreed that male artists should have been included. “If it was dudes, then it would’ve been good, but the women, they killed it. All the ladies killed it,” he said. When asked if he should have been part of the tribute, Mario replied, “Absolutely, I would’ve killed that. It would’ve been fire, for sure.”

Eric Bellinger, who was also in attendance at the BET Awards, echoed similar sentiments, saying, “I was like, ‘Where the kings at?’ Tank was in the building, Tyrese was in the building, Vedo was in the building, I was in the building.”

While Brown may have missed out on the official tribute, his impromptu performance of “Nice & Slow” in the club showed that he still has love for Usher and the R&B genre as a whole. Fans continue to express their desire to see Brown and other male artists honored alongside their female counterparts in future award show tributes.