On October 17, 2015, Stefani performed "Used to Love You" at her first concert in over eight months at a MasterCard Priceless Surprises concert at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom. The singer wore a black turtle neck and striped skirt for the rendition; the performance was deemed "heart-wrenching", "powerful", and "emotional" by critics. Following the performance, it was announced that it would be released as the lead single from her upcoming album. She also sang the single at the 2015 American Music Awards accompanied by a group of backup dancers who dressed and acted like ninjas while on stage. Stefani also performed "Used to Love You" on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show", "The Voice", and immediately after midnight on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve".