"I Cry" is a song by American singer-songwriter

Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** Fiel ...

. It was released as a standalone single on June 26, 2020 by Brand Usher and

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

. Originally a demo, the

murder of George Floyd On , George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the U.S. city of Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's n ...

inspired Usher to finish recording the song. Usher, a father to two sons, wanted to show men they could be emotional, especially during difficult times. Usher's proceeds from the record will be donated to The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), which will help black-owned small businesses and black-led community organizations.

Background and release

Usher began using his platform to speak out on social justices in 2016 with his record "Chains" featuring

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

and

Bibi Bourelly Badriia Ines "Bibi" Bourelly (born July 14, 1994) is a German-American singer-songwriter signed to Def Jam Recordings. She has co-written several notable songs including Rihanna's "Bitch Better Have My Money" and "Higher", Demi Lovato's " Anyone" ...

. The song and video addressed racial injustices and police brutality using interactive media. Following the

, Usher and fellow R&B singer

Trey Songz Tremaine Aldon Neverson (born November 28, 1984), known professionally as Trey Songz, is an American R&B singer and rapper. His debut album, '' I Gotta Make It'', was released in 2005 through Atlantic Records. His follow-up album, ''Trey Day'', ...

joined a

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...

protest in Los Angeles, California. On June 26, 2020, Usher shared a statement with the song release on his twitter and instagram platforms encouraging men to show their emotions, especially after the murder of George Floyd. He stated, "This song was inspired by wanting to teach my sons that it is ok for a man to feel emotions deeply and to cry. Like many men, I was raised to believe that we have to be 'tough' and not show our vulnerability, which I don't want to teach them". He continued: "While I was shut in during the OVID-19pandemic and watching the death of George Floyd, the ongoing slaughter of black men and women, the protests and the events that unfolded, I became very connected to the wider universal feeling of hopelessness".

Composition

"I Cry" has a length of three minutes and thirty-nine seconds. The song has been characterized by critics as a mid-tempo

piano ballad A ballade (from French ''ballade'', , and German ''Ballade'', , both being words for "ballad"), in classical music since the late 18th century, refers to a setting of a literary ballad, a narrative poem, in the musical tradition of the , or to a on ...

pop soul Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describes a ...

track.

Live performances

On June 27, 2020, Usher performed "I Cry" at the '' Global Goal: Unite for Our Future''.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from

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. *

– lead artist, vocals, songwriting *

Jeff Gitelman Jeff "Gitty" Gitelman (born February 5, 1982) is a Grammy-nominated record producer, musician and songwriter from Chișinău, Moldova. He is known for his work with the band The Stepkids, which formed in 2010. He is also known for his compositio ...

– producer, songwriting, engineer *

Nasri Atweh Nasri Tony Atweh ( ar, نصري طوني عطوة, born 10 January 1981), known mononymously as Nasri, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California, United States. He is the lead vocalis ...

– production, songwriting, composer * Jeremie Inhaber – songwriting, assistant engineer * Ashley Jacobson – assistant engineer * Chris Galland – assistant engineer * Robin Florent – assistant engineer * Ben "Bengineer" Chang – engineer, vocal producer * Michelle Mancini - mixing engineer * Manny Marroquinerías - mixing engineer

Release history

References

{{Usher songs Usher (musician) songs Songs written by Usher (musician) 2020 singles RCA Records singles Songs about police brutality Songs about George Floyd Songs written by Jeff Gitelman Songs written by Nasri (musician)