Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978) is an American
R&B singer. He was born in
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, but raised in
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020 ...
, until moving to
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
. At the age of 12, his mother put him in local singing competitions before catching the attention of a music
A&R from
LaFace Records
LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment from 2008 to 2011 and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achiev ...
. He released his self-titled debut album ''
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
** F ...
'' (1994), and rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album ''
My Way
"My Way" is a song popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François and first performed in 1967 by Claude François. Its E ...
'' (1997). It spawned his first U.S.
''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one single "
Nice & Slow
"Nice & Slow" is a song from American singer-songwriter Usher's second album, ''My Way'' (1997). Released on January 6, 1998, the song became Usher's first number-one single on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in February 1998. The song was wr ...
", and the top-two singles "
You Make Me Wanna..." and "
My Way
"My Way" is a song popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François and first performed in 1967 by Claude François. Its E ...
". His third album, ''
8701
''8701'' is the third studio album by American singer Usher, released in the United Kingdom on July 9, 2001, and in the United States on August 7, 2001, by Arista Records. Recording was handled by several producers including The Neptunes, Jerm ...
'' (2001), produced the number-one singles "
U Remind Me
"U Remind Me" is a song by American singer Usher. It was written by Edmund "Eddie Hustle" Clement and Anita McCloud and produced by Clement for Usher's third studio album ''8701'' (2001). A mid-tempo R&B track, the song is about a man who meets ...
" and "
U Got It Bad", as well as the top-three single "
U Don't Have to Call
"U Don't Have to Call" is a song by American singer Usher. It was written by Pharrell Williams and produced by the Neptunes for Usher's third studio album, ''8701'' (2001). The song was released as the third US single from the album and the fifth ...
". It sold eight million copies worldwide and won his first two Grammy Awards as
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance was awarded between 1968 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:
*In 1968 it was awarded as Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male
*From 1969 to 1994 it was awarded as Best R&B ...
in 2002 and 2003.
''
Confessions'' (2004) established him as one of the bestselling musical artists of the 2000s decade, containing four consecutive ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles—"
Yeah!" (featuring
Lil Jon
Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971) better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, producer and former frontman of the rap group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. He was instrumental in the emergence of the hip hop subgenre cr ...
and
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
), "
Burn
A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur ma ...
", "
Confessions Part II
"Confessions Part II" is a song by R&B singer Usher, produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox for Usher's fourth album '' Confessions''. Written by Usher, Dupri and Cox, the song is a confession of a man to his woman about his impregn ...
", and "
My Boo" (with
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
)—and the top-ten
"Caught Up". It sold over 20 million copies worldwide and was certified
Diamond
Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, b ...
by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
. After splitting from his manager and mother in 2007, he released the albums ''
Here I Stand'' (2008) and ''
Raymond v. Raymond'' (2010), both of which debuted atop of the
''Billboard'' 200 chart and respectively produced the number-one singles "
Love in This Club" (featuring
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. Signing to Def Jam Recordings in 2004, his major label debut, '' Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101'', was released the followin ...
) and "
OMG" (featuring
will.i.am). The
EP ''
Versus'' produced the top-five single "
DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love
"DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" is a song by American singer Usher, featuring guest vocals from American rapper Pitbull, who co-wrote the song with the producers Shellback and Max Martin, with additional writing from Savan Kotecha. It was release ...
" (featuring
Pitbull
Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...
) before the release of the top-fifteen single "
More
More or Mores may refer to:
Computing
* MORE (application), outline software for Mac OS
* more (command), a shell command
* MORE protocol, a routing protocol
* Missouri Research and Education Network
Music Albums
* ''More!'' (album), by Booka ...
". ''
Looking 4 Myself
''Looking 4 Myself'' is the seventh studio album by American singer Usher. It was released on June 8, 2012, by RCA Records; it is Usher's first album for RCA after the October 2011 merger of the Jive Records group which also included his label, ...
'' (2012) also debuted atop the ''Billboard'' 200 chart with the top-ten single "
Scream". The R&B ballads "
There Goes My Baby" and "
Climax
Climax may refer to:
Language arts
* Climax (narrative), the point of highest tension in a narrative work
* Climax (rhetoric), a figure of speech that lists items in order of importance
Biology
* Climax community, a biological community t ...
" received Grammy Awards in 2011 and 2013. "
I Don't Mind" (featuring
Juicy J
Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, established i ...
) also reached the top-fifteen in 2014, while ''
Hard II Love
''Hard II Love'' is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Usher. It was released on September 16, 2016, by RCA Records. Recording sessions took place between from 2013 to 2016, including the executive production from Usher, alon ...
'' (2016) peaked at five on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. In 2018, he released ''
A'', a collaborative album with record producer
Zaytoven
Xavier Lamar Dotson (born January 12, 1980), professionally known as Zaytoven, is an American trap music record producer, disc jockey, and keyboardist from Atlanta, Georgia. He has released collaborative projects with artists including Gu ...
.
Usher has sold 23.8 million albums and 38.2 million digital songs in the United States. Internationally, he has sold 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the
best-selling music artists of all time. At the end of 2009, ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
'' named him the second most successful artist of the 2000s decade, the number-one
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
artist of the 2000s decade, and ranked ''Confessions'' as the top solo album of the 2000s decade. In 2010, ''Billboard'' placed him at number 6 on their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years. In 2019, ''Billboard'' also placed him at number 14 on their "Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Artists" list.
Usher has earned
9 number-one singles. Considered an
icon
An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The mos ...
and
sex symbol
A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British Stars and Stardom: From Alma Taylor t ...
, he has had TV and film
appearances and seen inductions into the
Georgia Music Hall of Fame
The Georgia Music Hall of Fame was a hall of fame to recognize music performers and music industry professionals from or connected to the state of Georgia. It began with efforts of the state's lieutenant governor Zell Miller to attract the music ...
, the
Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame, and the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
. Usher has won numerous
awards and accolades including eight
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s, 34
ASCAP Awards
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
, nine
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of '' Soul Train'', the p ...
, and eight
American Music Award
The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produ ...
s. With 18 awards, Usher is the fifth-most awarded artist at the
Billboard Music Award
The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by ''Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of t ...
s. He owns the
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the pr ...
Raymond-Braun Media Group (RBMG), a joint venture with talent manager
Scooter Braun
Scott Samuel "Scooter" Braun (born June 18, 1981) is an American entrepreneur, investor, and entertainment executive. Known as the manager for artists such as Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, J Balvin, Demi Lovato, The Kid Laroi and other artists ...
that includes Canadian singer
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
. Alongside a successful music career, Usher is also acclaimed for involvement in humanitarian causes and is the founder of
Usher's New Look foundation.
Early life
Usher Raymond IV was born on October 14, 1978, in
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
.
His parents were Jonetta Patton (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
O'Neal; from
Tennessee
Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...
) and Usher Raymond III. He spent the majority of his young life in
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020 ...
. His father left the family when Usher was a year old. Usher grew up with his mother, then-stepfather, and half-brother James Lackey (born 1984). Directed by his mother, Usher joined the local church youth choir in Chattanooga when he was nine years old. There, his grandmother discovered his ability to sing, although it was not until Usher joined a singing group that she considered he could sing professionally.
Believing that a bigger city would provide greater opportunities for showcasing his talent, Usher's family moved to
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, Georgia, where there was a more conducive environment for beginning singers.
While in Atlanta, he attended
North Springs High School.
Career
Late 1980s–1996: Musical beginnings and ''Usher''
At age ten, Usher joined an R&B local quintet called the NuBeginnings, which was organized by local music promoter Darryl Wheeler. Usher recorded ten songs with the group in 1991, and the ensuing album, ''Nubeginning Featuring Usher Raymond IV'', was only made available regionally and by
mail order
Mail order is the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote methods such as:
* Sending an order form in the mail
* Placing a telephone call
* Placing ...
.
However, Patton took him out because, according to her, it was a "bad experience".
The album was re-released nationally in April 2002 by Hip-O Records.
At age 13, Usher met A.J. Alexander at a local talent show in Atlanta. Alexander, who at the time was
Bobby Brown
Robert Barisford Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing: a fusion of hip hop and R&B. Brown started h ...
's bodyguard, would take Usher around and have him perform in parking lots and talent shows. Alexander invited Bryant Reid, an
A&R representative from
LaFace Records
LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment from 2008 to 2011 and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achiev ...
to see Usher perform on the television talent show ''
Star Search
''Star Search'' was an American television show that was produced by T.P.E./Rysher Entertainment from 1983 to 1995, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Al Masini. A relaunch was produced by 2929 Productions from 2003 to 2004. On both versio ...
''. Following the performance, he arranged an audition for Usher with
L.A. Reid, the co-founder of LaFace; Reid signed Usher on the spot to a contract with the record company after Usher sang
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan ...
hit record "
End of the Road".
Usher's mother left her job as a medical technician to manage his career. Usher was introduced to the public on "
Call Me a Mack
"Call Me a Mack" is the debut single released by R&B artist Usher for the soundtrack album '' Poetic Justice''. "Call Me a Mack" was released separately in 1993 for Epic Records and was produced by Tim Thomas and Teddy Bishop. The song peaked a ...
", a song he recorded for the soundtrack album to the 1993
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
-
romance film
Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typica ...
''
Poetic Justice''.
During this time period, the young Usher first met
Chilli of
TLC, his label-mate whom he would later date.
Preparing for his debut album, Usher lost his voice. Usher was going through puberty and had a difficult time adjusting his voice. LA Reid became skeptical of Usher and put his album on hold; he thought about dropping him from the label. Usher pleaded with the label to keep him and they did. From this point Reid didn't know what to do with Usher so he sent him to New York in the spring of 1994 to live with record executive
Puff Daddy
Puff may refer to:
Science and technology
* Puff, a small quantity of gas or smoke in the air
** Puff, a light gust of wind
** Exhalation
** Inhalation
* Puff model, volcanic ash tracking model developed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
* ...
to "attend" what Reid called "Flavor Camp". Usher quickly adapted to the lavish lifestyle of Puff Daddy although in an interview with ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', he described this period as the "hardest days" of his life. "I had to knuckle up, figure shit out in New York" he said.
On August 30, 1994, LaFace released Usher's
self-titled debut album behind the co-executive production of
Sean "P Diddy" Combs.
''Usher'' peaked at number twenty-five on the ''Billboard''
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...
chart and was accompanied by three singles: "
Can U Get wit It", "
Think of You", and "
The Many Ways". The album has sold over 500,000 copies, to date.
The album received backlash because Usher was singing about sex, and him only being 15 years old, the public had a difficult time believing that this was so. Again LaFace had their reservations about signing Usher because the album wasn't as successful as they anticipated. At this time Usher's mother took control of his career and put him in more talent shows the summer of 1995 building Usher a larger fan base and ultimately giving L.A. Reid more confidence in Usher.
After graduating from high school, Usher continued to develop his skills as a stage performer and laid the groundwork for his second album. He also appeared on LaFace's version of "Let's Straighten It Out", a 1995 duet with fellow Atlanta teen recording artist
Monica; and on "Dreamin'", from LaFace's
1996 Olympic Games
The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
benefit album ''Rhythm of the Games''. He was also featured on "I Swear I'm In Love" off the soundtrack to the 1996 film ''
Kazaam
''Kazaam'' () is a 1996 fantasy comedy family film. It was directed by Paul Michael Glaser, written by Christian Ford and Roger Soffer based on a story by Glaser, and starring Shaquille O'Neal as the title character, a 5,000-year-old genie who a ...
''.
1997–2003: ''My Way'' and ''8701''
Usher developed a friendship with American record producer
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ.
Early life
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...
, with whom he co-wrote and produced several tracks for his second album, ''
My Way
"My Way" is a song popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François and first performed in 1967 by Claude François. Its E ...
'', released on September 16, 1997. The album's lead single, "
You Make Me Wanna...", reached number one in the United Kingdom, becoming Usher's first record to be top single; this resulted in him increasing in popularity. It also became Usher's first
gold- and platinum-certified single in the United States.
The album's second single, "
Nice & Slow
"Nice & Slow" is a song from American singer-songwriter Usher's second album, ''My Way'' (1997). Released on January 6, 1998, the song became Usher's first number-one single on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in February 1998. The song was wr ...
", peaked in January 1998 at number one on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, giving Usher his first US number-one single.
In February of the same year, the single was certified platinum by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
. ''My Way'' has been certified six-time platinum in the United States.
"
You Make Me Wanna..." won the Best Male R&B/Soul Single at the
1999 Soul Train Music Awards. In the closing months of 1997, Usher embarked on a series of tour engagements including a spot on Puffy's ''No Way Out'' tour, dates with
Mary J. Blige, and the opening spot on
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
's ''
The Velvet Rope Tour
The Velvet Rope Tour was the third concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Launched in support of her sixth studio album ''The Velvet Rope'' (1997), the tour visited Europe, North America, Japan, New Zealand, Africa, and Australi ...
''. Usher's first concert album, ''
Live
Live may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film
* ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film
*'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD)
Music
* Live (band), American alternative rock band
* List of album ...
'', was released in 1999, which featured appearances by
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include:
*
*
*
*
* better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of h ...
,
Jagged Edge,
Trey Lorenz
Trey Lorenz (born Lloyd Lorenz Smith; January 19, 1969) is an American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. He was born in Florence, South Carolina and is a graduate of Wilson High School. Lorenz is best known for his duet with recording a ...
,
Shanice
Shanice Lorraine Wilson-Knox (née Wilson; born May 14, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and dancer. Shanice had the ''Billboard'' hit singles " I Love Your Smile" and " Silent Prayer" in 1991 and " Saving Forever for You" in 19 ...
,
Twista
Carl Terrell Mitchell (born November 27, 1973), better known by his stage name Twista (formerly Tung Twista), is an American rapper and record producer. He is best known for his chopper style of rapping and for once holding the title of fastes ...
and
Manuel Seal; the album has been certified gold in the United States.
Usher made his acting debut on the
UPN television series ''
Moesha
''Moesha'' () is an American television sitcom that aired on UPN from January 23, 1996, to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Denise Mitchell, an African-American teenager living with her upper middle class fa ...
'', which resulted in a recurring role on the series and subsequently his first film role in 1998's ''
The Faculty
''The Faculty'' is a 1998 American science fiction horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Hatosy, Famke Janssen, Piper Laurie, B ...
''.
Usher's extracurricular activities outside of the recording industry gathered momentum over the following year, as he was cast in the soap opera ''
The Bold and the Beautiful
''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (often referred to as ''B&B'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It premiered on March 23, 1987, as a sister show to the Bells' other soap opera ''The Yo ...
''.
He completed two more films, ''
She's All That'', and his first starring role in ''
Light It Up''.
He also appeared in the
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
TV movie ''Geppetto''.
Usher's third studio album, originally titled ''All About U'', was stated to be released in early 2001. The first single, "
Pop Ya Collar
"Pop Ya Collar" is a single by American recording artist Usher, released to US radio on October 17, 2000. It was written by himself, Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, and Kandi Burruss. The song was produced for his cancelled third studio album ''All ...
", was released in late 2000 and became a number two hit in the UK but underperformed in the United States.
The album was subsequently pushed back and retooled after select tracks were later leaked to the radio and Internet. At the same time, LaFace went dormant, moving most of its artists (including Usher) to its parent company, Arista Records. After having revised and renamed to ''8701'', the album was released on August 7, 2001 (8.7.01).
The first two singles "
U Remind Me
"U Remind Me" is a song by American singer Usher. It was written by Edmund "Eddie Hustle" Clement and Anita McCloud and produced by Clement for Usher's third studio album ''8701'' (2001). A mid-tempo R&B track, the song is about a man who meets ...
" and "
U Got It Bad" each topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for four and six weeks, respectively. ''8701'' has been certified four-time platinum in the United States.
Usher appeared in the 2001 film ''
Texas Rangers''. In February 2002, Usher won a Grammy for
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance was awarded between 1968 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:
*In 1968 it was awarded as Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male
*From 1969 to 1994 it was awarded as Best R&B ...
for "U Remind Me".
The next year, he won the same award for "
U Don't Have to Call
"U Don't Have to Call" is a song by American singer Usher. It was written by Pharrell Williams and produced by the Neptunes for Usher's third studio album, ''8701'' (2001). The song was released as the third US single from the album and the fifth ...
",
making Usher the only artist aside from
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...
and
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...
to win this award consecutively. In the summer of 2002, Usher contributed vocals to P. Diddy's
"I Need a Girl, Part I". The year closed out with a trio of TV series appearances, all in November, on ''
The Twilight Zone
''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...
'', ''7th Heaven'', ''Moesha'', and ''American Dreams'', the latter in which Usher portrayed
Marvin Gaye.
2004–2009: ''Confessions'' and ''Here I Stand''
![Usher04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Usher04.jpg)
Usher's fourth studio album, ''
Confessions'', was released on March 23, 2004—just as its first single, "
Yeah!", was in its sixth week at number one on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and fifth week on top of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Chart.
The album's nearly 1.1 million unit debut sales was the highest first-week numbers ever scanned by a male R&B artist and the seventh best of the
Nielsen SoundScan history.
The album has since sold over 15 million copies worldwide,
with over 10 million in the United States, earning the album a Diamond certification by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
.
The album's second and third singles, "
Burn
A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur ma ...
" and "
Confessions Part II
"Confessions Part II" is a song by R&B singer Usher, produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox for Usher's fourth album '' Confessions''. Written by Usher, Dupri and Cox, the song is a confession of a man to his woman about his impregn ...
", also topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the former for eight weeks. Usher became the first artist to top the ''Billboard''
Hot 100 Airplay
The Radio Songs chart (previously named Hot 100 Airplay until 2014 and Top 40 Radio Monitor until 1991) is released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and measures the airplay of songs being played on radio stations throughout the United States acro ...
with four consecutive number-one singles, In September 2004, "My Boo", a duet with American singer-songwriter
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
, also peaked at number one at the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming the album's fourth number-one single. In December, the album's final single "
Caught Up" peaked at number eight on the Hot 100.
By that time, Arista went inactive and following its parent,
BMG's merger with
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
, his previous label, LaFace, was revived under the
Jive/
Zomba Group
Zomba may refer to:
Places Hungary
* Zomba, Hungary, village
Malawi
*Zomba, Malawi, city
* Zomba District
* Zomba Massif, mountain
*Roman Catholic Diocese of Zomba
* Zomba (meteorite), see Meteorite fall
Other
* 1468 Zomba, an asteroid
*Zomb ...
banner, bringing Usher back to the fold.
''Confessions'' earned Usher numerous awards, including four
American Music Award
The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produ ...
s, two
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
, two
MTV Video Music Awards, and three World Music Awards. At the 47th annual Grammy Awards ceremony in 2005, Usher won three awards, including: R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals for "My Boo", which he shared with Keys; Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Yeah!"; and Contemporary R&B Album for ''Confessions''. At the 2004
''Billboard'' Music Awards, Usher was recognized Artist of the Year, in addition to receiving 10 other accolades.
Usher supported
''Confessions'' with "The Truth Tour". The tour set featured a small stage up on top of the main stage, where the band played with Usher and his supporting dancers left with enough room to perform. The smaller stage had a mini platform attached to it which lowered to the main stage and had two big staircases on both sides of it. To the left, a group of circular staircases climbed to the top, and to the right, there was a fire escape replete with steps and an elevator.
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
and
Christina Milian were the opening acts for the tour. Usher at select dates would bring out a special guest, during his Atlanta show taping he brought out his artist at the time
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wiscon ...
to rap a verse on the song "Throwback". During a more intimate part of the show, Usher's dancers selected singer
Monica from the crowd to be serenaded by Usher while he sang album favorites "Do it to Me" and "Superstar". Usher also performed the
Confessions Pt. II remix, where
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
would appear from back of the stage. Then lastly Usher would also bring out artist
Lil Jon
Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971) better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, producer and former frontman of the rap group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. He was instrumental in the emergence of the hip hop subgenre cr ...
and
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
where they would finish the show performing the hit "
Yeah". This concert date was filmed to make the official tour DVD of Truth Tour: Behind the Truth "Live from Atlanta". It has been certified by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
selling more than 7 Million copies.
In the spring of 2005, Usher scored a number three Hot 100 hit as a featured vocalist on
Lil Jon
Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971) better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, producer and former frontman of the rap group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. He was instrumental in the emergence of the hip hop subgenre cr ...
's "
Lovers & Friends". In 2007, Usher also collaborated with
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and sex offender convicted of racketeering and multiple sex offenses.
During his recording career, Kelly sold over 75 million records worldwi ...
on the track "
Same Girl", for Kelly's album
Double Up. He was also featured in a remix version of
Omarion
Omari Ishmael Grandberry (born November 12, 1984), better known by his stage name Omarion, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actor and dancer. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the boy band B2K. The group achieved success in the e ...
's "
Ice Box
An icebox (also called a cold closet) is a compact non-mechanical refrigerator which was a common early-twentieth-century kitchen appliance before the development of safely powered refrigeration devices. Before the development of electric refrig ...
". Usher also appeared on the track "Shake Down" on American singer-songwriter
Mary J. Blige's 2007 album ''
Growing Pains
''Growing Pains'' is an American television sitcom created by Neal Marlens that aired on ABC from September 24, 1985, to April 25, 1992. The show ran for seven seasons, consisting of 166 episodes. The series followed the misadventures of the Se ...
''. According to
Robert Hilburn
Robert Hilburn (born September 25, 1939) is an American pop music critic, author, and radio host. As critic and music editor at the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays and profiles appeared in publications around the wor ...
of ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', Usher was voted number-one on the executive voting based "Pop's Power List" and described as a "sure-fire property". In November 2005, Usher starred as a disc jockey named Darrell in the
Lions Gate
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...
film ''
In the Mix''.
On August 22, 2006, Usher took over the role of Billy Flynn in the long-running Broadway revival of the musical ''
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
''. Usher's opening night brought out stars
Penélope Cruz
Penélope Cruz Sánchez (; ; born 28 April 1974) is a Spanish actress. Known for her roles in films of several genres, particularly those in the Spanish language, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British ...
,
Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade ( Union; born October 29, 1972) is an American actress. Her career began in the 1990s, when she made dozens of appearances on television sitcoms, prior to landing supporting roles in 1999 teen films ''She's All That' ...
,
Clive Davis
Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000.
From 1967 to 1 ...
, and
Rosie Perez among others. Usher played the role of Flynn for two months but a case of strep throat brought an abrupt ending to Usher's run in ''Chicago,'' which saw a spike in ticket sales after he joined the cast. The ''New York Post'' reports that Usher's absence cost the production an estimated $400,000 in refunds to disappointed ticket buyers. The producer of Chicago,
Barry Weissler
Barry & Fran Weissler are Tony Award-winning, (for revivals) United States, American theatrical producers.
Career
Barry Weissler (born 1939), a Rutgers Law School drop-out, and Fran Weissler (born 1928) a New York University drama major, met in ...
, issued a statement sending his "thoughts and best wishes to Usher for a quick and speedy recovery. Usher made a spectacular Broadway debut, bringing a great dedication, work ethic and his amazing talent to the show. We all hope that he might return at some point for the many fans that were unable to see his wonderful performance as Billy Flynn. Usher has found a new home on Broadway and is welcomed back anytime."
![Usher Looking To Obama](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Usher_Looking_To_Obama.jpg)
''
Here I Stand'' was released on May 26 in the United Kingdom and May 27, 2008, in the United States. The album debuted at No. 1 on the
''Billboard'' 200 Chart with first-week sales of over 433,000 copies.
To date ''Here I Stand'' has sold over 1.5 million copies in the United States, been certified platinum by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
, and has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. While not approaching the success of his previous album, it received positive reviews from most music critics, who praised the maturity in the album's lyrics. To promote Usher's fifth studio album, the single "
Love In This Club" was sent to radio in February 2008 and peaked at number one on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. It went on to spend three consecutive weeks at the top—becoming Usher's eighth number-one single and the fastest-rising song of his career.
It also reached No. 1 on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart. The single was another huge international success for Usher. It reached No. 1 on the
New Zealand Singles Chart
The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...
, No. 3 on the
Irish Singles Chart, No. 3 on the
Eurochart Hot 100, No. 4 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, No. 5 on the
Japan Hot 100
The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and '' Hanshin Contents Link'' since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thur ...
, No. 5 on the
German Singles Chart
The GfK Entertainment charts are the official music charts in Germany and are gathered and published by GfK Entertainment (formerly Media Control and Media Control GfK International), a subsidiary of GfK, on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindust ...
, No. 5 on the
Belgian Singles Chart
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of ...
(Flanders), No. 6 on the
Canadian Hot 100, No. 8 on the
Swedish Singles Chart
Sverigetopplistan (, lit. "the Sweden top list") is the Swedish national record chart, formerly known as Topplistan (1975–1997) and Hitlistan (1998–2007) and known by its current name since October 2007, based on sales data from the Swedish ...
, No. 8 on the
Australian Singles Chart, No. 9 on the
French Singles Chart
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
, No. 9 on the
Swiss Singles Chart
The Swiss Hitparade (german: link=no, Schweizer Hitparade) is Switzerland's main Record chart, music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.
The Swiss charts include:
* ...
, No. 10 on the
Norwegian Singles Chart
VG-lista is a Norwegian record chart
A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide chart ...
, No. 12 on the
Austrian Singles Chart
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
, No. 13 on the
Belgian Singles Chart
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization of ...
(Wallonia), and No. 18 on the
Finnish Singles Chart
The Official Finnish Charts ( fi, Suomen virallinen lista; sv, Finlands officiella lista) are national record charts in Finland compiled and published by Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. The name ''Suomen virallinen lista/Finlands officiell ...
. The follow-up single "
Love in This Club Part II
"Love in This Club Part II" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Usher, and features rapper Lil Wayne and fellow singer Beyoncé. "Love in This Club Part II" was released by LaFace Records on April 28, 2008, as the second single from Usher's ...
", which features American singer
Beyoncé and rapper
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
, peaked at No. 18 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 7 on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart. Its third single "
Moving Mountains" peaked at No. 18 on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart and reached No. 6 on the
New Zealand Singles Chart
The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...
. The album's fifth single "
Trading Places
''Trading Places'' is a 1983 American comedy film directed by John Landis, with a screenplay by Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod. Starring Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, Denholm Elliott, and Jamie Lee Curtis, the ...
" peaked at No. 4 on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart.
In September 2008, Usher announced he would embark on the 15-date tour ''One Night Stand'', in which the audience is only females. On January 18, 2009, Usher performed with
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...
and
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is ...
at the
We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. He also sang "
Gone Too Soon
"Gone Too Soon" is a ballad recorded and popularized by American musician Michael Jackson. It was written and composed by Larry Grossman and Buz Kohan.
Dionne Warwick first performed (but never recorded) the song in February 1983 on a TV sp ...
" at the
memorial of
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
on July 7, 2009.
2010–2011: ''Raymond v. Raymond'' and ''Versus''
![Usher at Madison Square Garden by Loren Wohl](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Usher_at_Madison_Square_Garden_by_Loren_Wohl.jpg)
''
Raymond v. Raymond'' was released on March 26, 2010, in Germany, on March 30, 2010, in the US, and on April 26, 2010, in the UK. The album was expected to follow in Usher's ''
Confessions'' album's footsteps. ''Raymond v. Raymond'' was released only months after Usher's divorce from Tameka Foster. "
Papers", a song about divorce, was released as the first single for the album in October 2009. It topped the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart for two consecutive weeks, becoming his tenth number one single on that chart. It also peaked at number 31 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States. Critics praised the song for its emotion. "
Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)
"Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" is a song by American R&B singer Usher (musician), Usher. The song is the first single in the United States from Usher (musician), Usher's sixth studio album ''Raymond v. Raymond'', following the buzz single "Papers (s ...
" was released as the second single on December 8, 2009. The single peaked at number 24
on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and number 2 on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart. The song was released as the second international single in July 2010. "
Lil Freak
"Lil Freak" is a song by American recording artist Usher, taken from his sixth studio album, ''Raymond v. Raymond''. Featuring guest vocals by Trinidadian recording artist Nicki Minaj, the song was written by her, Usher, Ester Dean, Blac Elvis ...
" was announced as the album's official second single in the United States. Usher and
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated Flow (rapping), flow in her rapping, alter e ...
shot the music video for the song on March 9, 2010, in Los Angeles with director TAJ Stansberry. It reached number 8 on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart and number 40 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It became Usher's fourth Top 40 hit single from ''Raymond v. Raymond'', when including the buzz single "Papers".
"
OMG", which features
will.i.am, is the third official US single and the first international single. The song received mixed reviews, complimenting the song's dance and club vibe but criticizing the
Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances.
Auto-Tu ...
effect. It reached number-one in Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States. The song became his ninth number one in the United States, making him the first 2010s artist to collect number one singles in three consecutive decades, and only the fourth artist of all-time to achieve the feat. Usher also became the third artist to have at least one number one song from five consecutive studio albums. The song's choreography and dance-heavy accompanying music video has been compared to that of "
Yeah!". "
There Goes My Baby" was released to airplay as the album's fourth single in the United States on June 15, 2010. The song reached number 25 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, and number-one on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart, becoming Usher's eleventh number-one hit on that chart. The song ended up tying with "
You Make Me Wanna
"You Make Me Wanna..." is a song by American recording artist Usher. It was released on August 5, 1997, by LaFace Records and Arista Records as the lead single from Usher's second studio album, '' My Way'' (1997). "You Make Me Wanna..." was writ ...
" for fourth longest stay on the chart with 71 weeks. All of the album's singles received very heavy air play. On April 7, 2010, Raymond v. Raymond debuted at number No. 1 on the US
''Billboard'' 200 chart, becoming his third consecutive No. 1 album and selling an impressive 329,107 copies in its first week of release,
making him the first male artist since
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
to have three consecutive albums debut at number one on the
''Billboard'' 200 chart. After one month of release the album was certified Gold by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. On June 17, 2010, the album was certified Platinum by the
RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
.
''Raymond v. Raymond'' also dominated the International Charts, debuting inside the top 10 in Canada, the United Kingdom, Holland, Australia, Germany, Spain, and Italy. Due to the huge international success of Usher's single "
OMG" and the good first week sales for ''Raymond v. Raymond,'' the album reached number two in Australia and has been certified gold by the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA).
The album debuted at number four in Canada and has been certified Gold by the
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It ...
(CRIA). ''Raymond v. Raymond'' debuted at number-two in the United Kingdom.
Usher announced on July 8, 2010,
a follow-up
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. to his sixth studio album ''Raymond v. Raymond'' called ''
Versus'', and a deluxe edition of ''Raymond v. Raymond'', both to be released on August 24, 2010.
Usher described ''Versus'' as "the last chapter of ''
Raymond v. Raymond''", and that it would explore the subjects of being newly single and a father.
The album included 9 tracks, including 7 new tracks, ''Raymond v. Raymond'' single "
There Goes My Baby", and
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
single "
Somebody to Love (Remix)". The tracks would be included on a deluxe edition of ''Raymond v. Raymond''. The album debuted at number four on the
''Billboard'' 200 chart and is preceded by the singles "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" featuring
Pitbull
Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...
, for mainstream audiences, and "Hot Tottie" featuring
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
, for urban circuits.
![Usher OMG Houston](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Usher_OMG_Houston.jpg)
The first single from the album, "
DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love
"DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" is a song by American singer Usher, featuring guest vocals from American rapper Pitbull, who co-wrote the song with the producers Shellback and Max Martin, with additional writing from Savan Kotecha. It was release ...
", was released to
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
on July 13, 2010, and sent to radio on July 20, 2010. Due to strong digital sales the song debuted at number nineteen on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song became the fourth highest debut on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 of his career, behind 1997's "Nice & Slow" at number nine, 1998's "My Way" at eight, and 2010's "
OMG" at number fourteen. Since its release, it has gained international success, peaking in the top 5 in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. It reached the top 10 in Canada and Europe. It reached number-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 in its third week of release, and became the first time Usher has had two top-ten hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at the same time since his album ''
Confessions''.
It also became Usher's sixteenth Billboard Hot 100 top-ten hit of his career. The second single,
Hot Tottie, reached number nine on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart and number twenty-one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Usher appeared at the
2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010. He then performed at the 2010 American Music Awards on November 21, 2010, and also won the awards for Male Soul/R&B artist and Favorite Soul/R&B album for his album ''Raymond v. Raymond''. According to Rap-Up.com, Usher started working on his next studio album,
again teaming up with long-time collaborator
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wiscon ...
.
The
OMG Tour
OMG Tour was the fourth concert tour by American recording artist Usher. Visiting North America, Asia, Europe and Australia, the tour accompanies his sixth studio album, '' Raymond v. Raymond'' (2010), as well as his first extended play, '' Vers ...
began in November 2010 and ended on June 1, 2011. On February 6, 2011, Usher also made an appearance in the
Super Bowl XLV halftime show to sing his song "
OMG" with
The Black Eyed Peas
Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie, who replaced Kim Hi ...
' singer
will.i.am.
On September 8, 2011, Usher appeared on
Romeo Santos
Anthony "Romeo" Santos (born July 21, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor who is best known as the frontman and lead vocalist of the bachata group Aventura. In 2002, the song " Obsesión" reached number one in It ...
' second single "
Promise" from his debut studio album ''
Formula, Vol. 1
''Formula, Vol. 1'' is the debut studio album by American singer Romeo Santos, released on November 8, 2011 by Sony Music Latin. It is Santos's first album as a solo artist following the break-up of American bachata group Aventura, of which he ...
.'' The song was his first number-one on the
''Billboard'' Latin Songs chart. A month later, on October 7, Sony Music, which was a parent company to the
RCA Music Group
RCA Music Group was an umbrella group of labels distributed by Sony Music Entertainment that existed between March 2004 and 2009, and for a short period of time between July 2011 and October 2011 as all RCA Music Group labels were merged with RCA ...
, confirmed the consolidation of Usher's previous labels, Jive, and Arista, along with
J Records
J Records was an American record label owned and operated by Bertelsmann Music Group until it was transferred to Sony Music Entertainment when they acquired all of BMG’s record labels in late 2008. It was distributed through the RCA Music Gro ...
. Following the consolidation of the three labels, Usher (and various other artists previously signed to the three aforementioned labels) will release future musical material under
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 ...
.
2012–2014: ''Looking 4 Myself'' and ''The Voice''
In November 2011, Usher revealed that for his next album he was working on a new type of music which he has depicted as "revolutionary pop", which combines different genres to form a new sound. His seventh studio album ''
Looking 4 Myself
''Looking 4 Myself'' is the seventh studio album by American singer Usher. It was released on June 8, 2012, by RCA Records; it is Usher's first album for RCA after the October 2011 merger of the Jive Records group which also included his label, ...
'' was released on June 8, 2012, worldwide, and received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics.
American singer-songwriter and record producer
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wiscon ...
was interviewed by ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
'' magazine, where he spoke about his relationships with artists and experiences. He commented on how Usher wanted to do things differently on the album compared to his previous efforts, saying: "What he wanted to do
n ''Looking 4 Myself''was explore himself musically. He stepped outside of what was safe and normal. He wanted to make an album that expressed where he was going sonically and not just where he's been for the past 12 to 15 years. He's growing, developing, moving, shaking, and being something that's new,
cultural
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human Society, societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, and habits of the ...
, and that's affecting people sonically. That's kind of forcing the people to grow and elevate". In an interview for
MTV News, Usher stated that ''Looking 4 Myself'' is "the most artistic of an album" he has ever had in history. When questioned by
Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency was estab ...
during an interview regarding the latter quote, and how this project was different, Usher explained that he felt he was near a 'rebirth' and that prior to ''Looking 4 Myself'', he felt restricted and conformed to a specific standard. He said to himself "I gotta go with what I feel and hopefully people will follow me".
The lead single from Usher's seventh studio album is titled "
Climax
Climax may refer to:
Language arts
* Climax (narrative), the point of highest tension in a narrative work
* Climax (rhetoric), a figure of speech that lists items in order of importance
Biology
* Climax community, a biological community t ...
". It impacted Urban radio on February 21, 2012, and was made available for purchase as a
digital download on February 22, 2012. It impacted US mainstream radio on March 13, 2012. The second single released from the album was "
Scream" and the third single "Lemme See" which features Rick Ross. "Scream" was premiered on April 26, 2012, while "Lemme See" was premiered on May 8, 2012. On ''Billboard''
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay
R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (previously known as Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay) is a chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the top R&B and hip hop songs in the United States, based on audience impressions from a panel of radio stations monitored ...
, "Climax" enabled Usher to add a second song of his in the six longest stays at number one for 11 weeks after "
You Make Me Wanna" with 12 weeks.
In 2013, Usher substituted for
CeeLo Green
Thomas DeCarlo Callaway - Burton (born May 30, 1975), known professionally as CeeLo Green (or Cee Lo Green), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. He is known for his work in hip hop and R&B, including the Gnarls ...
as a coach for the
fourth season of
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
's ''
The Voice
The Voice may refer to:
Fictional entities
* The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics
* The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe
* The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
''. His last act,
Michelle Chamuel, lost the winning title to
Danielle Bradbery
Danielle Simone Bradbery (born July 23, 1996) is an American country pop singer. She won season 4 of NBC's ''The Voice'' in 2013, becoming the youngest artist to win the competition at age 16. Bradbery's record has since been eclipsed by Sawyer ...
, mentored by
Blake Shelton
Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music singer and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single " Austin". The lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" spent five weeks at ...
. He returned for the
sixth season and his last act,
Josh Kaufman
Josh Kaufman (born November 9, 1976) is an American soul singer and singer-songwriter. A native of the Tampa Bay area in Florida, Kaufman is based out of and resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is best known for winning the season 6 of NBC's ' ...
, won.
![Usher_SAP_Arena_(cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Usher_SAP_Arena_%28cropped%29.jpg)
On March 19, 2013, Usher announced that his eighth studio album, titled ''UR'', was in the works.
Talking to ''
The Fader
''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes.
It is o ...
'', he described the album as "everything you can imagine", saying that it's "gonna be freaking out of here".
Singer-songwriter Eric Bellinger told ''
Rap-Up'' that he, along with
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ.
Early life
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...
,
Bryan-Michael Cox
Bryan-Michael Paul Cox (born December 1, 1977) is an American record producer and songwriter who is notable for his work with artists such as Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Toni Braxton. Among his most notable productions are "Be Wit ...
, and
Brian Alexander Morgan
Brian Alexander Morgan is an American record producer from Wichita, Kansas, United States, best known for his work writing and producing with the R&B group SWV.
Career
In his early 20s, Morgan recorded a demo tape with his childhood friend LaChe ...
, was working on Usher's next album.
Bellinger compared the album's music to Usher's ''
Confessions'' (2004), saying that it is "more R&B, more urban" than Usher's ''
Looking 4 Myself
''Looking 4 Myself'' is the seventh studio album by American singer Usher. It was released on June 8, 2012, by RCA Records; it is Usher's first album for RCA after the October 2011 merger of the Jive Records group which also included his label, ...
''.
The latter declared that his next album would show that he is "still Usher".
"
Good Kisser
"Good Kisser" is a song by American singer Usher. The single was released on May 5, 2014, by RCA Records. The accompanying music video debuted the same day. The song was written by Andrew "Pop" Wansel, Bobby Bloom, Jeff Barry, Ronald "Flippa" Col ...
", a dance-heavy throwback R&B track, was released as the first single allowing Usher to achieve his 13th no.1 on the
Airplay
Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
chart, tying
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
for most leaders in the list's history. Produced by Pop & Oak, it was performed at ''
The Voice
The Voice may refer to:
Fictional entities
* The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics
* The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe
* The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
''. Since then, two other singles have been released from the album: "
She Came to Give It to You
"She Came to Give It to You" is a song by American singer Usher, featuring Nicki Minaj and uncredited vocals from Pharrell Williams. It was released on July 8, 2014, through RCA Records. RCA Records sent the song to US rhythmic contemporary an ...
" featuring
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated Flow (rapping), flow in her rapping, alter e ...
and "
I Don't Mind" featuring
Juicy J
Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, established i ...
. The latter allowed Usher to lead the
Rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to:
* Related to rhythm
* Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics
* Rhythmic (chart)
The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...
charts with the most number ones (13).
On August 25, 2014, Usher announced his
UR Experience Tour
The UR Experience was the fifth concert tour by American artist Usher. Visiting North America and Europe, the tour played over 40 concerts in 2014 and 2015.
Background
The tour was announced on September 2, 2014.
"With 'The UR Experience', I ...
in support of his then-titled eighth studio album ''UR''. The UR Experience started in Montreal, Quebec on November 1 and ended in Tampa, Florida on December 14.
The 27 city North American leg was supported by opening acts
DJ Cassidy
Cassidy Durango Milton Willy Podell (born 1981), known as DJ Cassidy, is an American DJ, record producer and MC.
With his trademark boaters, cricket sweaters, bow ties, color-blocked tuxedos, and 24-carat-gold microphone, Cassidy became known f ...
and R&B newcomer
August Alsina
August Anthony Alsina Jr.(April 8, 2013)R&B Singer August Alsina Talks Working With The Dream, Preps Def Jam Debut, ''Life + Times'' (confirms middle name; other sources confirm he is a "junior") (born September 3, 1992) is an American singer f ...
. The European leg of the tour visited 23 cities and the support would be
Nico & Vinz
Nico & Vinz are a Norwegian duo consisting of Kahouly Nicolay "Nico" Sereba from Holmlia, Oslo and Vincent "Vinzy V" Dery from Lambertseter, Oslo. They formed in 2010 as Envy but changed their name to Nico & Vinz by the end of 2012. They are comm ...
. "With The UR Experience, I want to give my fans an ever-changing live show full of surprises and special guests," Usher says, via a press release. "I am really excited to be with my fans and give them an Usher experience like they've never seen or heard before."
While on tour, with the collaboration of
Honey Nut Cheerios
Honey Nut Cheerios is a variation of Cheerios breakfast cereal, introduced in 1979 by Yandel Gonzalez, who was in the General Mills cereal company.
Honey Nut Cheerios is sweeter than the original, with a honey and almond flavor. While Honey Nut ...
, he released "Clueless", a new song that could be downloaded free using a code from specially-marked Honey Nut Cheerios boxes bought from Walmart.
2015–2017: ''Hard II Love'' and ''Hands of Stone''
On October 16, 2015, Usher released an interactive music video exclusively on the music streaming platform
Tidal
Tidal is the adjectival form of tide.
Tidal may also refer to:
* ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple
* Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim
* TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music
* Tidal (servic ...
called "
Chains
A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...
" featuring artists
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" ...
. "Chains" literally forces the viewer to confront the issue of racial profiling and police brutality head-on: By utilizing the webcam on the viewer's computer as well as facial recognition technology, "Chains" paused mid-song whenever the viewer's eyes deviate from the video. Usher performed the song for the first time at the Tidal X:1020 concert on October 20, 2015, at Brooklyn's Barclays Arena. On January 14, 2016, after continual delays of his eighth album, Usher announced via
Daniel Arsham
Daniel Arsham (born 1980) is an American artist. He lives and works in New York City.
Early life and education
Born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Miami, Florida, Arsham was 12 when Hurricane Andrew destroyed his childhood home. This trau ...
Instagram post that he changed the title of the album from ''UR'' to ''Flawed''. It was scheduled to be released in April 2016, but has been pushed back with no release date. On February 29, 2016,
Yuna
Yuna may refer to:
Geography
*Yuna River, Dominican Republic
*Yuna, Western Australia
Music
* ''Yuna'' (album), a 2012 album by Malaysian singer Yuna
* ''Yuna'' (EP), a 2008 album by Malaysian acoustic singer Yuna
People Japanese
*Yuna Aoi, wr ...
released "
Crush" as the first single from her forthcoming album
''Chapters'' featuring Usher. On June 9, 2016, Usher released a new single from his expected forthcoming album ''Flawed'' on the music streaming platform
Tidal
Tidal is the adjectival form of tide.
Tidal may also refer to:
* ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple
* Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim
* TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music
* Tidal (servic ...
titled "
No Limit
No Limit may refer to:
Music Record labels
*No Limit Records, a record label founded by Master P
* No Limit Forever Records, a record label founded by Romeo Miller, son of Master P
Albums
* ''No Limit'' (Art Pepper album), 1977
* ''No Limit'' ...
" featuring
Young Thug
Jeffery Lamar Williams (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is considered to be an influential figure of his generation, with his music impacting the modern sound of hip ...
, along with a second single titled "
Crash
Crash or CRASH may refer to:
Common meanings
* Collision, an impact between two or more objects
* Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond
* Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating
* Couch su ...
" on June 10 for all digital platforms.
![Usher (16571645134) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Usher_%2816571645134%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
On June 12, 2016, it was reported that Raymond signed a management deal with business partner
Scooter Braun
Scott Samuel "Scooter" Braun (born June 18, 1981) is an American entrepreneur, investor, and entertainment executive. Known as the manager for artists such as Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, J Balvin, Demi Lovato, The Kid Laroi and other artists ...
. Braun already represented Justin Bieber and had a joint venture with Raymond and Bieber. This report was confirmed by Usher during a sit down interview with
Ryan Seacrest at the 73rd annual
Cannes Festival on June 21, 2016. Usher furthered his acting career, starring as American former professional boxer
Sugar Ray Leonard
Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professional ...
in the 2016 American-Panamanian biographical sports film ''
Hands of Stone
''Hands of Stone'' is a 2016 American biographical sports film about the career of Panamanian former professional boxer Roberto Durán. It is directed and written by Jonathan Jakubowicz. It stars Édgar Ramírez, Robert De Niro, Usher, Ruben Blad ...
'' about the career of Panamanian former professional boxer
Roberto Durán
Roberto Durán Samaniego (born June 16, 1951) is a Panamanian former professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 2001. He held world championships in four weight classes: lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight, as w ...
. In it, he starred opposite of
Édgar Ramírez
Édgar Filiberto Ramírez Arellano (, born 25 March 1977) is a Venezuelan actor. Ramírez studied communications at the Andrés Bello Catholic University. He then worked in media and considered becoming a diplomat. When Guillermo Arriaga pra ...
,
Robert De Niro and
Ruben Blades
Reuben or Reuven is a Biblical male first name from Hebrew רְאוּבֵן (Re'uven), meaning "behold, a son". In the Bible, Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob.
Variants include Rúben in European Portuguese; Rubens in Brazilian Portugue ...
. On August 26, 2016, ''Hands of Stone'' premiered worldwide. "
Missin U
"Missin U" is a song by American singer Usher. It was released by RCA Records on August 26, 2016 on for online streaming and for digital download. The record is taken from his eighth studio album, ''Hard II Love''. The song was written by Usher, R ...
" was also released as a third single by
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 ...
for online streaming and digital download, along with "
Champions
A champion (from the late Latin ''campio'') is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition. There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, a ...
(from the Motion Picture Hands of Stone)", both on
Vevo
Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...
. On August 30, "
Rivals
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
" featuring
Future was released and debuted exclusively on Tidal with its accompanying video. It was released on Vevo on September 2, 2016. On September 13, 2016, both "Missin U" and "Rivals" were sent to radio as the album's third and fourth singles.
The album ''
Hard II Love
''Hard II Love'' is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Usher. It was released on September 16, 2016, by RCA Records. Recording sessions took place between from 2013 to 2016, including the executive production from Usher, alon ...
'' was released on September 16, 2016, and received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics. It debuted at number 5 on the US
''Billboard'' 200, and sold 28,000 copies in the United States in its first week. It also became his seventh consecutive top ten album in the United States. The lead single, "
No Limit
No Limit may refer to:
Music Record labels
*No Limit Records, a record label founded by Master P
* No Limit Forever Records, a record label founded by Romeo Miller, son of Master P
Albums
* ''No Limit'' (Art Pepper album), 1977
* ''No Limit'' ...
" featuring rapper
Young Thug
Jeffery Lamar Williams (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is considered to be an influential figure of his generation, with his music impacting the modern sound of hip ...
initially was serviced to Urban radio on June 9, and eventually peaked at number 1 on the
Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
airplay chart, number 32 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, and number 9 on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
. On December 16, 2016,
Chris Brown released
"Party" as the second single from his forthcoming album ''
Heartbreak on a Full Moon
''Heartbreak on a Full Moon'' is the eighth studio album by American singer Chris Brown. The album is a double-disc, consisting of 45 tracks, and was released digitally on October 31, 2017, and onto CD three days later by RCA Records. Brown for t ...
'' featuring Usher and
Gucci Mane
Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...
.
2018–2022: ''A'' and ''Confessions 2''
On October 12, 2018, Usher released his ninth studio album, titled simply ''
A''. The official tracklist contains 8 songs with features from
Future and
Gunna. The album was produced entirely by
Zaytoven
Xavier Lamar Dotson (born January 12, 1980), professionally known as Zaytoven, is an American trap music record producer, disc jockey, and keyboardist from Atlanta, Georgia. He has released collaborative projects with artists including Gu ...
, who previously collaborated on Usher's ''
Raymond v. Raymond'' album as a co-producer for the single "
Papers".
Between November 9–17, 2018, Usher served as the headliner for the
RNB Fridays Live
RNB Fridays Live is an annual concert series held in Australia. The series was co-founded by the Hit Radio Network and Frontier Touring in 2016. The event features several stages featuring musical artists from many genres of music, including ...
concert series. The six date stadium tour in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
sold over 150,000 tickets On November 14, 2018,
''Billboard'' reported that Usher signed a worldwide management deal with Luke Mitzman and 100 Management. It was also reported he is working on a follow up album that will be released in 2019. On December 2, 2018, Usher performed at the
Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 in
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, celebrating the legacy of
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...
. Usher and DJ
Black Coffee performed a mash-up featuring the South African Indigenous Dance Academy (IDA).
![First Lady Melania Trump at the Kennedy Center (48688952977) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/First_Lady_Melania_Trump_at_the_Kennedy_Center_%2848688952977%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Usher had a cameo in the crime film ''
Hustlers'', which was released on September 13, 2019, and stars
Jennifer Lopez,
Constance Wu
Constance Wu (born March 22, 1982) is an American actress. Wu was included on ''Time'' magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2017. She has earned several accolades, including nominations for a Golden Globe Award, fo ...
,
Keke Palmer
Lauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer (born August 26, 1993) ( ) is an American actress, singer and television personality. Known for playing leading and character roles in comedy and drama productions, she has received a Primetime Emmy Award, five NAACP I ...
,
Cardi B, and
Lili Reinhart
Lili Pauline Reinhart (born September 13, 1996) is an American actress. She is known for portraying Betty Cooper on The CW teen drama series'' Riverdale'' (2017–present) and Annabelle in Lorene Scafaria's black comedy crime drama film '' Hust ...
. In September 2019, director
Lorene Scafaria
Lorene Scafaria (born 1978) is an American filmmaker, playwright, musician, and former actress. She wrote and directed the films ''Seeking a Friend for the End of the World'' (2012), ''The Meddler'' (2015), and '' Hustlers'' (2019), in addition ...
told
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
magazine his cameo was written into the script in 2016, before the film went into development. Usher is featured on the film's soundtrack, with his single ”
Love in This Club".
In March 2019, Usher posted a photo of himself in the studio next to a whiteboard with the title "Confessions 2" and a blurred out tracklisting. The following day producer
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ.
Early life
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...
, who produced the original ''
Confessions'' went live on Instagram and previewed new music.
On June 15, 2019, Usher, alongside
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by R&B, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...
, headlined the second annual Smoking Grooves Festival at the Queen Mary Events Park in
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
.
On September 6, 2019, Usher returned for
season seventeen of
NBC's ''
The Voice
The Voice may refer to:
Fictional entities
* The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics
* The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe
* The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
.'' He joined
John Legend
John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Eve ...
team as this season's battle advisor. On September 10, 2019, DJ Black Coffee released his single
"Lalala" featuring Usher from his forthcoming album. It reached number one on the South Africa airplay charts. Usher appeared on
Summer Walker's debut album ''
Over It'', which was released on October 4, 2019''.'' They collaborated on "
Come Thru
"Come Thru" is a song by American singers Summer Walker and Usher. The song was released as the third single from Walker's debut album '' Over It'', on December 28, 2019. It peaked at number forty-two on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the ...
", which samples "
You Make Me Wanna...", his hit from his second album, ''
My Way
"My Way" is a song popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François and first performed in 1967 by Claude François. Its E ...
''. ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'', ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', and ''
Paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distributed ...
'' all named it one of the best songs of the week.
On December 13, 2019, Usher released the lead single, "
Don't Waste My Time", featuring British singer-songwriter
Ella Mai
Ella Mai Howell (born 3 November 1994) is an English singer-songwriter. Her musical career began at London's British and Irish Modern Music Institute in 2014, during which time she auditioned as part of a trio on the 11th season of ''The X Fa ...
for his upcoming ninth studio album. It was co-produced by longtime collaborators
Bryan-Michael Cox
Bryan-Michael Paul Cox (born December 1, 1977) is an American record producer and songwriter who is notable for his work with artists such as Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Toni Braxton. Among his most notable productions are "Be Wit ...
and Jermaine Dupri. Usher, Ella Mai, and Jermaine Dupri performed the song on
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
's ''SOS: Saving Ourselves - A BET Covid 19 Relief Special'', to benefit
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
Communities Impacted By
Coronavirus on April 22, 2020. It topped the
Adult R&B Chart, becoming his fifth number one single on that chart.
Usher performed at the
62nd Annual Grammy Awards
The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 26, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from October 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019. Al ...
on January 26, 2020. Usher and
Shelia E. performed a special tribute honoring
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
. This performance was teaser for the ''Let's Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince'' concert at the
Staples Center scheduled for January 28, 2020 on CBS featuring performances from,
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
,
John Legend
John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Eve ...
,
Chris Martin
Christopher Anthony John Martin (born 2 March 1977) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist, pianist, rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay. Born in Exeter, Devon, he went to Uni ...
,
H.E.R.
Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson (born June 27, 1997), known professionally as H.E.R. (pronounced "her", an acronym for "Having Everything Revealed"), is an American singer, songwriter, musician and actress.
She has received several awards includin ...
, and more.
Usher had been set to host and perform at the 2020
iHeartRadio Music Awards
The iHeartRadio Music Awards is a music awards show that celebrates music heard throughout the year across iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia's digital music platform. Founded by iHeartRadio in 2014, the ev ...
, which had been set scheduled to broadcast live on Fox on Sunday, March 29. The event was postponed due to concerns over the spread of
coronavirus.
Usher served as executive producer and judge on a dance competition series called ''The Sauce''. The seven-episode series premiered on April 6, 2020, on the streaming service
Quibi
Quibi ( ) was a short-lived American short-form streaming platform that generated content for viewing on mobile devices. It was founded in Los Angeles in August 2018 as NewTV by Jeffrey Katzenberg and was led by Meg Whitman, its CEO. The serv ...
. On April 11, 2019, Usher released his second single, "
SexBeat
"SexBeat" is a song by American musicians Usher, Lil Jon, and Ludacris, released on April 10, 2020, as the second single from Usher's upcoming ninth studio album ''Confessions 2''. It is the third song between the trio, following " Yeah!" and "Lo ...
", featuring former collaborators
Lil Jon
Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971) better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, producer and former frontman of the rap group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. He was instrumental in the emergence of the hip hop subgenre cr ...
and
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
. It was co-written by Jermaine Dupri and Antoine Harris. The release of "SexBeat" came days after Lil Jon premiered the track on April 5 during an online music battle called #VERZUZ hosted by
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...
and
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
. He appeared on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
's ''
Songland
''Songland'' is an American songwriting competition series that aired on NBC from May 28, 2019, to June 15, 2020. The show, produced in cooperation with the Universal Television Alternative Studio, 222 Productions, Live Animals Productions and D ...
'' and released the song "
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
" featuring
Tyga
Michael Ray Nguyen-Stevenson[Micheal Ray Stevenson ...](_blank)
on June 15, 2020. On June 26, 2020, Usher released "
I Cry I Cry may refer to
Music
* ''I Cry'' (album), 2008 EP by Rotersand
* "I Cry" (Flo Rida song), 2012
* "I Cry" (Ja Rule song), 2001 Ja Rule song featuring Lil' Mo
* "I Cry" (Tammy Cochran song), 2001
* "I Cry" (Usher song), 2020
*"I Cry", a 1965 song ...
".
On September 4, 2020, Usher announced he will be headlining a 12 show residency at the Colosseum at Caesars’ Palace in
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
. The show is scheduled to start on July 16, 2021, and is slated to run until January 1, 2022. Live Nation Las Vegas and Caesars Entertainment will be donating $1 from every ticket purchased to
Usher's New Look foundation.
Usher released the single "
Bad Habits" on September 10, 2020, as the second single off his forthcoming studio album. The music video directed by
Chris Robinson accompanied the song. It topped the
Adult R&B Chart, becoming his sixth number one single on that chart.
On June 30, 2022, Usher performed on
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
’s ''
Tiny Desk Concerts
Tiny Desk Concerts is a video series of live concerts hosted by NPR Music at the desk of ''All Songs Considered'' host Bob Boilen in Washington, D.C.
The first Tiny Desk Concert came about in 2008 after Boilen and NPR Music editor Stephen Tho ...
'' series. He was joined by vocalists
Eric Bellinger
Eric Aldwin Bellinger Jr. (born March 26, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles. He began songwriting in 2010, and his co-writing credits including "Lemme See" by Usher, " New Flame" by Chris Brown, "You D ...
and Vedo, bassist, Dmitry Gorodetsky, trombonist Lemar Guillary, trumpeter Brandyn Phllips, saxophonist Jay Flat, keyboardist Darek Cobbs, guitarist Erick Walls and drummer Ryan Carr. A clip from the performance of Usher whispering “watch this” went
viral on the internet as a
meme.
Artistry
Musical style and influences
Usher's music is generally
R&B, but also incorporates
pop among other genres.
Elias Leight of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' wrote that "catching pop's waves has always been one of Usher's greatest strengths, whether that means collaborating with Lil Jon when crunk was going mainstream or charging into EDM". ''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' stated that Usher provided some of "the best of pop music in R&B". His narratives have an autobiographical nature of emphasis on lifestyle, relationships and love,
resembling "an R&B
Casanova
Giacomo Girolamo Casanova (, ; 2 April 1725 – 4 June 1798) was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, (''Story of My Life''), is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of information about the c ...
".
''
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
** F ...
'' was
new jack swing oriented, while ''
My Way
"My Way" is a song popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François and first performed in 1967 by Claude François. Its E ...
'' contained influences of
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
.
''
8701
''8701'' is the third studio album by American singer Usher, released in the United Kingdom on July 9, 2001, and in the United States on August 7, 2001, by Arista Records. Recording was handled by several producers including The Neptunes, Jerm ...
'' "introduces touches of '80s
rock guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected str ...
and the minimal rhythm of '80s
hip hop" displaying versatility, according to
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
's
Lucy O'Brien
Lucy O'Brien (born 13 September 1961)Author Biography, O'Brien, Lucy – She Bop: The definitive history of women in rock, pop, and soul, London: Penguin, 1995 is a British author and journalist whose work focuses on women in music.
Early musi ...
. ''
Confessions'' is viewed as a "top-of-the-line
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 ...
showcase", with established critic
Robert Hilburn
Robert Hilburn (born September 25, 1939) is an American pop music critic, author, and radio host. As critic and music editor at the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays and profiles appeared in publications around the wor ...
of ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' seeing lead single "
Yeah!" as something
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
would have created "if he still had the old ''
Thriller'' magic". ''
Here I Stand'' was noted as more
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
-heavy by critics, where the
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may a ...
's usage of
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
notably drew comparisons to
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...
. ''
Raymond V Raymond
''Raymond v. Raymond'' is the sixth studio album by American singer Usher, released on March 26, 2010, by LaFace Records. Production for the album took place in 2009 and was handled by several producers, including Jermaine Dupri, The Runners, E ...
'' was described as a "skillful fusion of R&B/hip-hop/pop" by
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
. ''
Looking 4 Myself
''Looking 4 Myself'' is the seventh studio album by American singer Usher. It was released on June 8, 2012, by RCA Records; it is Usher's first album for RCA after the October 2011 merger of the Jive Records group which also included his label, ...
'' further explored progressive R&B,
hip hop ballads and
synth pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
, with its overall sound coined "hybrid pop" for its dynamic incorporation of
EDM
EDM or E-DM may refer to:
Music
* Electronic dance music
* Early Day Miners, American band
Science and technology
* Electric dipole moment
* Electrical discharge machining
* Electronic distance measurement
*Entry, Descent, and landing demonstrat ...
,
dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken be ...
,
neo soul
Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contempo ...
and
funk.
''
Hard II Love
''Hard II Love'' is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Usher. It was released on September 16, 2016, by RCA Records. Recording sessions took place between from 2013 to 2016, including the executive production from Usher, alon ...
'' sees ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
''s
Maura Johnston
Maura K. Johnston (born May 28, 1975) is a writer, editor and music critic. A member of Boston College's journalism faculty, she has written for ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Boston Globe'', ''Pitchfork'', ''The Awl'', ''The New York Times'', ''Spin' ...
view it to "stretch the boundaries of R&B while winding toward the brooding atmospherics that have enveloped much of pop over the past 12 months".
On many occasions, Usher has named
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
as his biggest influence. Usher once told
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
, "He influenced me in so many ways, more than just music . ... . as a humanitarian, as a philanthropist, as an artist, as an individual who transcended culture. I wouldn't be who I am today without Michael Jackson". During the television special '
Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special', Usher was able to dance with Jackson while performing "
You Rock My World
"You Rock My World" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his tenth and final studio album, ''Invincible'' (2001). It was released as the lead single from the album on August 22, 2001, by Epic Records.
"You Rock My World" peaked at ...
".
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
being another main influence, Usher said "every album I'd always do like one song that is very Prince-influenced, because he's a great influence on me musically, especially just kind of being expansive and creating music that represents many different genres." In
''Time'' magazine's "
100 Most Influential People
''Time'' 100 (often stylized as ''TIME'' 100) is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine ''Time''. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, po ...
" issue, he explained "I was interested in music and trying to find a model. It was Michael, or it was Prince. He had an attitude, a rawness that Michael didn't have. He was not urban, but he was our version of what cool could be."
Other musical influences are
Marvin Gaye,
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...
,
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...
,
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
,
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly,
Al Green, and
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan ...
.
The
boy band New Edition
New Edition is an American R&B/Pop group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a 'new edition' of the Jackson 5. The group reached its height of popularity in the 19 ...
and its solo member
Bobby Brown
Robert Barisford Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing: a fusion of hip hop and R&B. Brown started h ...
were childhood influences. Usher told
ABC News
ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
, "I can remember as a kid attending a New Edition Concert", and called it "one of the greatest moments in my performance history" years later when he was invited on stage with the group to perform
"N.E. Heartbreak" at a concert in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
On Bobby Brown, Usher told
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
, "the first record that I ever bought was Bobby Brown's
''Don't Be Cruel''", and that he admired him "Just for being an edgy artist, being a true representative of R&B and rhythmic music". Usher's ''
Live
Live may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film
* ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film
*'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD)
Music
* Live (band), American alternative rock band
* List of album ...
'' album would feature a
medley performance of Brown's original singles - "
Don't Be Cruel
"Don't Be Cruel" is a song that was recorded by Elvis Presley and written by Otis Blackwell in 1956.Victor (2008), ''The Elvis Encyclopedia'', p.115-116 It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2004, it was listed #197 in '' Rol ...
", "
Every Little Step
"Every Little Step" is a 1989 single by American singer Bobby Brown, written by L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and released by MCA Records. Released as the fourth single on his second album ''Don't Be Cruel'' it reached number three on ...
", "
Rock Wit'cha
"Rock Wit'cha" is the fifth and final single released by Bobby Brown from the album ''Don't Be Cruel''. It is a ballad with two versions of the song. The music video uses the remix version found in the '' Dance!...Ya Know It!'' album. It peaked at ...
", and
"Roni". Usher was inspired by
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
's ''
My Way
"My Way" is a song popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François and first performed in 1967 by Claude François. Its E ...
'' album released in 1969 so much that he decided to name his second album ''My Way.'' Prince would inspire "
Nice & Slow
"Nice & Slow" is a song from American singer-songwriter Usher's second album, ''My Way'' (1997). Released on January 6, 1998, the song became Usher's first number-one single on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in February 1998. The song was wr ...
" while giving him his first number-one single on the
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
chart.
Usher's third album ''8701'' would be inspired by love and heartache, containing influences from
Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson. His fourth album was inspired by rapper
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
, who he credited for being transparent. Usher said in an interview with
Sway Calloway
Sway Calloway is an American journalist, radio personality, executive producer and former rapper. Known as Sway, he is known for hosting music, news, and culture programming. He was the co-host of the nationally syndicated radio show ''The Wake U ...
; "the honesty of hip-hop and what Eminem was saying on his records it motivated me ... there'd been other story tellers but never quite as vivid as his".
Vocal style
Usher possesses a
leggiero tenor , also called tenor (''graceful'', ''light'', and ''lightweight'' tenor, respectively), is a lightweight, flexible tenor voice type.Soreanu, Cristina. "Nineteenth Century’s Donizettian Singers and their Contribution to the Development of the Voca ...
vocal range of 3 octaves and 4 notes, and is considered to be "one of the most soothing in
R&B".
At the age of 13, he set the record for the longest note ever held by a child on ''
Star Search
''Star Search'' was an American television show that was produced by T.P.E./Rysher Entertainment from 1983 to 1995, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Al Masini. A relaunch was produced by 2929 Productions from 2003 to 2004. On both versio ...
'', with 12 seconds. Usher's
vocal coach
A vocal coach, also known as a voice coach (though this term often applies to those working with speech and communication rather than singing), is a music teacher, usually a piano accompanist, who helps singers prepare for a performance, often a ...
since ''
My Way
"My Way" is a song popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François and first performed in 1967 by Claude François. Its E ...
'',
Jan Smith
Mama Jan Smith is an American singer, songwriter, vocal coach and Grammy-nominated music producer from Atlanta, Georgia, who founded Jan Smith Studios.
Studio career
Mama Jan Smith began her musical career as a performer, singer and songwriter, ...
, cites him as "the single most gifted singer I've ever worked with in 26 years". On the dynamic ''
8701
''8701'' is the third studio album by American singer Usher, released in the United Kingdom on July 9, 2001, and in the United States on August 7, 2001, by Arista Records. Recording was handled by several producers including The Neptunes, Jerm ...
'',
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
's Kathryn McGuire describes his vocals as "velvety" and "impressively adaptable" as it won him his first two Grammys as
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance was awarded between 1968 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:
*In 1968 it was awarded as Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male
*From 1969 to 1994 it was awarded as Best R&B ...
. With ''
Confessions'',
Sasha Frere-Jones
Alexander Roger Wallace "Sasha" Frere-Jones (né Jones; born 1967) is an American writer, music critic, and musician. He has written for ''Pretty Decorating'', '' ego trip'', ''Hit It And Quit It'', ''Mean'', '' Slant'', ''The New York Post'', '' ...
of ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' generally noted him as "long on control and short on texture".
He received another
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
nomination in 2006 through a
cover
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
of
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...
's "
Superstar
A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based profe ...
" he performed on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...
'' in 2005.
''
Here I Stand'' displayed his vocals as "agile" and "balletic", as well as his ability to "easily drift from wavering
tenor
A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...
to fine-tuned
falsetto" that create emotions of urgency and burning according to Clover Hope of ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the crea ...
''. On his
One Night Stand: Ladies Only Tour in 2008, Lee Hildebrand of ''
San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The ...
'' assessed "Usher's chest tones have a ringing,
Gaye-like quality, and his high head tones suggest
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
's falsetto, but his frequent use of syllable-splitting curlicues owes much to
Wonder
Wonder most commonly refers to:
* Wonder (emotion), an emotion comparable to surprise that people feel when perceiving something rare or unexpected
Wonder may also refer to:
Arts and media
Fictional entities
* The Wonders, a fictional band ...
. Usher is a stronger, more assured singer than he was a decade ago, though the melismas in his lower range sometimes meander off pitch. His falsetto tonality is more on target."
''Looking For Myself'' exemplified his vocal craft earning him positive acclaim as
Gawker's Rick Juzwiak states "his vocal range is even more impressive than his emotional one" with emphasis on his falsetto being "something that sounds as natural as a speaking voice ... he's the picture of grace against shrieking synths ... His emotional range is vast enough to sell tenderness, lechery and wistfulness within minutes of each other". On "
Climax
Climax may refer to:
Language arts
* Climax (narrative), the point of highest tension in a narrative work
* Climax (rhetoric), a figure of speech that lists items in order of importance
Biology
* Climax community, a biological community t ...
", his performance lauded as "blistering" by
Maura Johnston
Maura K. Johnston (born May 28, 1975) is a writer, editor and music critic. A member of Boston College's journalism faculty, she has written for ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Boston Globe'', ''Pitchfork'', ''The Awl'', ''The New York Times'', ''Spin' ...
, and "hair-raising" by
Jody Rosen
Jody Rosen (born June 21, 1969 in New York City) is an American journalist and author. He is a contributing writer for ''The New York Times Magazine''.
Career Journalism
Rosen served as critic-at-large for '' T: The New York Times Style Magaz ...
,
as he won
Best R&B Performance
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide it is designed for s ...
in 2013. "
There Goes My Baby" and "
Dive
Diving most often refers to:
* Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water
* Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes
Diving or Dive may also refer to:
Sports
* Dive (American football), a ...
" are also commended as showcase standouts of his "superior R&B vocal range" by
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
's Ryan Hadfield, and
MadameNoire
''MadameNoire'' is an international online magazine that is geared toward the lifestyles of African American women as well as popular culture.
In 2015, ''MadameNoire'' had 7,116,000 unique visitors monthly, making it the most trafficked site ori ...
's Brande Victorian. For ''
Hard II Love
''Hard II Love'' is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Usher. It was released on September 16, 2016, by RCA Records. Recording sessions took place between from 2013 to 2016, including the executive production from Usher, alon ...
'',
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' commented "a genuinely expressive voice that encompasses an ardent
croon
Crooner is a term used to describe primarily male singers who performed using a smooth style made possible by better microphones which picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to access a more dynamic range ...
, a melting falsetto and quick, singsong
declamation
Declamation (from the Latin: ''declamatio'') is an artistic form of public speaking. It is a dramatic oration designed to express through articulation, emphasis and gesture the full sense of the text being conveyed.
History
In Ancient Rome, decla ...
".
Performance
![Usherraymond (300dpi)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Usherraymond_%28300dpi%29.jpg)
Usher's stage performances have been complimented by critics as "packed with high-octane
choreography
Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design ...
held together by sleek, masterful showmanship", and his presence "engaging enough to pull off a one-man show".
''
Vibe
''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...
magazine'' notes him as being
Bobby Brown
Robert Barisford Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing: a fusion of hip hop and R&B. Brown started h ...
-esque for his displays of "brash sexuality and arrogance", leading to antics such as being "prone to dropping his pants", and a "tendency to shed his shirt on stage".
On his
8701 Evolution Tour
8701 Evolution Tour was the debut concert tour by American recording artist Usher. Visiting North America, Asia, Canada, and Africa the tour accompanies his third studio album, '' 8701'' (2001). Following a milestone, 8701 sold 6 million copies ...
in 2002, Larry Nager of ''
The Cincinnati Enquirer
''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' is a morning daily newspaper published by Gannett in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. First published in 1841, the ''Enquirer'' is the last remaining daily newspaper in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, al ...
'' hailed his simultaneous ability, stating "the 23-year-old Atlantan proved you can sing and dance at the same time. Of course, that's how
James Brown,
Jackie Wilson and Usher's most obvious role model
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
did it, but in today's high-tech, gimmicky concerts, it's a lost art", claiming his show "ended the reign of '
Nsync,
Britney and the rest of the lip-synching, teen-pop acts". Usher told ''
People
A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
'' magazine "James Brown introduced me to soul. Because of him I was given a clear view of what a real performance is and should be. I learned showmanship from him", and has seen comparisons to his influences.
At the
2004 MTV Video Music Awards, he performed "
Confessions Part II
"Confessions Part II" is a song by R&B singer Usher, produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox for Usher's fourth album '' Confessions''. Written by Usher, Dupri and Cox, the song is a confession of a man to his woman about his impregn ...
" and "
Yeah!" under a rain machine, in which he eventually threw the
mic stand
A microphone stand is a free-standing mount for a microphone. It allows the microphone to be positioned in the studio, on stage or on location without requiring a person to hold it.
The most basic microphone stand is a ''straight stand''. It u ...
at a mirror during the former. ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' placed it at number 13 of their "20 Best
MTV VMAs Opening Performances".
Chad Batka for ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' said "He has established himself as one of R&B's supreme performers and craftsmen, following through on what he learned from Michael Jackson in particular: songs that alternate between choppy and smooth, vocals punctuated by exultant high whoops, a dance vocabulary."
Capable of playing the
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
,
he also began to adopt playing on other instruments such as the
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
and
bass guitar
The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
, amid singles "
Good Kisser
"Good Kisser" is a song by American singer Usher. The single was released on May 5, 2014, by RCA Records. The accompanying music video debuted the same day. The song was written by Andrew "Pop" Wansel, Bobby Bloom, Jeff Barry, Ronald "Flippa" Col ...
" and "
She Came to Give It to You
"She Came to Give It to You" is a song by American singer Usher, featuring Nicki Minaj and uncredited vocals from Pharrell Williams. It was released on July 8, 2014, through RCA Records. RCA Records sent the song to US rhythmic contemporary an ...
" in 2014.
The
UR Experience Tour
The UR Experience was the fifth concert tour by American artist Usher. Visiting North America and Europe, the tour played over 40 concerts in 2014 and 2015.
Background
The tour was announced on September 2, 2014.
"With 'The UR Experience', I ...
consisted of a nine-piece
band
Band or BAND may refer to:
Places
*Bánd, a village in Hungary
*Band, Iran, a village in Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Band, Mureș, a commune in Romania
*Band-e Majid Khan, a village in Bukan County, West Azerbaijan Province, I ...
and three
backing vocalist
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
s according to
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
, as ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' called him "a masterful all-rounder who surrounds himself with talent on stage".
Maura Johnston
Maura K. Johnston (born May 28, 1975) is a writer, editor and music critic. A member of Boston College's journalism faculty, she has written for ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Boston Globe'', ''Pitchfork'', ''The Awl'', ''The New York Times'', ''Spin' ...
of ''Rolling Stone'' labels him the "Award Show King", explaining "His dedication to choreography dates back to the days when
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
made videos that looked like they were shot in one take. He's an entertainer that would have been stunning at any point in the last 60 years of television."
Art and feminism
Usher is a supporter of
feminism
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
and a fan of
art
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas.
There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
. In December 2014, he attended
Art Basel Miami
Art Basel is a for-profit, privately owned and managed, international art fair staged annually in Basel, Switzerland; Miami Beach; Hong Kong and from 2022, Paris. Art Basel works in collaboration with the host city's local institutions to help ...
and participated in an art installation at
JJ Brine
JJ Brine (born Jonathan Friel) was an American visual artist and gallerist. The artist went by the title "The Crown Prince of Hell." He operated and curated the Vector Gallery in New York City, which drew attention and critical response for its ...
's VECTOR Gallery at Select Fair by performance artist
Lena Marquise
Lena Marquise (russian: Елена Утина; born February 24, 1985) is a Russian interdisciplinary artist based in New York. She started her career in the early 2000s. She works primarily within the disciplines of performance and video art. He ...
"Body As Commodity" during which she offered collectors 10 minutes of energy for $100. The news of the participation became the No. 1 reported on event of Art Basel. Usher did not disclose of the reasons behind his participation: media speculations assumed it was related to art and feminism amid the release of single "
I Don't Mind" featuring
Juicy J
Jordan Michael Houston III (born April 5, 1975), known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, established i ...
which discusses the work of an exotic dancer thus making a reference to the new wave of feminism.
Usher is an art collector. In an interview with ''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' he said: "It's significant to where you are in your life," explaining his turn to art collecting. "As you get older and have children, your reflections on what matters begin to change." Raymond said: "I started slowing it down," he went on, "enjoying the places I went, going to museums, understanding the nature of what artists were trying to say." Raymond is good friends with graffiti and street-style-inspired artist
RETNA
RETNA (born Marquis Lewis 1979) is a contemporary artist, primarily recognized for graffiti art. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and started his career in the early 1990s. He developed a distinctive constructed script which is ...
, who did the cover art for
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
's studio album ''
Purpose'', as well as contemporary American artist
Daniel Arsham
Daniel Arsham (born 1980) is an American artist. He lives and works in New York City.
Early life and education
Born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Miami, Florida, Arsham was 12 when Hurricane Andrew destroyed his childhood home. This trau ...
, who directed his music video "
Chains
A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. A c ...
" and did the cover art for his singles "
No Limit
No Limit may refer to:
Music Record labels
*No Limit Records, a record label founded by Master P
* No Limit Forever Records, a record label founded by Romeo Miller, son of Master P
Albums
* ''No Limit'' (Art Pepper album), 1977
* ''No Limit'' ...
" and "
Crash
Crash or CRASH may refer to:
Common meanings
* Collision, an impact between two or more objects
* Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond
* Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating
* Couch su ...
".
On Tuesday, June 2, 2015, Usher was honored alongside
Robert De Niro by the Gordon Park Foundation Dinner and Auction in downtown Manhattan for his contributions to the arts at a charity gala in New York. Receiving the Gordon Parks Foundation Award, named in honor of the late photographer-turned-filmmaker
Gordon Parks
Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks (November 30, 1912 – March 7, 2006) was an American photographer, composer, author, poet, and film director, who became prominent in U.S. documentary photojournalism in the 1940s through 1970s—particula ...
.
Public image
![Usher on USS Kearsarge 2 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Usher_on_USS_Kearsarge_2_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Usher has been regarded as "an international
sex symbol
A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British Stars and Stardom: From Alma Taylor t ...
" since a young age, predominantly for his
stage persona
A persona (plural personae or personas), depending on the context, is the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional character. The word derives from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatri ...
.
Fusion
Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole.
Fusion may also refer to:
Science and technology Physics
*Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...
states "Usher—one of the greatest R&B sex symbols in the past 20 years, paving the way for
Chris Brown,
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' ...
and
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
—used sex as a major part of his image",
while
VH1 considers him to be "the sexiest male performer ever to walk a stage".
''People'' magazine named Usher the "Sexiest R&B Star" in 1998, with singer
Monica who said on stage sexiness was manifest in "his movements, his gestures, the way he expresses his lyrics". They included him in their 2004 "Sexiest Men Alive", and 2008 "Sexiest Man Alive" lists. ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' writer
Kelefa Sanneh
Kelefa T. Sanneh (born 1976) is an American journalist and music critic. From 2000 to 2008, he wrote for ''The New York Times'', covering the rock and roll, hip-hop, and pop music scenes. Since 2008 he has been a staff writer for ''The New Yorke ...
referred to him as "one of the country's most famous ex-boyfriends" after his breakup with
Chilli of
TLC. He was ranked number-one on
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
's "All Shades of Fine: 25 Hottest Men of the Past 25 Years" special in 2005.
Madame Tussauds New York also unveiled a
wax figure
A wax sculpture is a depiction made using a waxy substance. Often these are effigies, usually of a notable individual, but there are also death masks and scenes with many figures, mostly in relief.
The properties of beeswax make it an excell ...
of Usher during a competition to launch The Usher Interactive Experience, and for the opening of a VIP room in 2007. ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' magazine ranks "
Confessions Part II
"Confessions Part II" is a song by R&B singer Usher, produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox for Usher's fourth album '' Confessions''. Written by Usher, Dupri and Cox, the song is a confession of a man to his woman about his impregn ...
" amongst its "30 Sexiest Music Videos of All Time".
After his marriage to
Tameka Foster
Tameka Foster (born January 1, 1971) is an American fashion stylist. She has worked as a personal stylist for Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z, Toni Braxton, Ciara, Patti LaBelle, Nas, and her ex-husband Usher.
Career
Her professional career started with her ...
, his sexual appeal was expected to mature as ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' writer
Sasha Frere-Jones
Alexander Roger Wallace "Sasha" Frere-Jones (né Jones; born 1967) is an American writer, music critic, and musician. He has written for ''Pretty Decorating'', '' ego trip'', ''Hit It And Quit It'', ''Mean'', '' Slant'', ''The New York Post'', '' ...
wrote "The challenge here is to convince us that he is a married and responsible man—grown and sexy,
..without sacrificing the louche, frictionless sense of play that made him famous."
VH1 have listed Usher at number 9 of its 100 Sexiest Artists List. According to
''Glamour'' magazine, he was one of the "Sexiest Men" of 2010, and 2011. In 2012,
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
reviewed his fashion evolution stating "The singer came onto the scene in the '90s rocking
baggy jeans and suits that made us question his celebrity status, but over the years this R&B star has developed his own signature look, rendering him a modern day fashion icon". In 2013,
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
placed him in its "Most Stylish R&B Singers of the 90s" list. ''
Men's Health
''Men's Health'' (''MH''), published by Hearst, is the world's largest men's magazine brand, with 35 editions in 59 countries. It is also the best-selling men's magazine on U.S. newsstands.
Started as a men's health magazine by Rodale, Inc. ...
'' magazine was covered by Usher on its 25th anniversary issue, with
Lou Schuler
Lou Schuler (born January 23, 1957 in St. Louis, Missouri) is a fitness journalist and author or coauthor of several books on men's health and exercise. In 2004 he won a National Magazine Award for ''Death by Exercise''.
Schuler is currently the ...
calling him "the man with the best abs in the entertainment industry". In 2014 and 2015, his
Calvin Klein Collection Calvin Klein Collection (renamed Calvin Klein 205W39NYC in 2017 under then newly appointed creative director Raf Simons) was the brand name for the high-end designer womenswear and menswear lines from fashion house Calvin Klein which were presente ...
suits saw him listed as "Best Dressed Men" by outlets at the
Golden Globe Awards and
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
.
InStyle
''InStyle'' was an American monthly women's fashion magazine founded in 1994. It was published in the United States by Dotdash Meredith. In February 2022, it was announced that InStyle would cease print publications and move to a digital-only f ...
have rated him both in their "Hottest Celebrity Abs" collection, and "37 of the Most Stylish Dads" list.
Legacy
Usher was named the
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
Artist of the 2000s by ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
'' stating "Usher's sexy brand of R&B dominated the last decade with the top-selling album and more No. 1s than any other act", with ''
Confessions'' selling 20 million copies worldwide as the top solo album. Considered by Bonsu Thompson of
Vibe
''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...
to be "the ''
Thriller'' of our generation", J. Tinsley of
Uproxx
''Uproxx'' (stylized in all caps) is an entertainment and popular culture news website. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, and acquired by Woven Digital (later renamed Uproxx Media Group) in 2014. The site's target audience ...
ranked it amongst "landmark albums in
pop culture" because of its theme. Pop music critic
Sasha Frere-Jones
Alexander Roger Wallace "Sasha" Frere-Jones (né Jones; born 1967) is an American writer, music critic, and musician. He has written for ''Pretty Decorating'', '' ego trip'', ''Hit It And Quit It'', ''Mean'', '' Slant'', ''The New York Post'', '' ...
of ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' remarks that "For a while, ''Confessions'' was pop music" and says it "may turn out to have been the last true
blockbuster
Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to:
*Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived.
Corporations
* Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain
** Bl ...
in pop".
Clay Cane
Clay Cane is a journalist, author, political commentator, radio host and filmmaker. He is the director and creator of the documentary ''Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church'', which was nominated for a 2016 GLAAD Media Award. He i ...
said in 2008 "We didn't see pop-R&B artists on
pop radio
Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
, and Usher is one of those people in the 90s who was the catalyst for that; he was kind of the pioneer ... He's the greatest example of pure
crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Albums and songs
* ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album)
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album)
* ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album)
* ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
success". Described as the best dancer in pop since
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
by writers of ''
VH1'', and ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'',
Jody Rosen
Jody Rosen (born June 21, 1969 in New York City) is an American journalist and author. He is a contributing writer for ''The New York Times Magazine''.
Career Journalism
Rosen served as critic-at-large for '' T: The New York Times Style Magaz ...
said in 2012 "He's the biggest male pop singer in the world; sometimes, it seems like he's the only one, in a marketplace still dominated by
divas
Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a goddess. It has often been used to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. If referring to an actress, the meaning of ''diva'' is clo ...
".
Attaining 9 ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles to tie with the
Bee Gees,
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
, and
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
,
Justin Charity of ''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' referred to him as "the greatest male pop singer of the past couple decades" in 2015.
The Godfather of Soul,
James Brown, performed a duet with Usher in 2005 at the
47th Grammy Awards in which he honorably dubbed him the Godson of Soul. Brown reiterated "The new godson; Usher, the new godson" following the performance. Usher was inducted into the 29th Annual
Georgia Music Hall of Fame
The Georgia Music Hall of Fame was a hall of fame to recognize music performers and music industry professionals from or connected to the state of Georgia. It began with efforts of the state's lieutenant governor Zell Miller to attract the music ...
in 2007, and the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
in 2016 with a star located at 6201 Hollywood Boulevard.
Recognised as an
icon
An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The mos ...
, ''Billboard'' placed him at number 14 on their "Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Artists" list,
6 on their "Top 60 Male Artists of All-Time" list, and 31 on their "35 Greatest
R&B Artists of All Time" list. ''
Confessions'' is placed at number 16 on their "Greatest of All Time 200 Albums" list, and 10 on ''
Vibe
''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...
'' magazine's "Greatest 50 Albums since '93". "
Yeah!" is placed at number 14 in their "Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Songs" list, and 15 on
VH1's "Greatest Songs of the 2000s". ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' critic Randall Roberts marks dance singles "
Yeah!", "
Caught Up" and "
OMG" to have influenced contemporary
dance-pop, stating the former two also "helped define the
00s".
''Time'' magazine's pop stardom ranking metric, ranked Usher 3rd in history, based on "all-time chart performance and contemporary significance".
Various media outlets have referred to Usher as the "King of R&B", as well as "Mr. Entertainment."
The BET Honors
The BET Honors were established in 2008 by the Black Entertainment Television network to respect the lives and achievements of African-American luminaries. The awards will be presented annually and broadcast on BET during Black History Month.
Ce ...
honored him for his contributions to music with a Musical Arts award in 2015, presented by
Bobby Brown
Robert Barisford Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Brown, alongside frequent collaborator Teddy Riley, is noted as one of the pioneers of new jack swing: a fusion of hip hop and R&B. Brown started h ...
who said "You remain a game changer, for your discipline, for your perfectionism. You're just a god man". The BET Honors highlighted his influence on many contemporary artists such as
Chris Brown,
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' ...
,
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
,
Bryson Tiller
Bryson Djuan Tiller (born January 2, 1993) is an American singer and rapper. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he began his career in 2011 with a mixtape entitled ''Killer Instinct Vol. 1''. Tiller initially gained mainstream success in 2015 follo ...
,
Jason Derulo,
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
,
Miguel,
Omarion
Omari Ishmael Grandberry (born November 12, 1984), better known by his stage name Omarion, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actor and dancer. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the boy band B2K. The group achieved success in the e ...
,
Ray J
William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American singer, actor, and television personality. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother of recording a ...
,
August Alsina
August Anthony Alsina Jr.(April 8, 2013)R&B Singer August Alsina Talks Working With The Dream, Preps Def Jam Debut, ''Life + Times'' (confirms middle name; other sources confirm he is a "junior") (born September 3, 1992) is an American singer f ...
, and
Eric Bellinger
Eric Aldwin Bellinger Jr. (born March 26, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles. He began songwriting in 2010, and his co-writing credits including "Lemme See" by Usher, " New Flame" by Chris Brown, "You D ...
.
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He gained fame for his songwriting abilities when he penned Mario's 2004 hit " Let Me Love You ...
further cited Usher as an influence upon the honor saying "I feel that without Usher, there would be no me, there would be no Chris Brown, there would be no Trey Songz. He paved the way for us". Other artists who have also cited him as an influence are
Lucky Daye
David Debrandon Brown (born September 25, 1985), professionally known as Lucky Daye, is an American singer-songwriter from New Orleans. He is signed to Keep Cool Records and RCA Records. He released his first EP, ''I'' on November 9, 2018 and his ...
,
6lack
Ricardo Archibald Valentine Jr. (born June 24, 1992), known professionally as 6lack (stylized as 6LACK, pronounced "black"), is an American singer and rapper.
He initially gained notable recognition following the release of his single, " Prblms ...
,
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wiscon ...
,
Zayn Malik
Zain Javadd Malik ( ; born 12 January 1993), known mononymously as Zayn, is an English pop and R&B singer. Zayn auditioned as a solo contestant for the British music competition television series ''The X Factor'' in 2010. After being eliminate ...
,
Jeremih
Jeremy Phillip Felton (born July 17, 1987), known professionally as Jeremih ( ), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. In 2009, he signed a record deal with Def Jam Recordings. Jeremih's commercial debut single, "Birthday Sex", ...
,
Anderson Paak
Brandon Paak Anderson (born February 8, 1986), better known by his stage name Anderson .Paak (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and drummer. He released his debut mixtape, ''O.B.E. Vol. 1,'' in 2012 and went on to rel ...
,
Trevor Jackson,
Sam Hunt
Sam Lowry Hunt (born December 8, 1984) is an American singer and songwriter. Born in Cedartown, Georgia, Hunt played football in his high school and college years and once attempted to pursue a professional sports career before signing with MCA ...
,
Leon Bridges
Todd Michael "Leon" Bridges (born July 13, 1989) is an American soul singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his 2015 song " Coming Home", which received regular airplay and was also a Top 10 Most Viral Track on Spotify. Brid ...
,
Sammie
Sammie Lee Bush, Jr. (born March 1, 1987), known by the mononym Sammie, is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known for his 1999 hit single, " I Like It", from his debut album, ''From the Bottom to the Top'' (2000). He returned with ...
,
B.Smyth,
Jacob Latimore
Jacob O'Neal Latimore (born August 10, 1996) is an American actor, singer and dancer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2016, Latimore released his debut album ''Connection''. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in '' Black Nativity'', ''Th ...
,
Kevin Woo
Kevin Woo (born November 25, 1991), also known mononymously as Kevin, is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and television host based as a Korean in New York City. He is primarily known as a former member of South Korean boy band U-KISS from ...
,
Keke Palmer
Lauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer (born August 26, 1993) ( ) is an American actress, singer and television personality. Known for playing leading and character roles in comedy and drama productions, she has received a Primetime Emmy Award, five NAACP I ...
, Justine Skye, BJ the Chicago Kid, BJ The Chicago Kid, Roy Woods, YK Osiris, Liam Payne of One Direction and actor Tahj Mowry.
Achievements
Usher has received numerous awards throughout his career from having one RIAA certification, Diamond certified album in ''
Confessions'', two RIAA certification, multi-platinum albums in ''
My Way
"My Way" is a song popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François and first performed in 1967 by Claude François. Its E ...
'' and ''8701 (album), 8701'', two RIAA certification, platinum albums in ''
Here I Stand'' and ''
Raymond v. Raymond'' and more, collectively selling over 23 million albums in the US and 43 million albums worldwide. This includes 8 Grammy Awards, 18
Billboard Music Award
The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by ''Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of t ...
s, 9
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of '' Soul Train'', the p ...
and 8
American Music Award
The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produ ...
s. In 2004 Billboard Music Awards, 2004, Usher became the top Billboard honoree by taking 11 awards. At The 26th annual American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards in 2013, he was honored with the Golden Note Award.
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
's 2 most successful artist of the 2000s, he was placed at number 6 on their list of "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years". Yahoo Music classed him as the best
R&B act of the decade behind
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
on album sales, while ''Fuse (magazine), Fuse'' ranked him as the 10th most award-winning musician of all time. He has sold over a total of 100 million records.
On the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...
'' Hot 100 chart, "
Nice & Slow
"Nice & Slow" is a song from American singer-songwriter Usher's second album, ''My Way'' (1997). Released on January 6, 1998, the song became Usher's first number-one single on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart in February 1998. The song was wr ...
", "
U Remind Me
"U Remind Me" is a song by American singer Usher. It was written by Edmund "Eddie Hustle" Clement and Anita McCloud and produced by Clement for Usher's third studio album ''8701'' (2001). A mid-tempo R&B track, the song is about a man who meets ...
", "
U Got It Bad", "
Yeah!", "
Burn
A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur ma ...
", "
Confessions Part II
"Confessions Part II" is a song by R&B singer Usher, produced by Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox for Usher's fourth album '' Confessions''. Written by Usher, Dupri and Cox, the song is a confession of a man to his woman about his impregn ...
", "
My Boo", "
Love in This Club" and "
OMG" have all reached number-one among his eighteen top-ten singles, and accumulated 47 weeks at the top, more than any other male artist. Usher spent 28 weeks at number-one in 2004 alone, marking an all-time record for most cumulative weeks spent atop in a calendar year on the Hot 100. He broke the record set by Glenn Miller, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in 1940; their records spent 26 cumulative weeks atop on charts which preceded the Hot 100 era. "OMG" made him the first 2010s artist to collect number-one singles in three consecutive decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s). He became the fifth artist of all-time to achieve that feat behind
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...
(1960s, 1970s, 1980s),
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
(1970s, 1980s, 1990s),
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
and Madonna (1980s, 1990s, 2000s),
and became the third male soloist in history to have at least one number-one single from five consecutive studio albums.
On the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart, Usher has 13 number-one singles tied with
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
and
Marvin Gaye, the most of the 2000s with 8 number-ones, and set a chart ''Guinness World Record'' in 2010. Usher also has 14 number-one singles on the
Rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to:
* Related to rhythm
* Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics
* Rhythmic (chart)
The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...
chart, 16 number-one singles on the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and 16 number-one singles on the
Airplay
Airplay is how frequently a song is being played through broadcasting on radio stations. A song which is being played several times every day (spins) would have a significant amount of airplay. Music which became very popular on jukeboxes, in n ...
chart,
with "
You Make Me Wanna
"You Make Me Wanna..." is a song by American recording artist Usher. It was released on August 5, 1997, by LaFace Records and Arista Records as the lead single from Usher's second studio album, '' My Way'' (1997). "You Make Me Wanna..." was writ ...
" (12 weeks) and "
Climax
Climax may refer to:
Language arts
* Climax (narrative), the point of highest tension in a narrative work
* Climax (rhetoric), a figure of speech that lists items in order of importance
Biology
* Climax community, a biological community t ...
" (11 weeks) as two of the longest stays on the latter. Usher has topped several Billboard Year-End charts including seven in 1998, seventeen in 2004, and one in 2010. The ''Hot 100 Songs'' chart was topped by "
Yeah!" while "
Burn
A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur ma ...
" held second place, making him the first act since The Beatles in 1964 to have two singles occupy the top two positions. On the 2000s Billboard Decade-End chart, "Yeah!" finished second, behind Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together". "
Love in This Club" and "
OMG" are also amongst the List of best-selling singles#Best-selling digital singles, best-selling digital singles worldwide.
Business and other ventures
Music
![Usher Raymond by Sandra Alphonse 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Usher_Raymond_by_Sandra_Alphonse_2.jpg)
Usher founded vanity label, vanity record label US Records in 2002. The label was a subsidiary of
Clive Davis
Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000.
From 1967 to 1 ...
's J Records, which was distributed by Sony BMG. The only album released by US Records was the soundtrack to ''In the Mix'' in late 2005, which was used to introduce the label's acts, such as rapper
Rico Love
Richard Preston Butler Jr. (born December 3, 1982), better known by his stage name Rico Love, is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and rapper. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but split his childhood between Milwaukee, Wiscon ...
, Canadian teen R&B artist
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
, an R&B vocal quartet composed of Jon A. Gordon, Michael A. Gordon, Courtney Vantrease, and Robert Brent called One Chance (group), One Chance, and singer Rayan. Usher served as songwriter-producer in the project. The RBMG Records, Raymond Braun Media Group, which
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
is signed up to, is a joint venture between Usher and Bieber's manager
Scooter Braun
Scott Samuel "Scooter" Braun (born June 18, 1981) is an American entrepreneur, investor, and entertainment executive. Known as the manager for artists such as Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, J Balvin, Demi Lovato, The Kid Laroi and other artists ...
. Usher served as the contestant mentor for the Top 10 Week of Season 9 of the television show American Idol. He appeared on the ITV1 show Britain's Got Talent on June 5, 2010. Usher joined as a new coach on the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
American reality talent show
The Voice
The Voice may refer to:
Fictional entities
* The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics
* The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe
* The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
, alongside Adam Levine,
Blake Shelton
Blake Tollison Shelton (born June 18, 1976) is an American country music singer and television personality. In 2001, he made his debut with the single " Austin". The lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" spent five weeks at ...
and
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is ...
in The Voice (U.S. season 4), season 4, which premiered on March 25, 2013. Usher reached the finale with contestant
Michelle Chamuel on June 13, 2013. Usher returned with Shakira in The Voice (U.S. season 6), season 6 of The Voice, which premiered on February 24, 2014. Usher reached the finale again, and won with contestant
Josh Kaufman
Josh Kaufman (born November 9, 1976) is an American soul singer and singer-songwriter. A native of the Tampa Bay area in Florida, Kaufman is based out of and resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is best known for winning the season 6 of NBC's ' ...
on May 20, 2014.
Acting
Usher made his television acting debut on the American sitcom
Moesha
''Moesha'' () is an American television sitcom that aired on UPN from January 23, 1996, to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Denise Mitchell, an African-American teenager living with her upper middle class fa ...
in 1997 playing Jeremy Davis, the love interest and classmate of Moesha, played by Brandy Norwood. He has acted in feature films, debuting in 1998's ''
The Faculty
''The Faculty'' is a 1998 American science fiction horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Hatosy, Famke Janssen, Piper Laurie, B ...
''. In 1999, Usher appeared as a student disc jockey in the teen romantic comedy film ''
She's All That''. The same year he starred in his first leading role in the movie ''
Light It Up'' with Rosario Dawson, Vanessa L. Williams and Forest Whitaker. The following year, he played in ''Geppetto (film), Gepetto'' and ''
Texas Rangers''. He starred in the The Twilight Zone (2002 TV series), 2002 ''Twilight Zone'' revival episode To Protect and Serve (The Twilight Zone), To Protect and Serve as a police officer. Usher continued to make appearances in various television shows, including the period drama ''American Dreams'' (2002) in the role of
Marvin Gaye. He also appeared in ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 TV series), Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' in List of Sabrina the Teenage Witch episodes#Season 2 (1997–1998), Season 2, episode 6 playing the role of a love doctor. In 2005, he starred in the crime-comedy film In the Mix (film), ''In The Mix'' with Chazz Palminteri and Kevin Hart. He has acted on stage, making his debut on Broadway theatre, Broadway in 2006 in ''Chicago (play), Chicago'' as lawyer Billy Flynn and joining the cast of the Off-Broadway play ''Fuerzabruta'' in 2012; the former performance was critiqued by theater critic Ben Brantley as unfitting for the character played stating "Usher was "cast so hard against type, you would think you would hear him cracking from the collision", despite commending his vocal and choreographic performance in the show. In 2013, he began filming his role as boxer
Sugar Ray Leonard
Ray Charles Leonard (born May 17, 1956), best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed professional ...
for the 2016 American biographical film ''
Hands of Stone
''Hands of Stone'' is a 2016 American biographical sports film about the career of Panamanian former professional boxer Roberto Durán. It is directed and written by Jonathan Jakubowicz. It stars Édgar Ramírez, Robert De Niro, Usher, Ruben Blad ...
'', which follows the life of Panamanian boxer
Roberto Durán
Roberto Durán Samaniego (born June 16, 1951) is a Panamanian former professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 2001. He held world championships in four weight classes: lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight, as w ...
. In the film he stars alongside
Édgar Ramírez
Édgar Filiberto Ramírez Arellano (, born 25 March 1977) is a Venezuelan actor. Ramírez studied communications at the Andrés Bello Catholic University. He then worked in media and considered becoming a diplomat. When Guillermo Arriaga pra ...
,
Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin and Ana de Armas. The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, Cannes, France on May 16, 2016, and was released in the United States on August 26, 2016.
Products and services
![Usher Ring (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Usher_Ring_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Aside from recording music, Usher is involved in other businesses, including several restaurants. In 2007, Usher worked with Richard Herpin and Honoring Blanc for the fragrances ''Usher (fragrance), Usher He'' and ''Usher (fragrance), Usher She''. The promotion of the fragrance featured Usher and Martha Stewart in the Macy's, Inc., Macy's "The Magic of Macy's" commercial. In September 2008, Usher released the fragrances ''UR for Men'' and ''UR for Women''. Usher's fifth fragrance, ''Usher VIP, VIP'', was launched in 2009.
On March 30, 2015, it was announced that Usher is a co-owner, with various other music artists, in the music streaming service
Tidal
Tidal is the adjectival form of tide.
Tidal may also refer to:
* ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple
* Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim
* TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music
* Tidal (servic ...
. The service specializes in lossless audio and high definition music video with curated editorial. Jay Z acquired the parent company of Tidal, Aspiro, in the first quarter of 2015. The slogan "Turn the tide" and the hashtag "#TIDALforAll" was used by various artists on social media during the buildup to the press conference relaunching the service. Usher, along with sixteen artist stakeholders (such as
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
,
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
, Beyoncé, Beyonce, Rihanna, Madonna, J.Cole (rapper), J.Cole,
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated Flow (rapping), flow in her rapping, alter e ...
and more) co-own Tidal, with the majority owning a 3% equity stake. The idea of having an all artist owned streaming service was created by those involved to adapt to the increased demand for streaming within the current music industry, and to rival other streaming services such as Spotify, which have been criticized for their low payout of royalties."The challenge is to get everyone to respect music again, to recognize its value", stated Jay-Z on the release of Tidal.
On June 28, 2015, Usher became partners with Yoobi the fast-growing school supplies company called based out of Los Angeles. The company donates a portion of its products to schools and has brought in over $20 million in revenue between June 2014 and June 2015, Yoobi CEO Ido Leffler told ''Inc. (magazine), Inc.'' The Usher line of supplies with Yoobi features a collaboration with Jonni Cheatwood, the artist who does the designing. The slogan is "Mixing street smarts with school smarts". The collection is available online and at Target Corporation, Targets nationwide, and for every purchase, school supplies are donated to kids in need in US classrooms. When asked why he partnered with Yoobi, Usher said, "Preparing future leaders through my Usher's New Look, New Look Foundation has always been about having the proper tools to succeed in life. If they don't have the tools, young men and women from underserved communities can't even begin to understand the idea of having a new or different perspective. So that's where this collaboration came together giving young people the tools and supplying them with hope."
Investments
Usher is a part owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers professional basketball team. He is part of a group which bought the team with a reported total purchase price of $375 million in 2005. He became the third pop artist to own a large stake in an National Basketball Association, NBA team. During his tenure, the Cleveland Cavaliers have won five Central Division Championships, three Eastern Conference Champions and the 2016 NBA Finals, 2016 NBA championship on June 19, 2016, which he won as a minority owner.
On March 6, 2017, it was announced that Usher, Universal Music Group, Steve Stoute, Evolution Media, Jon Jashni, Charles King, and others invested $6 Million in Mass Appeal (media), Mass Appeal Magazine. Mass Appeal, is a New York City based media and content company. In 1996, Mass Appeal was founded as a graffiti print magazine. In 2014, Mass Appeal relaunched I after CEO Peter Bittenbender partnered with American rapper
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 ( ...
, who would serve as the publication's associate publisher.
On April 2, 2019, Usher,
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
, Walter Robb, Seth Goldman (businessman), Seth Goldman, Ndamukong Suh, and others invested $8 Million in a catering startup called Hungry. Hungry is a service that connects local chefs with companies looking for business and event catering. The catering company partnered with J's Kitchen Culinary Incubator, a business owned by Usher's mother Jonetta Patton.
On July 23, 2019, it was announced Usher, Kevin Hart,
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
, Demi Lovato, DJ Khaled,
Scooter Braun
Scott Samuel "Scooter" Braun (born June 18, 1981) is an American entrepreneur, investor, and entertainment executive. Known as the manager for artists such as Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, J Balvin, Demi Lovato, The Kid Laroi and other artists ...
, and Kendall Jenner among others collectively invested $5 Million in Liquid I.V., a health-science and nutrition wellness company based out of El Segundo, California. The company was founded in 2012 by Brandin Cohen to help children in developing countries suffering from extreme dehydration caused by deadly diseases.
Endorsements
Usher has worked with MasterCard since 2004, together they launched the Usher Debit MasterCard. A sleek black card, which features the Usher's face, has that was passed out to concertgoers during his nationwide ''Confessions (Usher album), The Truth Tour.''" In 2009, Raymond partnered with Belvedere (vodka), Belvedere Vodka, launching the campaign Product (Red) that went to donate half of all profits from a new special-edition bottle to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. MasterCard again teamed up with Usher in 2015 to surprise one cardholder. Usher was disguised as a street performer to surprise one of his biggest British fans, who was flown into Los Angeles as part of MasterCard's Priceless Surprises campaign in support of the 2015 BRIT Awards.
In 2012, Usher partnered with the number-one selling dance game Microsoft Dance Central 3. Exclusively made on Kinect for Xbox 360. His role in the game was to bring his iconic talent and lend out his authentic choreography of his dance routines to his hit songs "Scream" and "
OMG". Usher himself provides voiceover instruction for players participating in the Dance Central 3 game. At the launch of the game Usher gave a surprise performance of his song "Scream".
In 2013, Usher partnered with Samsung shooting a 2:28 minute short film directed by Rich Lee that included his single "Looking 4 Myself (song), Looking 4 Myself" from his then new album. The video features two Ushers in a face-off, as "down-to-earth" Usher seeks revenge against his "celebrity" alter ego after fame destroys his relationship. According to superstar, Hancock and The Matrix inspired the choreographed fight scenes with himself. The short film featured him using a Samsung's smart TV using the new motion control features that allows users to swipe through the channels. The commercial generated twenty-two million views making it the second highest viewed Samsung commercial behind LeBron's Day with the Samsung Galaxy Note II.
In 2015, Usher teamed up with Pepsi for The New Pepsi Challenge along celebrities Serena Williams, Usain Bolt, and many others. Every month, Pepsi "ambassadors" will use social media to issue a new challenge, many of which blend social responsibility with popular culture that encourages consumers to "do something different." Usher's challenge invited fans to capture a single photo of an image that they feel inspires and amazes others to look at the world in a new way. The winners photo would be selected and used in an upcoming Pepsi film.
In 2022, Usher teamed up with Rémy Martin; the company launched their first NFT's and also collectible bottles. Usher starred in television commercials to promote Rémy Martin Cognac Fine Champagne.
Philanthropy
Usher founded Usher's New Look, New Look, a non-profit charity organization which aims to "provide young people with a new look on life through education and real-world experience". Its flagship project, camp New Look, ran from July 11 to 23, 2005, in Clark Atlanta University. In 2006, the charity started an initiative called Our Block, for which it helped rebuild and revitalize city blocks in New Orleans. The project went on one street at a time, and the funding was helped through part of the proceeds of Usher's team-up with Armani Exchange#Armani Exchange, Armani Exchange in creating "Love 4 Life" dog tags, which were made available at the company's stores and Web site. Since then, Usher has launched chapters of New Look in such cities as Baltimore, Detroit, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, and Washington, D.C. New Look has for basic pillars; Talent, Education, Service, and Career. New Look program begins in the 8th grade and progresses through a student's high school and post-secondary education. Education is the center focus, Usher and his program ensures this. Students who participate in Usher's New Look achieve 100% graduation rates and all of New Look participants go on to Higher Education or Job Placement.
In 1999, Usher participated in "Challenge for the Children", a benefit basketball game hosted by American boy band NSYNC. The event, which was held on the campus of Georgia State University, had raised an estimated $50,000 for several local charities. In 2005, Usher is one among the artists who signed on for a Hurricane Katrina relief concert. He has also performed a public service announcement to promote Do Something's campaign for civic engagement.
After the devastating events of Hurricane Katrina, Usher launched Project Restart that would go on to help more than 700 families with housing and keeping their lights on. Usher also while in New Orleans would meet with students from Dillard and Xavier to aid them with cleaning up the city. "I'm here to physically do something and hopefully motivate other people to do the same," said Usher in an interview. Usher, because of his efforts and dedication to helping the city of New Orleans rebuild was presented the Freedom of the City, key to the city of New Orleans in 2008 from former Mayor Ray Nagin. Also in this presentation, Usher in his honor was proclaimed his own day, Usher Day.
In 2011, Usher was honored with the Freedom Award by the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis. The Freedom Awards honor individuals who work for justice, equality, philanthropy, civil and human rights and humanitarian causes. Raymond was awarded this honor for his philanthropic work done by his New Look Foundation. Others honored with this award in the past Usher included Oprah Winfrey, Oprah, Ruby Dee, Harry Belafonte, Cicely Tyson, Coretta Scott King and other great figures.
On February 12, 2015, Usher visited his former hometown Chattanooga, Tennessee, Chattanooga making a surprise visit at Dalewood Middle School, the Orange Grove Center and the Center for the Creative Arts. Dalewood is the middle school he attended before moving to Atlanta and the school is not that far away from the road "Usher Raymond Parkway" that was presented to Usher in 2001. Usher spoke to students at the Center for the Creative arts explaining the importance of education. His effort of giving back was to honor the legacy of his grandmother who passed early in the year. Who he called Nanny expressed to singer at a young age "whatever you want to do, I promise you can do it. We're going to look back one day, your teachers and I, and be very proud of you". At CCC, a donation of an undisclosed amount was made by the singer that would pay for new surfaces for the floors of two dance studios, a new digital lighting board and LED lights for the performing arts school's auditorium.
Usher's second stop was Orange Grove Center, a nonprofit that serves adults and children with intellectual disabilities. There, he took part in a groundbreaking for planned improvements to the facility's track, said development director Heidi Hoffecker. The track will be named the Nancy Lackey Memorial Track to honor his grandmother.
In 2015, Usher teamed up with Anthony Anderson, Kevin Hart, Big Sean, Chris Paul and more collectively donating more than $500,000 in scholarships that was given to 20 students attending historically black colleges and universities. This is following the partnership with the United Negro College Fund, UNCF in 2014 creating the Usher Raymond Scholarship Program, where last year he gave a student $100,000 to attend the Tuskegee University.
In 2016, Usher, alongside Tyrese Gibson, Tyrese,
Future,
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
, and Jeezy donated $25,000 each to the UNCF during the 33rd annual Atlanta's Mayors Ball.
On February 18, 2017, Morehouse College during the 29th annual "A Candle in the Dark Gala" honored Usher with the prestigious Candle Award for his philanthropy and contributions to music. The Candle Award honors recipients for excellence in athletics, business, education, entertainment, and other arenas. Past recipients honored at the "Candle in the Dark" include
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...
, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Berry Gordy, and Smokey Robinson.
On January 31, 2018, Usher helped former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick complete his pledge to donate $1 million to oppressed communities. To complete the final $100,000 of his goal, Kaepernick launched the #10for10 campaign He made 10 donations of $10,000 to 10 different charities with 10 celebrities matching him with $10,000. Usher selected the H.O.M.E. (Helping Oppressed Mothers Endure) charity in Lithonia, Georgia to receive a combined donation of $20,000.
Politics and activism
![Usher speech](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Usher_speech.jpg)
In 2007, Usher launched his campaign in "Change in the South" in Atlanta, Georgia on the campus of Georgia Tech in support of then presidential hopeful Barack Obama. Obama asked Usher to serve as National Co-chair for his voter registration campaign "Vote for Change". Doing more groundwork for Obama the following year Usher and Kerry Washington would lead a rally on the campus of South Carolina State University in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, Orangeburg, S.C. In 2008, Usher supported the Service Nation campaign, serving as the Service Nation Youth Chair. Usher stated "As an artist, I am often recognized for the music I make and the performances I give. I'm blessed to have had the opportunity to be a part of many incredible moments. But this is the work that inspires me, empowering young people to become active in their communities". Usher also released an exclusive song "Hush" that was influenced by social issues and voting, In the video he features a motivational Barack Obama speech. Usher performed "Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder song), Higher Ground" alongside
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...
and
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is ...
at the First inauguration of Barack Obama, 2009 presidential inauguration at the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on January 18, 2009. He continued to endorse Obama in 2012 and supported on the 2012 reelection campaign.
On September 13, 2014, Usher and Bill Clinton held a special campaign event for Georgia United States Senate, U.S. Senate candidate Michelle Nunn. Dunn was honored for her work with the Points of Light Foundation at a charity event in 2010 and has been a semiregular attendee at Clinton Foundation events since 2009.
Usher's New Look Foundation also awarded Clinton its Service Legacy Award in 2010.
In October 2015, Usher partnered with the organization Sankofa which focuses on issues of social injustice that disproportionately affect the disenfranchised, the oppressed, and the underserved. On October 23, 2015, Usher and the founder of Sankofa, former Civil rights activist, Civil Rights Activist, Harry Belafonte led the conversation titled "Breaking the Chains of Social Injustice" at 92nd Street Y in Manhattan speaking about popular culture and activism. At this panel he introduced his music video Chains (Usher song), "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 music video is geared towards facing the issues of social Injustice and features images of Trayvon Martin, Shooting of Rekia Boyd, Rekia Boyd, Sean Bell shooting incident, Sean Bell, Marlon Brown, Shooting of Ramarley Graham, Ramarley Graham, Shooting of Amadou Diallo, Amadou Diallo, Caesar Cruz and other recent victims of police violence.
In August 2015, he attended a major celebrity fundraiser at the Brentwood home of
Scooter Braun
Scott Samuel "Scooter" Braun (born June 18, 1981) is an American entrepreneur, investor, and entertainment executive. Known as the manager for artists such as Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, J Balvin, Demi Lovato, The Kid Laroi and other artists ...
held for presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
, Kim Kardashian, and Tom Hanks were also among the crowd of 250 whose ticket prices were of $2,700 per person.
Usher was selected among a 33-member delegate for the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, Presidential Committee for Arts and Humanities of the United States, United States of America to Cuba seeking to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries. Less than a month after the historic visit by President Barack Obama, a U.S. government cultural mission to Cuba that took place from April 18–21, 2016. The President described his trip as extending the hand of friendship to the Cuban people, and this delegation, including some of America's most distinguished writers, artists, musicians, as well as arts and cultural leaders, will continue this historic collaboration with the Cuban people.
Personal life
![Rozonda Thomas](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Rozonda_Thomas.jpg)
In 2001, Usher began dating
TLC member Rozonda Thomas, Chilli Thomas, and their relationship lasted for two years. In 2003, Usher started working on the album that would become ''Confessions'', which contained songs inspired by the personal lives of Usher and his collaborators. The songs about infidelity and pregnant mistresses were not inspired by Usher's private life, but by Jermaine Dupri's own personal challenges at the time.
Dupri deliberately intended to create an air of mystery about Usher, and arouse fans' curiosity about how much of the infidelity story was Usher's own confession.
The unintended result of this was to arouse Thomas's suspicions about Usher.
They broke up in December 2003.
This was followed by a media frenzy surrounding the personal nature of ''
Confessions''. Many fans believed that the infidelity portrayed in "Confessions" was real, and the real reason for the split.
In February 2004, in an interview on ''The Bert Show'' on the
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
radio channel WWWQ, Q100, Thomas was perceived as insinuating that Usher cheated on her: "Usher did the ultimate no-no to me. ... I will never be with him again, and that is that". Usher defended: "... it just didn't work out. But cheating is not what caused the relationship to collide and crash. That ain't what broke it up".
This was backed up years later by Thomas, who said "People assumed that album was about us, but it was not."
In 2004, it was reported that Usher briefly dated British supermodel Naomi Campbell for a few months, together the pair attended the
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
and it was reported that Campbell jumped out of a pop out cake to surprise him for his birthday. The following year, he was linked to model Eishia Brightwell for some time. They were seen together at different events including the Grammy Award, Grammys, the ''Vanity Fair (magazine), Vanity Fair'' Oscar party and the NAACP Image Awards, NAACP Awards.
In November 2005, Usher began dating stylist
Tameka Foster
Tameka Foster (born January 1, 1971) is an American fashion stylist. She has worked as a personal stylist for Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z, Toni Braxton, Ciara, Patti LaBelle, Nas, and her ex-husband Usher.
Career
Her professional career started with her ...
, who worked as his personal stylist for several years.
Their engagement was announced in February 2007.
After the sudden cancellation of a planned July wedding in the Hamptons, the two were wed on August 3, 2007, in a civil ceremony in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
. This was followed by a larger wedding ceremony on September 1, 2007, held at the Chateau Elan Winery & Resort outside Atlanta.
Usher's father, Usher Raymond III, died of a heart attack on January 21, 2008. For a short period of time shortly after the death of his father, Usher adopted a vegan diet. After several years, Usher dropped all egg and dairy products, embracing an entirely vegan diet for health reasons. Usher years later told reporters that he stopped his vegan diet saying that maintaining the lifestyle was expensive.
Upon his marriage to Foster, Usher became a stepfather to Foster's three sons from previous relationships, one born when she was a teenager and two from her first marriage to Atlanta clothier Ryan Glover.
Usher and Foster also have two sons together: Usher "Cinco" Raymond V, born in November 2007, and Naviyd Ely Raymond, born in December 2008.
In February 2009, two months after the birth of their second son, Foster suffered a cardiac arrest in São Paulo, Brazil, when she was given general anesthesia prior to scheduled cosmetic surgery (reportedly liposuction), which was ultimately not performed.
She was induced coma, induced into a coma to aid her recovery and was transferred to a larger facility, the Hospital Sírio-Libanês.
Usher canceled his performance at
Clive Davis
Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000.
From 1967 to 1 ...
's pre-Grammies, Grammy Gala in order to fly to Brazil to be with Foster.
After a week of recovery, Foster's surgeon issued a statement saying that she was "doing very well".
Usher filed for divorce from Foster in June 2009 in Atlanta. The divorce was legally finalized in Fulton County Court on November 4, 2009. This preceded a highly publicized child custody dispute spanning three years, which ultimately culminated on August 24, 2012, with a judge awarding Usher primary custody of his two sons with Foster.
''Forbes'' magazine placed Usher at number 32 on its Celebrity 100, and reported his earnings after the
OMG Tour
OMG Tour was the fourth concert tour by American recording artist Usher. Visiting North America, Asia, Europe and Australia, the tour accompanies his sixth studio album, '' Raymond v. Raymond'' (2010), as well as his first extended play, '' Vers ...
to stand at $46 million, ranking him at number 12 on "The World's 25 Highest-Paid Musicians" list in 2011.
Foster's 11-year-old son Kile Glover, Usher's former stepson, was declared brain dead on July 8, 2012, after being struck by a personal water craft on Lake Lanier the previous day. Glover died on July 21, 2012, after being removed from life support. Just over a year later, on August 5, 2013, Usher's eldest son, Usher V, was hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit, ICU after he became stuck in a drain while swimming in a pool at Usher's home. The next day, Foster filed a request for an emergency custody hearing in Fulton County Superior Court, seeking temporary primary custody and citing Usher V's "near-death accident" as evidence of a lack of supervision of the children. At the hearing on August 9, 2013, the case was dismissed and Usher retained primary custody of their two sons.
In September 2015, Usher quietly married his long-time girlfriend and manager Grace Miguel while vacationing in Cuba. There was speculation of the two being married when Miguel's Instagram post showed a picture of a gold wedding band on Usher's finger. He confirmed the marriage during an interview on ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show''.
On July 19, 2017, documents leaked online allege that Usher has been a carrier of the herpes virus since 2009 or 2010 and that he infected a partner with it in 2012. It alleges that Usher paid the woman's doctor bills and settled a civil suit with her for $1.1 million. Amid the allegations, ''TMZ'' reported that another woman filed a $10 million lawsuit against Usher claiming that he exposed her to the herpes virus without her knowledge or consent, which is a crime in certain states. ''TMZ'' followed up this story with another alleging that she increased her lawsuit to $20 million after testing positive.
Three more claimants sued him on allegations of fraud, sexual battery, infliction of emotional distress and more, alleging that he was positive for the herpes virus and did not tell them in advance. All three were represented by attorney Lisa Bloom, who said on August 8, 2017, that one of her three clients had contracted genital herpes allegedly from him. One of the accusers, Quantasia Sharpton, said she had unprotected sex with him after a concert she attended. The other two accusers, one male and one female, preferred to remain anonymous plaintiffs.
Sharpton admitted she tested negative and Bloom stated she did not know if the singer had the disease.
On March 6, 2018, Usher and wife Grace Miguel informed ''Us Weekly'' of their separation in a statement that read, in part: "After much thought and consideration we have mutually decided to separate as a couple ... We remain deeply connected, loving friends who will continue supporting each other through the next phases of our lives". On December 28, 2018, Usher filed for divorce from Miguel in Georgia.
In September 2020, it was confirmed that Usher was expecting his third child, with music executive Jenn Goicoechea, whom he reportedly started dating in October 2019. Their daughter was born on September 24, 2020. Usher and Goicoecha welcomed their second child together on September 29, 2021.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
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
** F ...
'' (1994)
* ''
My Way
"My Way" is a song popularized in 1969 by Frank Sinatra set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude" composed by Jacques Revaux with lyrics by Gilles Thibaut and Claude François and first performed in 1967 by Claude François. Its E ...
'' (1997)
* ''
8701
''8701'' is the third studio album by American singer Usher, released in the United Kingdom on July 9, 2001, and in the United States on August 7, 2001, by Arista Records. Recording was handled by several producers including The Neptunes, Jerm ...
'' (2001)
* ''
Confessions'' (2004)
* ''
Here I Stand'' (2008)
* ''
Raymond v. Raymond'' (2010)
* ''
Looking 4 Myself
''Looking 4 Myself'' is the seventh studio album by American singer Usher. It was released on June 8, 2012, by RCA Records; it is Usher's first album for RCA after the October 2011 merger of the Jive Records group which also included his label, ...
'' (2012)
* ''
Hard II Love
''Hard II Love'' is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Usher. It was released on September 16, 2016, by RCA Records. Recording sessions took place between from 2013 to 2016, including the executive production from Usher, alon ...
'' (2016)
Collaborative albums
* ''
A'' with
Zaytoven
Xavier Lamar Dotson (born January 12, 1980), professionally known as Zaytoven, is an American trap music record producer, disc jockey, and keyboardist from Atlanta, Georgia. He has released collaborative projects with artists including Gu ...
(2018)
Concert tours and residencies
Headlining
* 8701 Evolution Tour, Evolution 8701 Tour (2002)
* Truth Tour (2004)
* One Night Stand Tour (2008)
*
OMG Tour
OMG Tour was the fourth concert tour by American recording artist Usher. Visiting North America, Asia, Europe and Australia, the tour accompanies his sixth studio album, '' Raymond v. Raymond'' (2010), as well as his first extended play, '' Vers ...
(2010–2011)
* UR Experience Tour, The UR Experience Tour (2014–2015)
*
RNB Fridays Live
RNB Fridays Live is an annual concert series held in Australia. The series was co-founded by the Hit Radio Network and Frontier Touring in 2016. The event features several stages featuring musical artists from many genres of music, including ...
(2018)
Concert residencies
* Usher: The Las Vegas Residency - The Colosseum at Caesars Palace
* My Way: The Vegas Residency - Park MGM (2022)
Opening act
* Share My World Tour (1997–1998)
*
The Velvet Rope Tour
The Velvet Rope Tour was the third concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Launched in support of her sixth studio album ''The Velvet Rope'' (1997), the tour visited Europe, North America, Japan, New Zealand, Africa, and Australi ...
(1998–1999)
* No Way Out Tour (1998)
Filmography
* ''
The Faculty
''The Faculty'' is a 1998 American science fiction horror film directed by Robert Rodriguez and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Hatosy, Famke Janssen, Piper Laurie, B ...
'' (1998)
* ''
She's All That'' (1999)
* ''
Light It Up'' (1999)
* ''Geppetto (film), Geppetto'' (2000)
* ''
Texas Rangers'' (2001)
* ''
In the Mix'' (2005)
* ''Killers (2010 film), Killers'' (2010)
* ''Justin Bieber: Never Say Never'' (2011)
* ''Scary Movie 5'' (2013)
* ''Justin Bieber's Believe'' (2013)
* ''Muppets Most Wanted'' (2014)
* ''
Hands of Stone
''Hands of Stone'' is a 2016 American biographical sports film about the career of Panamanian former professional boxer Roberto Durán. It is directed and written by Jonathan Jakubowicz. It stars Édgar Ramírez, Robert De Niro, Usher, Ruben Blad ...
'' (2016)
* ''Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping'' (2016)
* ''People You May Know'' (2017)
* ''Welcome to My Life (documentary), Welcome to My Life'' (2017)
* ''Drop the Mic'' (2017)
* ''Burden (2018 film), Burden'' (2018)
* ''Last of the Showmen'' (2018)
* ''Incredibles 2'' (2018)
* ''
Hustlers'' (2019)
* ''Justin Bieber: Seasons'' (2020)
Stage productions
* ''
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
'' (2008) (Broadway)
See also
* Honorific nicknames in popular music
* List of bestselling singles
* List of bestselling albums
* List of bestselling music artists
* List of bestselling music artists in the United States
* List of artists who reached number one in the United States
* List of Billboard Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones, List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart achievements and milestones
References
External links
*
*
* [ Usher] at Billboard.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Usher
Usher (musician),
1978 births
Living people
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American singers
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American singers
African-American businesspeople
African-American choreographers
African-American male actors
African-American male dancers
African-American male singers
African-American male singer-songwriters
African-American sports executives and administrators
African-American television personalities
American art collectors
American child singers
American choreographers
American contemporary R&B singers
American cosmetics businesspeople
American fashion businesspeople
American dance musicians
American male child actors
American male dancers
American male film actors
American male pop singers
American male singers
American male soap opera actors
American male songwriters
American male television actors
American music industry executives
American music video directors
American philanthropists
American sports executives and administrators
American tenors
Arista Records artists
Businesspeople from Atlanta
Businesspeople from Tennessee
Businesspeople from Texas
Cleveland Cavaliers owners
Grammy Award winners
Jive Records artists
Judges in American reality television series
LaFace Records artists
Male actors from Atlanta
Male actors from Tennessee
Male actors from Texas
MTV Europe Music Award winners
Musicians from Atlanta
Musicians from Dallas
People from Chattanooga, Tennessee
RCA Records artists
Singers with a three-octave vocal range
Singer-songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state)
Singer-songwriters from Tennessee
Singer-songwriters from Texas
Television personalities from Atlanta
World Music Awards winners
Writers from Atlanta
Writers from Dallas