138-523: Bryan-Michael Paul Cox (born December 1, 1977) is an American record producer and songwriter, known for his work with artists such as Usher , Mariah Carey , Mary J. Blige , and Toni Braxton . His most notable productions are " Be Without You " for Mary J. Blige, " Burn ", " Confessions Part II " and " U Got It Bad " for Usher, and " Shake It Off ", " I Stay In Love " and " You Don't Know What To Do " for Mariah Carey. While attending High School in Texas, Cox
276-520: A close affiliation with Jermaine Dupri c. 2000, who would become his production partner in the following years. Cox attained a Guinness World Records for the longest consecutive period of chart success by spending over 5 consecutive years there, breaking the record that was previously held by The Beatles . In 2009, Cox was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame for his contribution to music. Cox has said that his mother played
414-609: A co-producer for the single " Papers ". Between November 9–17, 2018, Usher served as the headliner for the RNB Fridays Live concert series. The six date stadium tour in Australia and New Zealand 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
552-613: A coach for the fourth season of NBC 's The Voice . His last act, Michelle Chamuel , lost the winning title to Danielle Bradbery , mentored by Blake Shelton . He returned for the sixth season and his last act, Josh Kaufman , won. On March 19, 2013, Usher announced that his eighth studio album, titled UR , was in the works. Talking to The Fader , 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 , Bryan-Michael Cox , and Brian Alexander Morgan ,
690-496: 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 , for mainstream audiences, and "Hot Tottie" featuring Jay-Z , for urban circuits. The first single from the album, " DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love ", was released to iTunes on July 13, 2010, and sent to radio on July 20, 2010. Due to strong digital sales
828-500: A local talent show in Atlanta. Alexander, who at the time was Bobby Brown '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 to see Usher perform on the television talent show Star Search . Following the performance, he arranged an audition for Usher with L.A. Reid , the co-founder of LaFace; Reid signed Usher on
966-407: A new sound. His seventh studio album Looking 4 Myself was released on June 8, 2012, worldwide, and received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics. American singer-songwriter and record producer Rico Love was interviewed by Billboard magazine, where he spoke about his relationships with artists and experiences. He commented on how Usher wanted to do things differently on
1104-496: 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." Here I Stand was released on May 26 in the United Kingdom and May 27, 2008, in
1242-572: A second single titled " Crash " on June 10 for all digital platforms. On June 12, 2016, it was reported that Raymond signed a management deal with business partner Scooter Braun . 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 in
1380-473: 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, Georgia , where there was a more conducive environment for beginning singers. While in Atlanta, he attended North Springs High School . At age ten, Usher joined an R&B local quintet called the NuBeginning, which
1518-452: 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 and Christina Milian were
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#17327866084631656-404: 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 ". 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
1794-421: Is a song by American R&B singer Usher , which he wrote with American songwriters Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox . The song was produced by Dupri and Cox for Usher's fourth studio album, Confessions (2004). A downtempo track about the breakup of a relationship, it was originally planned as the album's lead single , but "Burn" was pushed back after favorable responses for the song " Yeah! ". "Burn"
1932-507: 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. In December 2021, Bruno Mars announced onstage with Usher that he was moving his residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM . On February 17, 2022, Usher officially announced that he would be moving his residency from Caesars Palace to Park MGM and would be headlining 23 shows. Usher released
2070-705: The Big Momma's House soundtrack. He worked with Jagged Edge 's second studio album J.E. Heartbreak , contributing to songs " He Can't Love U " and " Let's Get Married ". He contributed to Tamar Braxton 's debut album, Tamar co-writing and producing "Get None" with musical partner Jermaine Dupri. He wrote and co-produced the second single " Just Be a Man About It " from Toni Braxton 's third studio album, The Heat . Cox worked with Usher, contributing to Confessions , co-writing and co-producing Billboard Hot 100 number-one songs " Burn " and " Confessions Part II ". Confessions won Best Contemporary R&B Album at
2208-667: The Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Critics praised the song for its emotion. " Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home) " 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 chart. The song was released as the second international single in July 2010. " Lil Freak " was announced as the album's official second single in
2346-582: The Billboard Hot 100 , and number-one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming Usher's eleventh number-one hit on that chart. The song ended up tying with " You Make Me Wanna " 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
2484-490: 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 's The Velvet Rope Tour . Usher's first concert album, Live , was released in 1999, which featured appearances by Lil' Kim , Jagged Edge , Trey Lorenz , Shanice , Twista and Manuel Seal ;
2622-539: The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards on January 26, 2020. Usher and Shelia E. performed a special tribute honoring Prince . 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 , John Legend , Chris Martin , H.E.R. , and more. On January 31, to initiate a tribute for Kobe Bryant , who
2760-993: The Australian Singles Chart , No. 9 on the French Singles Chart , No. 9 on the Swiss Singles Chart , No. 10 on the Norwegian Singles Chart , No. 12 on the Austrian Singles Chart , No. 13 on the Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia), and No. 18 on the Finnish Singles Chart . The follow-up single " Love in This Club Part II ", which features American singer Beyoncé and rapper Lil Wayne , peaked at No. 18 on
2898-507: The Billboard 200. His ninth album, Coming Home (2024) was released as a first independent project, preceded by the single " Good Good ", with 21 Savage and Summer Walker . Referred to by some critics as the King of R&B , Usher has earned nine number-one singles and sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time . At
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#17327866084633036-567: The Billboard Hot 100 and No. 7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Its third single " Moving Mountains " peaked at No. 18 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and reached No. 6 on the New Zealand Singles Chart . The album's fifth single " Trading Places " peaked at No. 4 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In September 2008, Usher announced he would embark on the 15-date tour One Night Stand , in which
3174-537: The Billboard Hot ;100 for four and six weeks, respectively. 8701 has been certified five-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 for "U Remind Me". The next year, he won the same award for " U Don't Have to Call ", making Usher the only artist aside from Luther Vandross and Stevie Wonder to win this award consecutively. In
3312-663: 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 , his previous label, LaFace, was revived under the Jive / Zomba Group banner, bringing Usher back to the fold. Confessions earned Usher numerous awards, including four American Music Awards , two MTV Europe Music Awards , two MTV Video Music Awards , and three World Music Awards. At
3450-575: The Confessions Pt. II remix, where Kanye West would appear from back of the stage. Then lastly Usher would also bring out artist Lil Jon and Ludacris 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 selling more than 7 Million copies. In
3588-738: The Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 in Johannesburg , South Africa , celebrating the legacy of Nelson Mandela . Usher and DJ Black Coffee performed a mash-up featuring the South African Indigenous Dance Academy (IDA). Usher had a cameo in the crime film Hustlers , which was released on September 13, 2019, and stars Jennifer Lopez , Constance Wu , Keke Palmer , Cardi B , and Lili Reinhart . In September 2019, director Lorene Scafaria told Vulture magazine his cameo
3726-492: The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs . On December 16, 2016, Chris Brown released "Party" as the second single from his forthcoming album Heartbreak on a Full Moon featuring Usher and Gucci Mane . On October 12, 2018, Usher released a collaborative studio album, titled simply A . The official tracklist contains 8 songs with features from Future and Gunna . The album was produced entirely by Zaytoven , who previously collaborated on Usher's Raymond v. Raymond album as
3864-728: The Latin Airplay chart. On September 24, 2023, Usher announced that he will headline the Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show , held at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. He described the opportunity as "an honour of a lifetime" that he will finally be able to check off his bucket list. In addition, he announced in an Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe that his ninth studio album, Coming Home , would be released on February 11, 2024,
4002-617: The Super Bowl XLV halftime show to sing his song " OMG " with The Black Eyed Peas ' singer will.i.am . On September 8, 2011, Usher appeared on Romeo Santos ' second single " Promise " from his debut studio album Formula, Vol. 1 . 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 , confirmed
4140-481: The title track 's usage of jazz notably drew comparisons to Stevie Wonder . Raymond V Raymond was described as a "skillful fusion of R&B/hip-hop/pop" by Billboard . Looking 4 Myself further explored progressive R&B, hip hop ballads , and synth pop , with its overall sound coined "hybrid pop" for its dynamic incorporation of EDM , dubstep , neo soul , and funk . Hard II Love sees Rolling Stone ' s Maura Johnston view it to "stretch
4278-565: The "flame has simply died". "Burn" was nominated at the 47th Grammy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song . The song earned British record company EMI the "Publisher of the Year" at the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers 2005 Pop Music Awards. In 2016, Complex ranked the song number two on their list of the 25 greatest Usher songs, and in 2021, American Songwriter ranked
Bryan-Michael Cox - Misplaced Pages Continue
4416-406: The 2001 single " U Got It Bad " for Usher. During an early session for the album, Dupri and Cox talked about a situation which later became "Burn". At that time, Usher's two-year relationship with TLC 's Chilli was flaming out. They said, "Yo, you gotta let that burn ... That's a song right there", and started writing. Usher submitted the album to his label Arista Records after he felt it
4554-516: The 2005 Grammys. Confessions has been certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) and, as of 2012, has sold 10.3 million copies in the United States. It has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. He worked with Mariah Carey again on 2005's The Emancipation of Mimi with hits " Shake It Off " and " Don't Forget About Us ". "Don't Forget About Us" was nominated for two Grammy Awards. He wrote
4692-429: The 2016 American-Panamanian biographical sports film Hands of Stone about the career of Panamanian former professional boxer Roberto Durán . In it, he starred opposite of Édgar Ramírez , Robert De Niro , and Ruben Blades . On August 26, 2016, Hands of Stone premiered worldwide. " Missin U " was also released as a third single by RCA Records for online streaming and digital download, along with " Champions (from
4830-465: 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
4968-619: The Beautiful . He completed two more films, She's All That , and his first starring role in Light It Up . He also appeared in the Disney 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 ", was released in late 2000 and became a number two hit in the UK but underperformed in
5106-669: 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 . The OMG Tour began in November 2010 and ended on June 1, 2011. On February 6, 2011, Usher also made an appearance in
5244-613: The Games . He was also featured on "I Swear I'm In Love" off the soundtrack to the 1996 film Kazaam . Usher developed a friendship with American record producer Jermaine Dupri , with whom he co-wrote and produced several tracks for his second album, My Way , 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
5382-569: The Motion Picture Hands of Stone)", both on Vevo . On August 30, " Rivals " 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 was released on September 16, 2016, and received generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics. It debuted at number 5 on
5520-639: The RCA and Sony Music Group merger. He later signed a joint venture with Larry Jackson 's Gamma music company. Usher and his longtime partner, L.A. Reid , founded Mega in partnership with Gamma. Usher's eighth studio album will be released through this partnership. On June 30, 2022, Usher performed on NPR 's Tiny Desk Concerts series. He was joined by vocalists Eric Bellinger and Vedo, bassist, Dmitry Gorodetsky, trombonist Lemar Guillary, trumpeter Brandyn Phillips, saxophonist Jay Flat, keyboardist Darek Cobbs, guitarist Erick Walls and drummer Ryan Carr. A clip from
5658-480: 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 " featuring rapper Young Thug initially was serviced to Urban radio on June 9, and eventually peaked at number 1 on the Mainstream R&;B/Hip-Hop airplay chart, number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 , and number 9 on
Bryan-Michael Cox - Misplaced Pages Continue
5796-581: The United Kingdom. Usher announced on July 8, 2010, a follow-up extended play 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 single " Somebody to Love (Remix) ". The tracks would be included on
5934-427: 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 " and " U Got It Bad " each topped
6072-519: The United States. The album's second single, " Nice & Slow ", 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 . My Way has been certified seven-time platinum in the United States. " You Make Me Wanna... " won the Best Male R&;B/Soul Single at
6210-427: 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 two-times platinum by the RIAA , 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
6348-459: The United States. Usher and Nicki Minaj 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 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
6486-530: The Year Award and the SESAC Songwriter of the Year Award six consecutive years. Usher (singer) Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. He is recognized as an influential figure in contemporary R&B and pop music. In 1994, Usher first released his self-titled debut album at the age of 15 and rose to fame in the late 1990s following
6624-487: The album a Diamond certification by the RIAA . The album's second and third singles, " Burn " and " Confessions Part II ", also topped the Billboard Hot 100, the former for eight weeks. Usher became the first artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay with four consecutive number-one singles, In September 2004, "My Boo", a duet with American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys , also peaked at number one at
6762-454: The album compared to his previous efforts, saying: "What he wanted to do [on 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 , and that's affecting people sonically. That's kind of forcing
6900-452: The album has been certified gold in the United States. Usher made his acting debut on the UPN television series Moesha , which resulted in a recurring role on the series and subsequently his first film role in 1998's The Faculty . 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
7038-502: The albums Here I Stand (2008) and Raymond v. Raymond (2010), both of which debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart and respectively spawned the number-one singles " Love in This Club " featuring Young Jeezy , and " OMG " featuring will.i.am . The latter also spawned the single " There Goes My Baby ", which won his third Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. In 2010, his debut extended play , Versus produced
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#17327866084637176-678: The audience is only females. On January 18, 2009, Usher performed with Stevie Wonder and Shakira at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial . He also sang " Gone Too Soon " at the memorial of Michael Jackson on July 7, 2009. Raymond v. Raymond was released on March 26, 2010, in Germany, March 30, 2010, in the US, and April 26, 2010, in the UK. The album
7314-578: The best-selling musical artists of the 2000s decade, supported by four consecutive Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles—" Yeah! ", featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris , " Burn ", " Confessions Part II ", and " My Boo " with Alicia Keys —and the top-ten " Caught Up ". The album sold over 20 million copies worldwide and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After splitting from his manager and mother Jonnetta Patton in 2007, he released
7452-454: 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 as his biggest influence. Usher once told MTV , "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
7590-422: The car scene, Usher stops as he sees his imaginary girl again. He and dances, executing various hand routines. Video intercuts follow and the video ends with Usher standing. Right before the last chorus, the screen changes from a small screen to a full one with no framework. The music video debuted on MTV 's Total Request Live at number six on May 4, 2004, debuting with "Confessions Part II". The video reached
7728-581: The chorus. "Burn" was considered a "window to Usher's inner thoughts", along with the controversial track "Confessions" and " Confessions Part II ". The song is about breakups and ending relationships. According to Matt Cibula of Popmatters , "Burn" is constructed from "two-step concept". In the lyrics "You know that it's over / You know that it was through / Let it burn / Got to let it burn", Usher breaks up with his woman but found her sad about feeling bad about what happened to their relationship. However, Usher says that she must deal with it before she can accept
7866-418: The collaboration of Honey Nut Cheerios , he released "Clueless", a new song that could be downloaded free using a code from specially-marked Honey Nut Cheerios boxes bought from Walmart. On October 16, 2015, Usher released an interactive music video exclusively on the music streaming platform Tidal called " Chains " featuring artists Nas and Bibi Bourelly . "Chains" literally forces the viewer to confront
8004-469: The consolidation of Usher's previous labels, Jive, and Arista, along with J Records . Following the consolidation of the three labels, Usher (and various other artists previously signed to the three aforementioned labels) were deferred to release planned material for RCA Records . 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
8142-432: The end of 2009, Billboard named him the second most successful artist of the decade, the number-one Hot 100 artist of the decade, and ranked Confessions as the top solo album of the decade. Usher has won numerous awards and accolades including eight Grammy Awards , twelve Soul Train Music Awards , eight American Music Awards , three Guinness World Records , and eighteen Billboard Music Awards . Usher co-founded
8280-575: The first male artist since Eminem 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 . On February 9, 2024, the album was certified three-times Platinum by the RIAA . 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
8418-427: The first single for Bow Wow's fifth studio album, The Price of Fame , in 2006. Again working with Austin together the duo co-wrote " Stay Down " for Mary J. Blige's eighth studio album, Growing Pains in 2007. Cox co-wrote " Last Time " for Trey Songz 's second studio album Trey Day . Cox produced and co-wrote "Circles", the third single from Marques Houston 's Veteran album. In 2008, he wrote five songs for
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#17327866084638556-528: The flute: "My mom would buy music instead of food when I was little. We would spend her entire pay check at the record store." He expressed his musical ambitions to her when he was seven years old, having written his first song when he was just six years old. Later, he enrolled in Houston's Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts . In high school, Cox met Beyoncé when he was a senior and she
8694-410: 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
8832-526: The fourth single from Chris Brown 's self-titled debut album " Say Goodbye ". He co-wrote " Be Without You " the lead single from Mary J. Blige seventh studio album The Breakthrough . The single was certified double-platinum in the United States, was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year and won the Best R&;B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance categories at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards . Cox co-wrote " Shortie Like Mine "
8970-515: The group Day26 's self-titled debut album, including the second single, " Since You've Been Gone ". In 2010, he co-wrote and produced " Never Let You Go ", the single for My World 2.0 , the debut studio album by Justin Bieber . For Mariah Carey he co-wrote and co-produced " Oh Santa! ", alongside Jermaine Dupri and Carey, for her second Christmas/thirteenth studio album, Merry Christmas II You . He added song writing and production on Usher 's Grammy award-winning album Raymond vs Raymond . In
9108-670: 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 (ARIA). The album debuted at number four in Canada and has been certified Gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA). Raymond v. Raymond debuted at number-two in
9246-543: 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 Instagram post that he changed
9384-560: The lavish lifestyle of Puff Daddy although in an interview with Rolling Stone , 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 chart and
9522-750: The list's history. Produced by Pop & Oak, it was performed at The Voice . Since then, two other singles have been released from the album: " She Came to Give It to You " featuring Nicki Minaj and " I Don't Mind " featuring Juicy J . The latter allowed Usher to lead the Rhythmic charts with the most number ones (13). On August 25, 2014, Usher announced his UR Experience Tour 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
9660-526: The majority of his young life in Chattanooga, Tennessee . 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
9798-470: 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 chart. The single
9936-437: The media said otherwise because of the lyrics in the song, which was not based on their relationship. Dupri, however, confessed that his personal life is the real story of the album. Usher said he took inspiration collectively by looking at his friends' personal situations. "Burn" is a slow jam R&B ballad . The song is performed with a moderate groove . It is composed in the key of D-flat major . The melody line of
10074-431: The minimal rhythm of '80s hip hop " displaying versatility, according to NME 's Lucy O'Brien . Confessions is viewed as a "top-of-the-line pop-soul showcase", with established critic Robert Hilburn of Los Angeles Times seeing lead single " Yeah! " as something Michael Jackson would have created "if he still had the old Thriller magic". Here I Stand was noted as more ballad -heavy by critics, where
10212-402: The music industry. His contribution to this song elevated him to fame, and garnered more attention for his past work. "Burn" earned him two Grammy nominations. Cox said, "Everybody who does this for a living, dreams about being nominated. It's the ultimate accomplishment. I've always been the silent guy — I come in, do my job and head out. I like to leave all the glory and shine to others, but this
10350-530: The next scene, Usher and his mistress are having sex. While sitting on the edge of the bed, Usher reminisces about the moments he and his girlfriend had have in the same bed. The bedsheets burn, the scene then cutting to Usher riding a silver right-hand drive Aston Martin DB5 with a British registration - EGF 158B (the car was featured in the TV series Fastlane ). The video cuts with the backdrop also burning. Continuing to
10488-409: The official first single from Confessions . "Yeah!", which was intended as a promotional song and a teaser for Usher's fans, was released to street DJs and mixtapes . However, the favorable response to the song led to a change; "Yeah!" was the lead single and "Burn" was set as its follow-up. "Burn" was sent to US rhythmic contemporary and urban contemporary radio stations on March 1, 2004. It
10626-413: 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 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
10764-406: 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 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
10902-791: The performance of Usher whispering "watch this" went viral on the internet as a meme . On March 17, 2023, Usher released the single " GLU ", his first solo single in over two years. It was co-produced by longtime collaborators Lil Jon , The Avila Brothers, and Sean Garrett . It topped the Adult R&;B Chart , becoming his seventh number one single on that chart. On April 14, 2023, Usher announced his 8-night show residency in Boulogne-Billancourt , titled "Rendez-Vous À Paris" at La Seine Musicale presented by Live Nation Entertainment. The residency starts on September 24 and runs through to October 5. On August 4, 2023, Usher released
11040-473: The record label Raymond-Braun Media Group (RBMG) in a joint venture with talent manager Scooter Braun , which was the first label to sign Canadian singer Justin Bieber in 2008. Outside of music, Usher founded the charitable non-profit Usher's New Look in 1999. Usher Raymond IV was born on October 14, 1978, in Dallas, Texas . His parents are Jonnetta Patton ( née O'Neal) and Usher Raymond III. He spent
11178-659: The record previously held by the Beatles for Billboard' s most consecutive number-one hits. Cox has been named one of Billboard ' s "Top 10 Producers of the Decade" and sits on Billboard ' s "Hot R&B Song of the Decade List", "Hot 100 Songs of the Decade List", "Top 200 Albums of the Decade List" and is a 2009 Georgia Music Hall of Fame inductee. He has been awarded the Billboard Songwriter of
11316-607: The release of his second album, My Way (1997). That album featured his first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single " Nice & Slow " and the top-two singles " You Make Me Wanna... " and the title track . His third album, 8701 (2001), saw continued success and contained two number-one singles, " U Remind Me " and " U Got It Bad ", as well as the top-three single " U Don't Have to Call ". It sold eight million copies worldwide and won his first two Grammy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance consecutively in 2002 and 2003. Confessions (2004) established Usher as one of
11454-473: 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 , issued a statement sending his "thoughts and best wishes to Usher for
11592-757: The same day it was reported that he would perform at the Super Bowl. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200. The album's second single, "Ruin," featuring Nigerian artist Pheelz , was released on February 2, 2024, along with its accompanying music video. It was directed by Dave Meyers and shot on an iPhone 15 Pro . On February 6, Usher announced the Usher: Past Present Future 24-stop tour, which will visit North America and Europe . Due to overwhelming demand, it expanded from 24 to 58 shows. On June 30, 2024, Usher
11730-546: The same year, Cox co-produced the single " Love All Over Me ", the single from Monica 's sixth studio album, Still Standing . He worked on Love and War for Tamar Braxton in 2013. He worked with Johntá Austin co-writing for R. Kelly's thirteenth studio album The Buffet , and on Views for Drake . Cox co-wrote on Free TC for Ty Dolla Sign . Cox went on to co-produce alongside his musical mentor Jermaine Dupri . He has had 35 number-one hits, 12 Grammy Award nominations, including nine wins, 20 top-ten hits, and eclipsing
11868-688: The second annual Smoking Grooves Festival at the Queen Mary Events Park in Long Beach, California . On September 6, 2019, Usher returned for season seventeen of NBC's The Voice . He joined John Legend 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
12006-557: The second best-selling single in the United States, behind Usher's single " Yeah! ". This gives him the distinction, alongside The Beatles in 1964, to have two of his singles occupying the top two spots on the Billboard Year-End Chart. Like "Yeah!", "Burn" helped Confessions remain on the top spot. Internationally, several music markets responded equally well. In the United Kingdom, the single debuted at number one and stayed for two weeks. Across European countries,
12144-399: The single " Bad Habits " on September 10, 2020, as the second single off his forthcoming studio album. A 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 March 8, 2022, it was announced that Usher had parted ways with RCA Records after ten years and five months with the imprint following
12282-565: The single " Good Good " with Summer Walker and 21 Savage as the lead single to his upcoming ninth studio album. It topped the R&;B/Hip-Hop AirPlay chart, becoming his 16th number one on that chart. It also topped the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart, becoming his seventeenth number one single on that chart. He followed it up with a second single, "Boyfriend", released several weeks later. On September 14, 2023, he appeared on J Balvin 's single "Dientes". The song reached number-one on
12420-585: The single performed well, reaching the top ten in Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland. It entered the top twenty in Austria, Belgium, Germany, and Sweden. In Australia, the single debuted at number three and peaked at number two. The single was certified 2× platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association for selling 140,000 units. In the 2004 year ender charts, "Burn" became
12558-402: 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
12696-461: The song for being the only "serviceable" track among all ballad-influenced songs in the album which "often drown in their own inanity." Andy Kellman of Allmusic considered "Burn" as one of the Usher's best moments in the album, together with " Caught Up ", the final single from Confessions . Steve Jones of USA Today stated that Usher is singing about a relationship that cannot be saved because of
12834-411: The song has influences from " Ignition (Remix) " by R. Kelly. "Burn" has a combination of robotic noises, synthesized strings and guitar lines. The lyrics are constructed in the traditional verse-chorus form . The song starts with a spoken intro, giving way to the first verse. It continues to the chorus, following the second verse and chorus. The bridge follows, leading to a break and finalizing in
12972-491: The song number four on their list of the 10 greatest Usher songs. "Burn" was another commercial success for Usher. In the United States, the single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number sixty-five, months prior to its physical release. It reached the top spot on May 29, 2004, replacing "Yeah!"'s twelve-week run at number one. The single was beaten by Fantasia 's 2004 single " I Believe ", which charted on its debut. It returned to number one for one last week, before it
13110-402: The songs feature "mellifluous melodies". Laura Sinagra of Rolling Stone found Usher's singing a "sweet falsetto on the weepy breakup song ", adding, it "convincingly marries resolve and regret, but when it comes to rough stuff, there's still no 'u' in p-i-m-p." Cibula called the song brilliant and considers its step one and step two technique a hit. Jon Caramanica of Blender complimented
13248-459: The spot to a contract with the record company after Usher sang Boyz II Men 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 ", a song he recorded for the soundtrack album to the 1993 drama - romance film Poetic Justice . While preparing for his debut album, Usher lost his voice. He
13386-494: The spring of 2005, Usher scored a number three Hot 100 hit as a featured vocalist on Lil Jon 's " Lovers & Friends ". In 2007, Usher also collaborated with R. Kelly on the track " Same Girl ", for Kelly's album Double Up . He was also featured in a remix version of Omarion 's " Ice Box ". Usher also appeared on the track "Shake Down" on American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige 's 2007 album Growing Pains . According to Robert Hilburn of Los Angeles Times , Usher
13524-463: 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 benefit album Rhythm of
13662-453: 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 , 7th Heaven , Moesha , and American Dreams , the latter in which Usher portrayed Marvin Gaye . Usher's fourth studio album, Confessions , was released on March 23, 2004—just as its first single, " Yeah! ",
13800-496: The television special ' Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special ', Usher was able to dance with Jackson while performing " You Rock My World ". Prince 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 " issue, he explained "I
13938-555: 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 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
14076-401: The thirty-first best-selling single in Australia. In New Zealand, it peaked at number one for three weeks, and remained on the charts for twenty-three weeks. The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand . The music video for "Burn" was directed by Jake Nava , who had produced a wide array of videos for Atomic Kitten , Beyoncé Knowles , among others. It
14214-503: 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 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 titled " No Limit " featuring Young Thug , along with
14352-443: 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 chart and number twenty-one on
14490-400: The top spot and remained on the countdown for thirty-three days. The music video on YouTube has received over 345 million views as of April 2024. Cox benefited from co-creating Confessions , as well as from the success of "Burn". He had previously contributed to records for Alicia Keys , B2K , Mariah Carey and Destiny's Child , but he felt 2004 introduced him to another landscape in
14628-524: The top-five single " DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love ", featuring Pitbull . His seventh album, Looking 4 Myself (2012) likewise debuted atop the chart and saw further electronic production; it spawned the top-ten single " Scream " and top 20 single " Climax "—which received a Grammy Award. His 2014 standalone single, " I Don't Mind ", featuring Juicy J , reached the top-15 of the Billboard Hot 100. His eighth album, Hard II Love (2016) peaked at number five on
14766-527: The track on April 5 during an online music battle called #VERZUZ hosted by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland . He appeared on NBC 's Songland and released the song " California " featuring Tyga on June 15, 2020. On June 26, 2020, Usher released " I Cry ". On September 4, 2020, Usher announced he will be headlining a 12 show residency at the Colosseum at Caesars' Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada . The show
14904-480: The truth. For the lines "It's been fifty-eleven days / Umpteen hours / I'm gonna be burnin' / Till you return", the direction changes after Usher realized that breaking up with her was a huge mistake and that he wanted her back. "Burn" was lauded by contemporary music critics. Jem Aswad of Entertainment Weekly complimented Dupri and Cox for producing what he called the "best song" from the album, along with " Confessions Part II ", which they also produced. Aswad said
15042-406: 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 , "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 as
15180-652: Was a freshman. He recorded his first-ever demo tape with her. Although the two wouldn't reconnect until nearly seven years later when Bryan produced a track on Destiny's Child 's Destiny Fulfilled , it was the early confirmation from Mathew Knowles that prompted Bryan to go into the music industry. "Back then there was three choices if you wanted to be in the music industry, live in New York, LA, or Atlanta. I enrolled in Clark Atlanta University because although my Mom supported my dreams one hundred percent I had to go to college, so I chose Clark because I
15318-562: 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
15456-405: Was acquainted with singer Beyoncé . He produced records for the members of Destiny's Child , prior to their signing with Columbia Records . Cox relocated to Atlanta to pursue his professional music career, first attending Clark Atlanta University , where he participated in the choir with a then unknown classmate, who would become famed Entertainment Attorney, Antavius Weems. He then established
15594-858: Was another huge international success for Usher. It reached No. 1 on the New Zealand Singles Chart , No. 3 on the Irish Singles Chart , No. 3 on the Eurochart Hot 100 , No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart , No. 5 on the Japan Hot 100 , No. 5 on the German Singles Chart , No. 5 on the Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders), No. 6 on the Canadian Hot 100 , No. 8 on the Swedish Singles Chart , No. 8 on
15732-888: Was certified platinum in Australia and United States and gold in New Zealand. The song was well received by critics and garnered award nominations. In 2009, it was named the 21st most successful song of the 2000s on the Billboard Hot 100 Songs of the Decade. This song won the 2005 Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Song . When Usher planned to make a new record after his third album, 8701 (2001), he decided to not branch out much with collaborators and continue building music with his previous producers. Usher again enlisted record-producer Jermaine Dupri , who had collaborated on his two previous albums, along with The Neptunes and R. Kelly , among others, to work on his fourth studio album, Confessions (2004). Dupri contacted his frequent collaborator Bryan-Michael Cox , who had also made hits like
15870-403: Was co-produced by longtime collaborators Bryan-Michael Cox and Jermaine Dupri. Usher, Ella Mai, and Jermaine Dupri performed the song on BET 's SOS: Saving Ourselves - A BET Covid 19 Relief Special , to benefit African American 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
16008-506: Was completed. After he and the company's then-president Antonio "LA" Reid listened to the songs, they felt the album needed a first single and that they needed to create one or two more songs, which caused the album's release to be postponed. Usher went back to the studio and collaborated with Lil Jon , who said, "He needed a single. They had 'Burn,' 'Burn' was hot, but they needed that first powerful monster. That's when I came in." They worked on few more tracks, including "Red Light", which
16146-484: Was eventually released as the second single from the album on March 21, 2004. "Burn" is considered to be one of Usher's signature hits. "Burn" topped various charts around the world, including the US Billboard Hot 100 for eight non-consecutive weeks; it succeeded "Yeah!" at number one. Both singles gave Usher nineteen consecutive weeks at the top spot, longer than any solo artist of the Hot 100 era. "Burn"
16284-468: 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 chart for two consecutive weeks, becoming his tenth number one single on that chart. It also peaked at number 31 on
16422-471: Was finally knocked off by the album's third single, " Confessions Part II ". The single failed to remain on the top spot as long as "Yeah!" did, staying only for eight non-consecutive weeks. "Burn" was the fifth most-played song in 2004 for earning 355,228 total plays, alongside "Yeah!" which topped the tally with 496,805 plays. The single was certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping 4,000,000 units. It became
16560-463: Was going mainstream or charging into EDM". Complex 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 ". Usher was new jack swing oriented, while My Way contained influences of soul . 8701 "introduces touches of '80s rock guitar and
16698-447: Was going through puberty and had a difficult time adjusting his vocals. LA Reid became skeptical of Usher, put his album on hold and considered 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 to "attend" what Reid called "Flavor Camp". Usher quickly adapted to
16836-607: Was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 24th BET Awards for his notable contributions to the music industry. In October 2024, Usher was named the 11th "greatest pop star of the century" by Billboard Magazine , between Eminem and Adele . Usher's music is generally R&B , but also incorporates pop among other genres. Elias Leight of Rolling Stone wrote that "catching pop's waves has always been one of Usher's greatest strengths, whether that means collaborating with Lil Jon when crunk
16974-400: Was in fact an openly gay model. In the article, Warn writes, "Maybe it's not a lack of men that's turning women gay, Usher – maybe it's you!" The video starts with Usher sitting on a sofa with a backdrop of his girlfriend. When the verse starts, Usher goes to a wide glass window pane, looking at his girlfriend swimming in the pool. The surface is aflame after she is immersed in the water. In
17112-549: 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 20 million copies worldwide, with over 14 million in the United States, earning
17250-409: 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 , Luther Vandross , Janet Jackson , Maze featuring Frankie Beverly , Al Green , and Boyz II Men . Burn (Usher song) " Burn "
17388-473: Was just trying to get to Atlanta." Cox began his career as an intern at Noontime Records in Atlanta, Georgia. He was discovered by his manager Chris Hicks , who was a partner in Noontime. Cox's first two hit singles as a producer were "Get Gone" & "Creep Inn" for the short-lived R&B group Ideal . Cox contributed to Lil Bow Wow 's debut album, Beware of Dog , writing the single " Puppy Love " and
17526-592: Was killed five days earlier in a helicopter crash alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others, Usher performed Amazing Grace at the Staples Center prior a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers , in what was the Lakers' first game played since the tragedy. Usher had been set to host and perform at the 2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards , which had been set scheduled to broadcast live on Fox on Sunday, March 29. The event
17664-412: Was not included in the first release of the album, and "Yeah!", which features Ludacris and Lil Jon. Label personnel were undecided as to what to consider as the lead single. Reid was considering whether "Yeah!" would be released then, being as they also had "Burn". Usher was doubtful if the former was the right choice, after he wanted an R&B record. Until "Yeah!" was leaked, "Burn" was chosen as
17802-420: 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 . 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
17940-479: 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 . On April 11, 2019, Usher released a single, " SexBeat ", featuring former collaborators Lil Jon and Ludacris . It was co-written by Jermaine Dupri and Antoine Harris. The release of "SexBeat" came days after Lil Jon premiered
18078-467: Was referring to his recent personal struggles, on which he promised a "real talk". In early 2004, Usher broke up with Chilli due to "irreconcilable differences and because they found it almost impossible to make compromises." Usher said in an interview: "It's unfortunate when you have to let a situation go because it's not working", which added reference to the breakup. It was later revealed that Chilli in fact broke up with Usher because of cheating, and
18216-415: Was released commercially in the United States on March 21, 2004, as a CD single , digital download , and 7-inch single . In the United Kingdom, a CD and 12-inch single were issued on June 28, 2004. Usher decided about the new material "to let it all hang out by singing about some of his own little secrets, as well as a few bones from his homies' skeleton-filled closets." The public speculated that he
18354-423: Was released on October 4, 2019 . They collaborated on " Come Thru ", which samples " You Make Me Wanna... ", his hit from his second album, My Way . Time , Entertainment Weekly , and Paper 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 for his upcoming ninth studio album. It
18492-419: Was shot at the former Hollywood house of American popular singer Frank Sinatra . The video features model Jessica Clark . In the July 2008 issue of Vibe magazine, Usher told writer Mitzi Miller, "Women have started to become lovers of each other as a result of not having enough men." On June 26, 2008, AfterEllen.com writer Sarah Warn revealed that Jessica Clark, the lead in Usher's "Burn" music video,
18630-456: Was supported by opening acts DJ Cassidy and R&B newcomer August Alsina . The European leg of the tour visited 23 cities and the support would be Nico & Vinz . "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
18768-588: 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 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 . Usher's opening night brought out stars Penélope Cruz , Gabrielle Union , Clive Davis , and Rosie Perez among others. Usher played
18906-507: 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 . The latter declared that his next album would show that he is "still Usher". " Good Kisser ", a dance-heavy throwback R&B track, was released as the first single allowing Usher to achieve his 13th no.1 on the Airplay chart, tying Drake for most leaders in
19044-501: 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 , who produced the original Confessions went live on Instagram and previewed new music. On June 15, 2019, Usher, alongside Erykah Badu , headlined
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