But to be worthy of the Michael Jackson-level prestige he coveted, Usher needed a man-in-the-mirror moment. Everyone in America knew the term “Yeah!” not just as an everyday affirmation but as a club smash. He had the catalog, choreography, angelic falsetto, and winning grin necessary to be a star. Usher understood that much of a great pop album is simply telling a good story. “Nobody knows who the fuck Billie Jean is.
Usher music license#
“We wanted the media to ask us questions,” the producer told Vibe in 2014, comparing their artistic license to that of Michael Jackson. II,” a saga about creeping and getting another woman pregnant, was based on Dupri’s life, not Usher’s. The album’s most salacious track, “Confessions Pt. A decade later, executive producer Jermaine Dupri said the song was indeed about her but admitted Confessions wasn’t just Usher’s experience, rather a compilation of its male creators’ infractions, promoted as one man’s expunging of sins. He said he co-wrote the album’s core breakup ballad, “Burn,” while he and Chilli were still together. While it was true that he wasn’t entirely sold on marriage, he told Rolling Stone in 2004 that he did once buy Chilli a 10-karat diamond ring and proposed to her in the most R&B way: in the middle of sex. In constructing the narrative around Confessions, Usher omitted certain facts. He described Confessions as autofiction and let the public run with the rumors, which, of course, they did.īut the deception worked on multiple levels. Chilli hinted at infidelity on the radio but declined to elaborate on the relationship to Vibe or contribute to what she called a “PR move.” Usher said he didn’t view the album as a stunt, even though it was. In interviews, he told the same story about his breakup with TLC’s Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, seven years his senior: He’d cheated on her she’d been pressuring him to settle down arguments led to fissures, and they eventually split. In recognition of his accomplishments, Usher has been honored by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Trumpet Foundation, Do Something, the NAACP, and as the 2010 Ford Freedom Award Scholar.Ĭopyright © 2021 Look to the Stars, All rights reserved.In 2004, Usher wasn’t yet committed to the idea of marriage, a point he made repeatedly during the press cycle for his fourth album, Confessions, marketed as his most personal project to date. In 1999, Usher created New Look, a charitable organization that develops global youth leaders by way of access, awareness and empowerment. Usher has also proven to be a major philanthropic force. Realizing that with success comes responsibility. Usher has attained nine Hot 100 #1 hits (all as a lead artist) and 18 Hot 100 top-10 singles. He has won numerous awards including 8 Grammy Awards and was named the #1 Hot 100 artist of the 2000s decade. of America as one of the best-selling artists in American music history, having sold over 46 million albums worldwide. Usher has been ranked by the Recording Industry Assn. Usher established the Usher's New Look Foundation to empower young people from underserved neighborhoods around the world to create change in their communities.Ĭhallenging himself creatively and testing musical boundaries are characteristics that have defined Usher’s career since he was first discovered twenty years ago on Star Search.
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