Usher: The King of R&B

Meet one of America's biggest musical pop stars.

Usher is undoubtedly one of pop music’s most gifted entertainers. With his silky smooth voice and masterful dance moves, Mr. Entertainment enjoys the loving adulation of millions around the world. Within a single week, his Super Bowl 2024 performance got over 20 million views on YouTube! 

Here’s the larger-than-life story behind the musical icon: 

The Making of Usher

Usher Raymond IV was born on October 14, 1978 in Dallas, Texas. He was raised on Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he sang in a local church choir. 

Recognizing his musical talent, Usher’s family moved to the bigger city of Atlanta, where the young man could pursue his ambitious dreams. Usher joined the R&B group New Beginnings.

In the early 1990s, after an excellent performance at the Star Search, the 13-year-old artist landed a contract with LaFace Records. His first single, “Call Me a Mack,” appeared on the soundtrack of the 1993 movie Poetic Justice. 

In 1994, the King of R&B introduced himself to the world with his self-titled debut album: Usher. Co-produced by P. Diddy, it broke into the Billboard 200. 

My Way

Finishing up high school, Big Ush followed up his success with 1997 album My Way. Within a single week, it soared to the Top 5. The album would eventually go on to sell over 3 million copies. He released his first-ever Top Ten single (“You Make Me Wanna Cry”) and Number One hit (“Nice and Slow”). 

Riding high on album sales, Usher went on a big tour with the likes of Puff Daddy and Janet Jackson. He also tried his hand in acting. By the late 90s, Usher was appearing in sitcoms, soap operas, and movies alike. 

8701

Usher’s third album was originally titled All About U, scheduled for release in early 2001. The first single was “Pop Ya Collar,” which came out in late 2000, but it underperformed in the US. Other songs got leaked on the early Internet, forcing Usher to delay his album. 

Rebranded and redone, Usher’s third album was released under the name 8701 in August of 2001. The first two singles, “U Remind Me” and “U Got It Bad”, both topped the Billboard 100 for several weeks. His song “You Don’t Have to Call” won him a Grammy. 

Usher’s third album became an instant R&B classic. Going five times platinum, it broke into the Billboard Top Five, and sold over 8 million copies. 

Collaborating with P. Diddy, Usher released his smash-hit single “I Need A Girl.” 

Confessions

Usher dropped his fourth album Confessions in 2004. Within a week, it sold over a million copies. A masterpiece of its genre, the Grammy-winning Confessions produced four number-one singles.

Its first single, the classic song “Yeah!,” shot up to the very top of the Billboard charts. The song was huge: it stayed on the Hot 100 for 12 whole weeks! 

The album’s second and third singles, “Burn” and “Confessions Part II,” also topped the Billboard Hot 100. “Burn” stayed there for eight whole weeks. 

In September, Usher released “My Boo,” a duet with Alicia Keys. It shot up to number one. 

In December, Big Ush released the album’s final single: “Caught Up,” which peaked at number eight on the Hot 100. 

Here I Stand

In 2008, Usher released another number-one album: Here I Stand. Featuring a more mature style, it reflected many of Usher’s personal changes. He had started a family with his wife, and his estranged father had died. 

Although the album gave Usher his eighth number-one single, Here I Stand failed to maintain the momentum of his previous efforts. 

Raymond vs. Raymond

Months after a painful divorce, Usher dropped Raymond vs. Raymond in 2010. That year, he became the first male artist since Eminem to release three consecutive number-one albums. 

Working with will.i.am, Usher dropped the smash hit “OMG.” 

Versus

Later that year, Usher dropped Versus as a companion-piece EP to that album. For the sixteenth time now, the singer got himself a Top Ten hit! 

With Pitbull, Usher released “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love.” 

Looking 4 Myself

After a surprise appearance at the Super Bowl Halftime show in 2011, Usher released some more songs the following year. This became Looking 4 Myself, which came out in June of 2012. Its lead single was “Climax,” another smash hit. 

Bieber

High on success, Usher founded his own media group with talent manager Scooter Braun. Together, this company made a discovery that would change the face of popular music: Justin Bieber. 

Usher became a mentor and close friend of JB. Together, he and the Canadian singer released “Somebody To Love.” 

Super Bowl 2024

Today, Usher continues his three-decade long dominance of Western pop music. His ninth and latest album came out in February of 2024, to coincide with his Super Bowl performance.