Usher

Born in Dallas in 1978 as Usher Raymond IV, Usher grew up between Tennessee and Atlanta, where his career took shape within the American R&B scene of the 1990s. His music sits at the intersection of contemporary R&B, pop, soul and hip-hop, with a strong emphasis on melody, ornate vocal lines and productions ranging from mid-tempo to club-oriented tracks. After his debut album Usher (1994), he further defined his identity with My Way (1997) and 8701 (2001), which helped secure his standing in mainstream R&B. Confessions, released in 2004, marked a turning point with more personal songwriting and a balance between ballads and more rhythmic songs. Over the years Usher has worked with the likes of Jermaine Dupri, Bryan‑Michael Cox, Lil Jon, will.i.am, Alicia Keys and David Guetta, and he has steered his repertoire toward dance-pop and electronic influences without abandoning his soul and R&B roots. His subsequent discography includes Here I Stand (2008), Raymond v. Raymond (2010), Looking 4 Myself (2012), Hard II Love (2016) and Coming Home (2024). At the same time he has developed a stage presence defined by choreography, in line with the R&B performance tradition.