Usher

Usher Set to Release ‘My Way 25th Anniversary Edition’ This Friday

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On September 16, 2022, LaFace Records and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment (SME), will commemorate the 25th anniversary of Usher’s iconic album, My Way. This celebration will include an expanded edition of the original album, freshly reimagined versions of three of the album’s tracks, a mini-documentary, and more.

The My Way 25th Anniversary Edition contains the original album, three newly reinvented songs, and instrumental versions of those songs, all created by master producer/drummer Ryan James Carr. The new tracks are “My Way” (Ryan James Carr Remake), “Nice & Slow” (Ryan James Carr Remake), and “You Make Me Wanna…” (Ryan James Carr Remake).

Usher and Carr worked together to reinvent the songs, and this inspired his Tiny Desk performance, which has amassed over 11 million views in just two months and inspired a meme that lives on in all media.

LaFace Records released Usher’s My Way on September 16, 1997, has earned triple platinum for the singles “You Make Me Wanna” and “Nice & Slow” and has been certified seven times platinum by the RIAA. The album cemented its place in musical history in 1997 by ranking eleventh on US Billboard’s Top 200 Albums of the Year chart.

Early in 2023, Vinyl Me Please will offer the 25th-anniversary deluxe version of My Way on 2LP 180g Silver Cloudy Vinyl. A lyric and photo booklet is included in the package, along with three reworked songs and new album art that respects the original cover from 1997.

Usher sat down with Sony Music Entertainment to talk about the history of his seductive and excellent sophomore album in honor of My Way’s 25th anniversary and the release of the revamped songs. Usher’s Grammy-nominated album My Way is the subject of the documentary Usher: 25 Years My Way, which explores the discography’s beginnings, the album’s wider cultural influence, and the creative processes that led to fresh interpretations of “You Make Me Wanna…”, “Nice & Slow,” and “My Way.”

Intimate interviews with Usher, Jermaine Dupri, and Ryan James Carr are included in the mini-documentary, along with a film of the “making of” the new renditions and never-before-seen archival footage of Usher from the time of the album.

On September 16, 2022, the Mini-Documentary will make its YouTube channel-exclusive debut. It was directed by the talented Dolapo Sangokoya, Senior Creative, Content, SME/Legacy, and executive produced by Ash Peters, Senior Producer, Content, SME/Legacy.

My Way 25th Anniversary Edition is available now for digital pre-save HERE

The post Usher Set to Release ‘My Way 25th Anniversary Edition’ This Friday appeared first on The Source.

Usher Sells Out All 2022 Days for Las Vegas Residency

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Usher's New Las Vegas Residency Opens with Sold-Out Shows

Usher revealed this past weekend that Usher: My Way The Vegas Residency, which concluded another blockbuster run at Dolby Live at Park MGM, has sold out every one of its eight forthcoming performances from October 14 through 29. There are still a few tickets available for Usher’s 25 newly announced concert dates in 2023.

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The show, specially created for the sizable Dolby Live stage and presented in collaboration with Live Nation and MGM Resorts International, provides audiences with an extraordinary immersive experience through extravagant costumes and cutting-edge lighting, video, and special effects technology. Yea, “U Remind Me,” “My Boo,” “Love In This Club,” “OMG,” and “You Make Me Wanna” are just a few of the popular songs featured in the exclusive, only-in-Vegas extravaganza. The show also features audience participation and staging spread throughout the 5,200-seat entertainment venue, giving each spectator an up-close and personal encounter with the superstar.

Additionally, Usher’s New Look, Inc. will receive $1 for every ticket purchased for Usher’s Las Vegas residency dates in 2023, thanks to Usher, Live Nation Las Vegas, and MGM Resorts (UNL). Usher, then a young man just out of his teens, founded UNL in 1999 to transform the lives of neglected adolescents via the development of passionate, global leaders. The group has reached more than 50,000 young people in its 23-year history. The UNL peer-to-peer program methodology and curriculum offer kids in underserved communities Access, Awareness, and empowerment to set them on a path to leadership and assist them in selecting a course of study and a profession that appeals to their interests.

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Tevin Campbell on Usher’s Claim of Being Unbeatable in VERZUZ: ‘There’s R. Kelly’

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Tevin Campbell on Usher's Claim of Being Unbeatable in VERZUZ

Tevin Campbell recently stunned the audience at Usher’s Residency in Las Vegas with a surprise performance of his classic “Can We Talk.”

Fresh off the appearance in Vegas, TMZ tracked down Campbell at LAX and asked him about his time with Usher. During the conversation, Campbell was pressed on who was the “King of R&B,” a title that people have awarded Usher recently.

Campbell would agree but says R. Kelly would stomp all over that if he was not locked up. After initially resisting the comparisons of artists and giving some love to the likes of Marvin Game, Campbell shared a name after the reporter mentioned VERZUZ opponents.

“There’s R. Kelly,” Campbell said.”R. Kelly has a lot of hits, and he wrote all of them. When I think of someone with a lot of hits, I think of R. Kelly. Not only his hits, but he has written for so many other people.”

He would add, “That whole VERZUZ thing is great I just don’t believe in the competition.”

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Top 5 Artists Who Can Go A Round Or Two In A Verzuz Battle

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Verzuz

Since the start of the pandemic, Verzuz battles between artists have been gaining popularity. It fills fans with a warm nostalgia but also makes people think about who will be next to go head to head. With the growing popularity of Verzuz battles, people are eager to see who would be pinned against each other. […]

The post Top 5 Artists Who Can Go A Round Or Two In A Verzuz Battle appeared first on SOHH.com.

R&B Is Not Dead: 10 Artists That Are Keeping It Alive

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R&B Artists

During an Instagram live, business and music mogul Diddy stated that R&B is dead. However, SOHH disagrees since several talented artists are keeping the music genre alive. In a recent Instagram live, Bad Boy Records owner, Diddy, made a statement saying that R&B is dead. Usher, also crowned the king of R&B, went on a […]

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Mary J Blige and Diddy Discuss How Pop Music Tried to”Kill” R&B on IG Live

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Mary J Blige

She may be the queen of R&B, but Mary J Blige expressed some concerns about the current state of her kingdom (queendom?) on a spirited discussion with Diddy on IG live in which she claims that pop music killed the R&B genre.

Diddy took to IG live on this week via Hollywood Unlocked after he had asked his followers: “Who killed R&B?” Mary J Blige joined him for a live session (which is archived here) to discuss her thoughts on the genre’s current state and how it got there.

Of R&B being “killed,” she said that “You can’t kill something that’s in our DNA. It’s going to keep transitioning from generation to generation to generation,” noting how many people her age have passed down a love of the genre to their children.

She did however, note that many mainstream radio stations have tried to kill R&B, or at least change the genre to be more in line with mainstream taste.

She first thanked the radio stations around the country that play and support R&B music before explaining that radio stations tend to jump on the bandwagon and play whatever is popular.

She said that the radio stations call it “popular music” when artists like Justin Timberlake and Adele get ahold of it, before explaining that “it [R&B] has been popular music.”

She stated that R&B can’t be killed, explaining that “we have to keep ourselves alive. You can’t kill us because we’re already in the system, in the bloodline, the DNA.”

She cited many popular R&B artists including Chris Brown, Chaka Khan, Etta James, Usher, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Jazmine Sullivan, and SWV that have not been “killed” and are keeping the genre alive.

She also encouraged R&B fans not to be “sheep” and get angry at the radio stations, but rather be shepherds and promote the genre and request more R&B on mainstream radio.

Mary J Blige’s “Good Morning Gorgeous Tour” starts September 17.

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Tiffany Haddish Says She Received Usher’s Blessing For Her Herpes Joke

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tiffany haddish usher 2018 city of hope gala
Getty Image / Kevin Mazur

Tiffany Haddish recently spoke with Cosmopolitan, in which she opened up about her comedic craft. While it’s customary for celebrity comedians to poke fun at other celebrities, some are often caught off guard by certain jokes. Haddish, on the other hand, makes sure she receives permission to use certain jokes in which a specific celebrity is the target.

Haddish offered a joke about R&B singer Usher as an example.

“I got this joke, ‘I curse you out with joy. I hope that you spread it. I hope you spread it like Usher spreads herpes.’ I have said that in front of Usher,” said Haddish.

According to Haddish, Usher told her “Your ass is crazy.”

“I said, ‘Yeah, well, there’s a rumor out there saying you got herpes,” she said. ‘I don’t know if you do or don’t, but that sh*t is funny.’”

The joke refers to a few 2017 lawsuits, in which a handful of women accused Usher of passing them herpes. Haddish said Usher agreed that the joke was funny, however, if he hadn’t, she would be willing to withhold the joke from her set.

“If he had said, ‘Tiff, don’t say that no more. I don’t like it. I’m not comfortable with you saying that,’ I would stop saying it,” Haddish said.

Haddish currently has several film and television projects in the world, including a remake of Disney’s Haunted Mansion. She is also currently working on music with Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg.