usher
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Usher has it bad for Las Vegas.
The Grammy winner, who is currently performing in Sin City for Usher: My Way The Vegas residency, says he moved to Vegas because of the music — and also because of his family.
“I started curating my own little world here, so much so that I actually put a flag in the ground. I actually moved here,” he told THR. “I’ve been here for a year. I’m not saying this is the be-all and end-all, but I have a place here to house my family.”
The residency at Dolby Live at the Park MGM has received rave reviews and he returns to the stage on Friday. And this week he announced 15 new dates for June and October, with tickets going on sale on Saturday.
“I’m trying to figure out how to balance my normal life of taking care of my kids and caring for myself. The only compliment is the fact that I have the opportunity to sit in one place and everyone comes to me instead of traveling across the country,” said the 44-year-old father.
In an interview, the eight-time Grammy winner behind hits like “Burn,” “Yeah!” and “U Got It Bad” talks about his residency, upcoming single and music video, a possible Super Bowl halftime appearance and more.
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How was performing at a residency compared to traveling around the world on a typical tour?
It is time consuming and very expensive to move like this. But one thing is the time you lose. The only benefit of being at home is that I get a chance to spend a little more time with my kids.
It’s a bit complicated during the school year, but it’s really fun in the summer. [Son] Usher is getting better at basketball, or at least he’s trying. And Naviyd, he’s found some really cool camps here and he’s made some friends here. My little ones, they are literally happy wherever they are. We live in this really cool mansion in the sky down here, so it’s pretty fun to be in the middle of the action and then come straight home and have your kids with you.
What was it like putting the residency together and also seeing such a great response from your fans?
nerve wracking. I’ve spent my life entertaining people – that’s the point where I get a chance to enjoy myself. So instead of thinking about what I need to do and wondering if everyone is getting enough of what they need, I do what I want to do. “Am I getting enough of what I need?” is the question. I get the chance to break a sweat and sing and relive some of those choreographic moments, and then I have spontaneous moments where I get people on stage to celebrate.
You recently teased your new song and video for “GLU” on Instagram. What can we expect?
Sean Garrett and Lil Jon, the last time they got together was amazing (on “Yeah!”) and then they added the funk that is the Avila Brothers, man, now it just goes to another level. The Avila Brothers played in my band during my last residency. We don’t do it anymore, but we make records together now. [The song is] based on the energy I think we’ve created here [in Vegas]. It prompted us to go back into the studio and make something that we can now serve. And Sean Garrett, he did it, man. He wrote a cracker.
Is the music video ready?
Yes. I decided to make my directorial debut with this one. Lori Harvey was my lead. I was shooting the video and because it was Valentine’s Day and I was so excited about what I was working on, I was like, ‘Let me just offer you something on Valentine’s Day. The Day of Love.” People love it, and now it’s ready to come out [and I’m] get ready to give it to the world.
The “New Flame” music video by Chris Brown and Usher.
What made you decide to direct this video?
I’ve always had some part in the creation of what I market or brand for my songs, but now I wanted to be in the director’s chair. I wanted to look through the actual lens and offer some of my vision and my take on how the song plays out, but I don’t take full responsibility. I had an incredible crew, an incredible co-director, Mike Ho, who I had worked with before. I actually saw him and Chris Brown doing New Flame and I witnessed the process that Chris went through. Clearly Chris has grown as a creative and is now making his own videos. It seems like an opportune moment for me to strive for something.
This song is about passion. This song is about a connection between this man and this woman. So I start spelling it out and writing it down. Me and LA Reid were talking about it when we were putting this music out together and he was like, ‘You know what? I think you should shoot it.” I thought, “Okay. Well shit why not? I’ll try if I can build a crew.” I have a great crew and great producers to help me achieve my vision. And art is far more than standing in a booth or dancing on stage. It’s also what people remember – the optics.
After Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance, there was talk of you doing the halftime show. Is this something you would be interested in?
It would be an honor to be asked. If there’s a conversation about that, apparently my fans would love to see it. If asked, I would definitely do it.
Usher’s 1994 single “Think of You.”
Next year marks the 20th anniversary of your Confessions album and the 30th anniversary of your self-titled debut album. What goes through your mind when you think about it?
man, that was a long time ago. Part of it is hearing people say that you don’t really understand how long you’ve been doing something until you look at your kids. But my child is 15 years old. That means I’ve been a father for 15 years. So my albums have always been viewed like my children. You know what I mean? I became like a 20 year old and a 30 year old.
I’m honored man. I’m really lucky that after 30 years I’m still able to put out music that people love. I still do things that are relevant at the time. I still represent all those who paved the way, but pave [my own] way at this time. A whole family can come and enjoy [me as] an artist. You’ve got grandma, you’ve got mom, you’ve got the son and you’ve got the daughter – that’s a lifelong goal for any artist to be able to say that their whole family can come and enjoy a show or performance like three generations of music.