At the grand old age of 33, Usher may have found his adventurous side. Typically, Usher draws inspiration for his music from 'personal relationships' and 'older musical styles,' he says. Not this time, though. For his latest album, Looking 4 Myself, inspiration came from a whole other source.
'Things that motivated me this time were sounds and music that were very new and indie, like going to the Coachella Festival or to Ibiza,' explains the seven-time Grammy winner. 'I've travelled the world, toured nearly every continent - this phase of my life and my career is very open to exploring.'
The possibility of and openness to exploring has brought out a less known and less developed side of Usher. Looking 4 Myself brings new sounds, most notably of the electro dance variety. There's still R&B here. It's just not your traditional kind.
Usher brought together more than a handful of talented producers and collaborators for his seventh offering, including Salaam Remi, Swedish House Mafia, Pharrell, will. i. am, Luke Steele and Rick Ross. But despite the scope of 'help', at the album's core is still Usher the songwriter and vocalist.
Even with all these big names on board, Usher never loses sight of the larger picture. Looking 4 Myself is an Usher album, and he pushed himself to deliver something worthy of his legacy: not only as a solo artist, but as one who can work with others to create meaningful music.
'I really did exceed my own expectations,' says Usher. 'I proved that I can get with Diplo or Swedish House Mafia and be able to make that connection, make something people would respond to.'