Usher has been on quite the run lately, and it looks like the train isn’t stopping anytime soon. The eight-time Grammy-winning singer is currently finishing up his Las Vegas residency after a brief pause for a Paris residency and gearing up for a new era with his upcoming studio album, “Coming Home.”
After 30 years of being a mainstay in R&B, Usher is taking this time to reflect on what’s in store for him as he enters a new era, one he calls his “magnum opus.” On the first episode of “I Know That’s Right,” HuffPost’s podcast about entertainment news, he said, “Vegas brought everybody together,” adding that his residency and these recent years have put him on a clear path to be able to tackle one thing that’s been on his bucket list for a while: a Super Bowl halftime performance.
The “My Way” singer said, “I’m very fortunate to have gotten that call from Jay-Z that it was time, and of course, I was ready, and I am ready for it. I can tell you that you should expect a celebration, a celebration of life for those people who are not able to be here with me for this performance. I’m going to be celebrating for them. We’ll be celebrating for the 30 years of a career that I stand on. I’ll be celebrating because music has been this connective tissue between me and people because for every experience that I’ve had, I put it into music, and maybe that gave us something to cry to, that gave us something to be vulnerable and transparent to.”
During the interview, Usher took time out to honor the life of his drummer and friend Aaron Spears, who recently died at age 47. He also emphasized cherishing the life of his children. The musician has partnered with Sanofi to encourage families to test early for type 1 diabetes with “The 1 Pledge.” His child was diagnosed with the disorder at 6. It was a shock to Usher, but he said he wants to be more vulnerable about their story to help other families. He said, “If I had this opportunity, I would have really felt more prepared.”
He continued, “The greatest preparation is the fact that I was available. I love my babies. I love my children, and I want them to live an incredible life that flourishes and allows them to do each and everything that they want to do, and gives them the tools that they need in order to do it. So this journey starts with informing yourself.”