Usher: Here He Stands

Fans have waited four years since the multi-platinum "Confessions" for talented artist Usher to put out a new album. It's due on May 27th and is entitled "Here I Stand". The new soulful, R&B album reflects where the artist stands now; including his new take on life since becoming a dad. Usher's baby son has put his life in new perspective but his songs are still smokin' hot! His single "Love in This Club" featuring Young Jeezy reached the top of the Billboard singles charts and his line of fragrances are stirring up a sexy buzz.

We got on the phone with the artist recently to learn all about Usher's personal life and growth, the single and upcoming album, touring plans and how he juggles all the important events in his life....

TeenMusic: What is your favorite song on this new album and why?

Usher: My favorite thing that I did on this album are the Interludes. I did an interlude to my son that I call "Pray for You." One of my greatest written pieces of work in my life. It's really incredible.

TeenMusic: I just wondered if you had any film projects in the works. Are you still putting acting on the backburner or are you thinking about coming back to the screen?

Usher: I'm still trying to manage a way to bring both of them together, maybe in a theatrical piece someday. Nothing is on the horizon. But as long as I keep putting feelers like that out, I'm pretty sure somebody's going to approach me. I really did enjoy my time on Broadway [in "Chicago"]. So it kind of spoiled me. I'm really looking for that musical or that song-and-dance piece that I could put together.

TeenMusic: You've grown a lot in your personal life since the last album. How does maturing affect...

Usher: [My] Sex appeal? I think that wisdom is sexy. I think that growth is sexy. I think that confidence, which is growth, and being comfortable in your skin is all sexy, but I (don't) want to relate all that to sexy because that's part of my mission, to kind of change what that view of attractive is.

TeenMusic: So you feel that you are more comfortable and confident now?

Usher: In time, you know, we grow older, we grow wiser, we grow smarter, we're better. And I feel like, I'm becoming more well seasoned, although I don't have my salt-and-pepper hair. I have that in life, and my life experiences speak to it. Of course there's a big difference, because I'm balancing a few things. One, you know, my personal life, and then, two my business responsibilities. Finding the balance is going to be hard, but I love it and I'm dedicated to making sure that this project is a success no matter what.

TeenMusic: What is your favorite collaboration on this new album?

Usher: My favorite collaboration in the making of this album, I have to split it two ways; one, the queen, Beyonce and Lil Wayne on part two of "Love in this Club." And the other is "Best Thing" with Jay-Z. Everybody's been talking about his marriage and my marriage and that big step that I think we both took, or did we? I know I did. But I think that serves to be a really great, meaningful duet, so both of those.

TeenMusic: Who else in the industry do you want to work with?

Usher: I'd like to do something with Michael Buble. I'd like to do something with Harry Connick, Jr., possibly. I'd like to do something with Tim McGraw. I'd like to do something with Justin Timberlake. I'd like to do something with Gwen Stefani. And that's just to name a few. You know, of course, I have the honor to now say that I worked on a record with Beyonce, but I'd like to do it again with her and it not be kind of relative to a remix.

TeenMusic: Why do you want to collaborate with Justin?

Usher: I honestly feel like Justin is kind of the equivalent of me white, and I am the equivalent of what he could be black. I know that sounds crazy, but, you know, I hear that comparison all the time. So I think if we ever came together there would be no color barrier. It would just be two guys, making an incredible record, both with individual celebrity across the board. I think that it would be a very musical record because Justin is three-dimensional. He's not just a performer. He's also a musician and a writer and a great composer. And the same with me, you know, in terms of my creative ideas and his; collaboratively, I think that we would do something very, very incredible.

TeenMusic: Could be awesome. Which songs on the new CD are the most personal to you?

Usher: All of the songs, together, collaboratively, make up the chapters of a great book, of a great journey. You know, with all great novels, books, there is a beginning, a middle and an end. But the plot has to be something of substance and value. And that topic is love. So, you know, I'd have to say the entire album. Of course, it's called "Here I Stand". So it's personal.

TeenMusic: You've got acting, you've got singing, you've got your fragrance line. What else is next? What other things would you like to sort of dip into?

Usher: Oh, man. I think that the greatest of all of them is being the coolest dad in the world. You know, I want to make sure that I'm proud of the father that I am to my child. That would be the most rewarding out of all of them, you know?

TeenMusic: Are there any themes on the album that you want to get across?

Usher: There is a topic of life, love, decisions, choices that are made, repercussions, the reality of the journey of life, of manhood. Here you have before you a young man, who stepped into true manhood, not only because of my child but also because of the decisions that I made in the span of two years. It was all of the things that happened before that led up to this brilliant moment. Now I'm able to voice, how I feel about certain things and, allow myself to be vulnerable in exposing certain things through my music.

TeenMusic: You started in the business pretty young. There are a lot of great young artists in the game now; Rihanna, Chris Brown, Jordin Sparks. Do you have any words of advice for those artists coming up and what they can do to stay on a path like you?

Usher: I would say, one, you got to stick around. You got to continue to work, grind, to get it, and that's obvious, you know, judging from, how much you see them and how much they work. But I think, just really creating an expectation for yourself every day. And that expectation is to win, to do something positive, to give great work to the community of music, of artistry and entertainment.

TeenMusic: What do you really think about people comparing young performers like Chris Brown to you? They talk about Ne-Yo and all these other people coming up in the game right now.

Usher: You know what? I think the same comparison was drawn to a legendary artist when I came up, and now I've grown to be the comparison. So I'm very, very proud of that. And I only hope that, in time, they'll grow to have the same. It's a matter of sustaining. You really have to be relevant in this time. You have to continue to be innovative and come up with creative ideas. The fans keep you there. I'm very happy, for the comparison because of the fact that, when I was coming up, they compared me to Michael. They compared me to Bobby. They even said Elvis at one time; a great compliment.

TeenMusic: We heard that Jermaine Dupri claimed that your second single was going to be entitled "Moving Mountains." Is that true?

Usher: That is true. The second single for the album is "Moving Mountains." It was produced by Tricky Stewart, well, Redzone. And it was written by Dream. And the video has been shot by the Brothers Strauss. It is to be delivered very soon. I can't give you a date. But it is the second single.

TeenMusic: I assume you're going to be touring for the album, and I was wondering, to you, what's great about touring and what really sucks about it?

Usher: What sucks about it is when it's over. The greatest part about it is when you're doing it.

TeenMusic: So, you like touring. Do you go around when you're on the road and check out the towns you're in, or do you just have to hide?

Usher: For the most part I like to go down and touch the people. You know, we either do like a private party in the markets. If we don't do that, then, we go to the radio stations and the local malls. I try to have a sense of normalcy in the midst of what I'm doing. You know, especially, seeing as how I'll be traveling with my family a lot of times. I want to make sure that they enjoy everywhere we go and that we have a little time. Of course, I have my obligations and responsibilities, so I get those out of the way, but then I always try to make some time to have a good time.

TeenMusic: When you are touring, are there any pre-performance rituals or anything you need when you perform?

Usher: Anything that's a must-have? It's tea. I must have tea when I perform. It's an age-old ritual and M&Ms.

TeenMusic: You must have felt some pressure to make this album a success. What was most difficult about the process for you?

Usher: The hardest part, honestly, was the secrecy, you know, because I worked on a lot of songs. And going through the trial and elimination process of how I would tell this story was kind of difficult. But, you know, I don't think it's going to add any pressure. I think that it's just time. The people have been really asking for it. There's been a heavy callout for this record. I've been listening to it for like the last, I'd say you know, eight months. So I'm ready and ready to shock the world.

TeenMusic: Can you talk about your perfume line and how designing that is different from the music process for you?

Usher: Well, being a part of the process for the making of the fragrance is very tedious. It's time consuming. It is a matter of, your senses and what you're attracted to and what things are your favorite. I was able to be creative in a different way but analytical at the same. You find an emotion that you can tie to the senses, but you want to make sure that, in the end, that all of your senses are peaking when you smell whatever it is that you've smelled. You think of a place. You think of a feeling. You feel an attraction that comes to you. It was very different, but very intriguing. And I look forward to doing it again and again!

TeenMusic: It seems that you almost have a little bit of a formula. You kicked off "Confessions" with the club banger, "Yeah!" and then came the more serious album behind it. And now we have "Love in This Club." So, is that a strategy or that's just how things sort of worked out?

Usher: Well, it was twofold. One, it is strategic in a way, because you want to make a record that is relative to what I think the pace of life is and the beat of life is. What I'm doing by having "Love in this Club" as my first single is I'm taking you to the beginning of the journey that I'm getting ready to take you on, the story of my life, the story of the guy who was the hustler and a player in the club then making his way through a lifetime. And life will see you through many seasons and high peaks and low valleys and that's what the entire project is all about.

TeenMusic: What's the biggest difference you've seen in the music industry from when you started almost 15 years ago?

Usher: The biggest difference? Digital downloads. You know, unfortunately, it wasn't so easy to trade files. You didn't have to worry about your music getting out there. This industry has changed. The music, to an extent, has kind of found its way towards becoming more urban. I think I'm very happy with where the music has taken us. Music is a universal language, and it can come from any different direction. You never know what it's going to be.

TeenMusic: There's some really fun choreography on the "Love in the Club" video. Did you come up with any of that? Or how important is choreography to you?

Usher: No, one of my dancers and my choreographer, Todd Sams, were the choreographers for the piece. I really wanted to create something that was attitude, was tricky, quick. I didn't want to make an entire video full of dance. I always try to keep you on your toes, keep it innovative. I like to give you a performance that crescendos, that just doesn't come at you 100 percent dance, one thing. It's all about layers with me.

TeenMusic: How do you manage to juggle all your ventures; music, film, your New Look Foundation, sports team, fragrance line etc.?

Usher: With a great team and a strategic plan, you can get it all done. It's like time management, you know. You have a certain amount of time to work on movies. You have a certain amount of time to work on music. You have a certain amount of time to give your attention to your business efforts as well as that ongoing time that you implement into everything that you're doing, which is called your philanthropic work. Every time that I do something, I'm thinking of my organization, of New Look. But it's really just time management, having a great team behind you to help to lead you and guide you in the right direction, help to grow businesses.

TeenMusic: What would you say makes for a successful relationship?

Usher: Communication, the ability to listen before you speak. It really comes down to communication, honestly, more than anything, understanding each other's love languages and knowing what buttons to push and what buttons to not push, knowing when to let it ride. You have to know that there's going to be tons and tons of arguments and differences in life, so you have to understand what matters. And ultimately, at the end of the day, it should be that both of you are happy and love each other.

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Lynn Barker is a Hollywood-based entertainment journalist and produced screenwriter.