Usher takes ET inside his music video for 'Good Good' feat 21 Savage and Summer Walker, talks Las Vegas residency and upcoming album.
Usher is continuing his reign of summer with another musical drop -- this time it's the music video for his single, "Good Good," which features verses from R&B sweetheart Summer Walker and rap star 21 Savage.
The single is full of the smooth, nostalgic notes that the King of R&B is most known for, even when he's crooning a ballad about remaining friends after a relationship ends. The Warren Fu-directed video opens with the three Atlanta-based artists standing on a bridge overlooking the highway with the city's downtown skyline as a backdrop. As it progresses, each artist gets their time to shine as they sing their verses, even giving Usher time for a dance solo to show that he still has the moves that made fans fall for him when he dropped his debut album almost 20 years ago.
The 44-year-old took ET behind the scenes while shooting the music video, and opened up about celebrating Atlanta culture, his beloved Las Vegas residency and his upcoming album, which will feature "Good Good."
"Good Good" is Usher's first time collaborating with Savage and his second time with Walker. The singer shares that "this [collaboration] feels special" because of how much work was put in to tie it into the culture of Atlanta.
"This feels very much so of Atlanta, and of the culture of the South. [And] these are two people who were really good friends of mine," he tells ET. "I think it was like a natural, organic thing that we would eventually work together. Obviously, the success of 'Come Thru' [with Walker] was really good; and now here's an opportunity for us to do something special again."
"And I'm just really excited about the video that we're going to do here," Usher adds, beaming. "It's amazing."
"Good Good" is one of three singles Usher released this year, including "Boyfriend" and "GLU," set to be featured on his still-untitled album, expected this year.
"I've been working on it for some time," the GRAMMY winner shares, adding that "a lot" of people have been asking when he plans on releasing his ninth studio album. "It's time."
Of course, Usher hasn't been resting on his laurels this whole time -- the Texas native has been making headlines on his Usher: My Way Las Vegas residency show. The concert experience has been visited by various famous faces such as Issa Rae, Taraji P. Henson, Queen Latifah, Kimora Lee Simmons and many more.
When it comes to his famous audience members, Usher admits that he's been surprised "every night."
"I'm surprised every night by the fans that I've been seeing for years that come and support, or the ones who are the first to post when I put something up or have always been advocates, you know? Those are my dedicated day ones, I call them, part of my Usher board," the artist sweetly shares. "I'm always surprised when I look at an audience and I see them. I'm surprised when celebrities decide to come to the show, when they want to see what's happening there. They want to feel that energy in that room -- it's like nothing I've ever experienced before."
He continues: "Don't get me wrong, I've done incredible shows my entire life. But the intimacy [in] this and the ability to be very detailed in the storytelling, it's a very theatrical show. There [are] new things like skating, there's tons of layers to the show. That's why I think people love coming."
Usher's residency infamously made headlines in July when Keke Palmer attended his show in a sheer dress with a bodysuit underneath. Usher invited Palmer onstage, where he serenaded her while singing his hit, "There Goes My Baby."
When outlets began circulating videos of Usher singing to Palmer, her then-boyfriend, Darius Jackson, shamed her for the sheer outfit she rocked at the concert, writing, "It's the outfit tho.. you a mom."
The Emmy winner and Jackson, who met in 2021, welcomed their son, Leodis, in February.
Jackson elaborated on his stance in a second tweet at the time, writing, "We live in a generation where a man of the family doesn’t want the wife & mother to his kids to showcase booty cheeks to please others & he gets told how much of a hater he is. This is my family & my representation. I have standards & morals to what I believe. I rest my case."
The comment sparked controversy online, with fans taking sides. Palmer has never directly addressed Jackson's backlash, but the co-parents did seem to unfollow one another on social media and Jackson appeared to delete all photos with Palmer. ET recently learned that the couple split shortly after the drama, but remain co-parents.
Shortly after, Usher dropped the music video for his single, aptly titled "Boyfriend," featuring Palmer in the starring role. The video follows the 29-year-old entertainer as she and two friends get ready for a night out in Las Vegas, from doing their hair and makeup to selecting their gorgeous outfits before strutting their way to their destination, posing for pics in the hallway. Palmer's journey is in tandem with Usher's, who is getting ready for another night on stage.
The video's very last scene sees Palmer laughing as she flashes a glimpse of her phone, showing Usher on the screen via video call. "I was not expecting you to call me!" she cries as she falls back onto the bed.
Although Usher doesn't directly address the controversy, he does note that "there's nothing negative that's happening in Las Vegas other than a good time."
"People decide to come out and they dress in their best and enjoy the night and that's what I hope that they continue to do," he tells ET.
The show's success actually inspired Usher's upcoming album.
"The success of [my residency in] Las Vegas showed that there is an audience ready for something new," he tells ET. "Every night I would test little things [with] the audience, I would test new music. Not often [but] you have the ability to have a live audience to get a real reaction. And they really did respond great to some things. So I started to release records; released my first record on Valentine's Day, 'GLU,' and they reacted to that."
Looking back at his decades-long journey, Usher shares that he didn't necessarily create a scheme when it comes to his music, but he definitely had a plan.
"I made a plan to have albums that kind of represent the times when you stopped going through things and you're at a place where you're really balanced," he explains. "I'm still going through things, I'm still finding inspiration still, you know, seeing that life needs these kinds of songs, and they need this type of articulation for people to be able to say what they actually mean... The point is to continue to just be as true and authentic to the emotions."
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