A New Era for Usher

Usher has released his highly anticipated song “GLU” after teasing it on Valentine’s Day with a video featuring Lori Harvey. As a fan of Usher and R&B, I was looking forward to the new track and honestly, I like it. Usher hasn’t released a solo song in 3 years, his last solo song, Bad Habits, released in 2020.

I had the chance to listen to GLU a few times and here are my thoughts:

Firstly, I think it’s important to understand who Usher is as an artist, he is always thinking of new ways to grow in his artistry. He said in a recent interview with GQ “I can’t be who I was. I want to be better than I was”. When I listened to GLU, I immediately recognized that it sounds different than his previous songs. The track showcases Usher’s high falsetto range, where he stays for the duration of the song. The closest resemblance musically would be to his 2012 hit “Climax” which later ended up with its own social media challenge #climaxchallenge where other singers attempted to hit the falsetto notes that Usher hits so smoothly.

GLU is most definitely a “bedroom boom” type of song, the lyrics are sensual (and explicit), so keep that in mind if you're listening to it in a car with kids.

Secondly, I think it’s important as a music listener/lover, to allow artists to grow in their craft. Oftentimes, we try to keep an artist inside of a box of our preferences. I’ve seen plenty of discourse online about fans wanting a Confessions II. I’ll be the first to say that while I do love and respect the Confessions album (it’s undoubtedly a classic), I moved on to “Here I Stand” and, no pun intended, I stand by that album. Nonetheless, Usher has been pretty clear that he has no intentions on making a Confessions II because he is in a different state of mind as an artist. He’s matured, he’s happy, with credit to his partner Jennifer Goicoechea, and he has evolved.

I think GLU is just the beginning of a new era for the 44-year old singer. His Las Vegas residency (more about that here) has been a true renaissance of sorts that has allowed him to showcase not only his timeless vocals and hits, but to expand his creativity and push new buttons. GLU is definitely opening a new door, and as long as his fans can keep an open mind, they can appreciate the talent and skill that is required to deliver a song like GLU. I’m looking forward to the music video for GLU, which will be his directorial debut, and hope that this is the beginning of more new music to come.

Even if he doesn’t release a new album or any new music at all, he has shown us time and time again that he is one of a kind! Check out the new single here.