In the 2010s, it was a feat to turn on the radio and not hear an Usher track blasting.
From the iconic rap on Yeah! to the catchy chorus on DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love, the R&B singer dominated the charts.
Usher, who’s full name is Usher Raymond V, seemed to all but disappear from the music scene after his sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond was released in 2010.
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But over a decade later, the Usher effect is back in full swing with the singer making his way back into the limelight to headline the iconic Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2024.
Read on to find out what happened to Usher and what he’s doing now ahead of his highly anticipated Super Bowl performance this year.
What is Usher’s net worth?
As of 2024, Usher is reportedly worth $180 million (approx. $274 million) according to Celebrity Net Worth.
How old was Usher when he had his first hit?
In 1994, Usher launched onto the music scene with his first hit track Think of You at 15.
The single was from his debut self-titled album, which featured tracks such as I’ll Make It Right and Slow Love. But it was his second album that would really launch his career.
18-year-old Usher’s 1997 sophomore album My Way gave the artist his top ten spot on the Billboard 100 and his first chart-topping single, Nice & Slow.
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Usher’s music career
Usher signed on to LaFace Records when he was just 14-years-old, releasing his debut self-titled album in 1994, followed by his second commercially successful album in 1997.
The R&B star’s third album 8701, released in 2001, earned him his first ever Grammy Award nominations.
Usher was nominated for two trophys and took home his first Grammy for the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category thanks to his hit track U Remind Me.
His next album, Confessions, was released three years later in 2004 and featured one of his biggest hits Yeah! in collaboration with Ludacris, as well as a duet with Alicia Keys.
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Confessions scored Usher three more Grammy nominations, which was followed by his first every Grammy Awards performance in 2005.
After trying his hand in theatre in the Broadway musical Chicago, Usher released his next studio album Here I Stand in 2008, followed by Raymond v. Raymond in 2010.
The 2010 album included hit tracks Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home), OMG and DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love feat. Pitbull.
His sixth studio album won him a Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B album. Across his music career Usher has eight Grammy wins and 23 nominations, and has sold 80 million records worldwide.
Aside from his singing career, Usher founded a record label with Scooter Braun in 2008 called Raymond Braun Media Group, which discovered an signed Justin Bieber.
In 2022, Usher sold his interest in Bieber’s record label RBMG for a staggering $40 million (approx. A$60 million) 14 years after he first became the pop star’s mentor.
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What happened to Usher?
Usher’s more recent albums, including Hard II Love in 2016 and A in 2018, didn’t have quite the same commercial success as Raymond v. Raymond and his previous works.
On the side of his music career, Usher landed some acting roles over the years.
The musician had a small role as the campus DJ on the popular ’90s romcom She’s All That, followed by appearances in films such as Hustlers, Hands of Stone, and Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.
What is Usher doing now?
Usher recently completed his concert series Usher – My Way The Residency as part of his Las Vegas residency in 2023.
The singer first began headlining in 2021 at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace before moving in 2022 to Park MGM and extending his residency into 2023.
During one performance in Vegas, the star was captured on video serenading reality TV star Kim Kardashian in the crowd as a late birthday gift.
In December 2023, Usher teased his upcoming ninth studio album Coming Home on Instagram, which is available for pre-order and will be released in 2024.
Usher also recently released his latest music video for his duet Risk It All with artist H.E.R, sharing a snippet of the collab to his Instagram.
“A special thank U to @hermusicofficial …U produced and co-wrote such a beautiful record. Appreciate U for blessing this video with all of your greatness,” he wrote.
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In his personal life, Usher welcomed his fourth child, and second with his current girlfriend Jennifer Goicoechea, in 2021.
The singer announced the birth of his son Sire Castrello Raymond in a heartwarming Instagram post at the time.
In a career highlight, Usher was announced last year as the headlining act for the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show, where he will perform his greatest hits from over the years.
Usher Super Bowl performance
In September 2023, Usher announced that he would be headlining the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show at Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium.
The show, which is presented by Apple Music, has featured some of the biggest names in the biz over the years from Lady Gaga to Rihanna.
Usher was announced as the 2024 headlining artist in a news release by Roc Nation and the NFL, with the singer later sharing his excitement in his own statement.
“It’s an honour of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before,” the statement read.
“Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon.”
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In a January interview with Good Morning America, Usher opened up about his upcoming performance at the halftime show.
“It’s been a dream of mine and a bucket list, you know, thing to be able to get it,” he said.
“You know, they say what is it, Oscar, Tony, Grammy, Emmy, right? You should put Super Bowl there too, right?”
The star also recently spoke to Vogue about the Super Bowl for his cover story, telling the magazine that his performance “has to be perfect” after three decades of music.
“I want the world to smile when they look at me. I want them to feel something, and feel my passion, my love, feel like I was the right person to sit in this position, and I was the right person to bring this kind of energy, and love, and connection to the entire world.”
Usher’s relationship history
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Over the years, Usher has had his fair share of relationships, resulting in two marriages and four children.
His first high profile relationship was with TLC star Rozonda ‘Chilli’ Thomas from 2001 before they called it quits three years later in 2004.
After that, the singer went on to date and then marry fashion designer Tameka Foster in 2015, welcoming two sons together before eventually divorcing in 2009.
Usher was then married to his second wife Grace Miguel from 2015 to 2018 after they first began dating in 2009.
Their marriage would also end up falling apart however, with the Yeah! singer moving on to a relationship with Jennifer Goicoechea in 2019.
Usher and Goicoechea still seem to be going strong to this day and share two children together, daughter Sovereign Bo Raymond and son Sire Castrello Raymond.