HIP-HOP Exclusive: Usher Taking His Time With 'UR'

The singer-songwriter's upcoming album will feature Chris Brown, as well as Drake, Skrillex, Ed Sheeran and more.

Usher is taking back his album, UR, and "taking my time."

The singer-songwriter tells Billboard that the "album isn’t scheduled anymore." UR was originally scheduled to be released this year.

"The album isn't scheduled anymore. I've basically taken it back. I'm taking my time with it," he tells Billboard. "At the end of the day, all of this is just about having fun. You get in the studio [and] go with how you feel."

He's taking his time working on the eighth studio album, and focusing on "having fun" with his featured guests: Nicki Minaj, Pop & Oak, Pharrell Williams, Jermaine Dupri, Diplo, Ed Sheeran, Skrillex and Drake.

Besides the artists mentioned above, Usher also tells Billboard to expect Chris Brown on the album: “There is another record that we worked on for the album. The relationship is great... we’ve been able to build.” The two recently worked together for Chris Brown’s “New Flame,” featured on Brown’s upcoming X album.

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The recording process has undergone a few stops and go’s due to Usher's time on The Voice, and filming the Sugar Ray Leonard biopic Hands of Stone, in which he plays the legendary boxer. But there's been progress.

"It's not about a specific topic or specific period of my life. I work on 40-50 songs in making an album," he says of UR. "I haven’t finished the album enough to tell you what I'm talking about."

"It was just a different take. It’s something that feels very modern, but the vocal on it feels very specific to my style. I wanted to do something that I felt like would be current, but wouldn’t necessarily conform specifically," he continues.

While working on UR, Usher is prepping to embark on the 27-city The UR Experience tour, with August Alsina as the opening act.

"I always thought of that opening spot as the place for the person that I can can give an experience they haven’t had before, to mentor them through," Usher says of going with Alsina.

The UR Experience Tour will kick off in Montreal, Quebec on Nov. 1 and close in Tampa, FL. on Dec. 14. Tickets for select cities are now on sale via Ticketmaster.



