Usher is back. The R&B King has returned with “Glu,” his first proper single in nearly three years, via gamma. It was co-produced by Avila Brothers, Lil Jon and Sean Garrett.
Usher flexes his signature falsetto over a silky production, as he savors his partner’s love juices. “I just love that glue, ooh / That slides down you whenever we start touchin’ / It gets all on you, all on me from f**kin’,” he sings.
“Glu” is Usher’s first single since his 2020 confessional “Bad Habits.” The song reached No. 1 at R&B radio (previously known as urban adult contemporary radio).
It was Usher’s second chart-topper in 2020, following his Ella Mai-assisted “Don’t Waste My Time,” which climbed to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart. The song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in August 2021 for selling 500,000 equivalent units.
The campaign for Usher’s ninth album dates back to spring 2019 when he teased the idea of Confessions 2, a sequel to his 2004 diamond-selling album. In a February 2022 interview with People, Usher revealed that the album’s direction had changed.
“In COVID, while we have been in quarantine, my ideas changed. I actually learned new things,” Usher told People. I was able to really be reflective and find out what things matter and really have some true, honest, deep conversations with people and myself, to take some ownership of some of where my life has gone and some of the things that I’ve come through. It is honest.”
In August 2022, he confirmed to USA Today that his sequel is no longer titled Confessions 2, though Confessions was still “an inspiration throughout the process.”
He added, “Confessions was a successful album and I count down the days until I begin to launch this. It’s coming real soon. I’ve actually finished it, and I’m now going through the process of sequencing it and naming it.”
Stream Usher’s new song “Glu” below.
