As Usher embarks on a North American stadium tour with Chris Brown, he asserts that the controversies and legal challenges surrounding his collaborator did not influence his decision to partner.
“Absolutely not,” Usher told The Associated Press. “He’s my brother, and he’s amazing as a performer. That’s who I see. He works hard for his fans, and his fans support him.”
Chris Brown has maintained his status as a prominent R&B artist despite a history of legal entanglements. He has faced charges, including a plea of not guilty to assault allegations from 2023 in London, and a 2009 guilty plea to felony assault for attacking his then-girlfriend, Rihanna.
For Usher, the 33-date tour, which began Friday in Denver, is positioned as more than just a showcase for two major R&B artists. It follows highly successful solo tours for both musicians. Usher's own "Past, Present, Future" tour, which came after his 2024 Super Bowl halftime performance, sold over 1.1 million tickets. Brown's "Breezy Bowl XX" tour grossed nearly $300 million.
“It’s not about me and my brother coming together,” Usher said. “We come together in support of our fans of R&B.”
Usher repeatedly stressed that R&B, a genre he believes has significantly shaped modern music, often lacks the recognition afforded to others. He argued that the genre is worthy of stadium performances, not just theaters or arenas.
“It deserves to be in a stadium,” he stated. “It is not just for theaters. It is not just for arenas. We do this … too. We are major too. R&B is major too.”
He also highlighted that the tour serves as a tribute to the foundational artists of R&B, naming figures such as Buddy Bolden, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Prince, Luther Vandross, as well as influential groups and producers like Earth, Wind & Fire and Babyface.
“We’re carrying it over there for them,” Usher commented.
Usher described the rehearsal process as one of mutual admiration rather than competition. "When we run through the show, I look over and I see Chris standing up doing my portion and dancing," he said. "When it would be my time, I’d be standing up rooting him on. I love his music. I am encouraged by his music in the same way I feel like he’s been encouraged and inspired by mine."
This collaboration fulfills a long-held aspiration for Usher, dating back to Brown's early career. “When he first started his career, having been there as a mentor, a person to support what he did, some portion of my 25-year-old self was kind of like, ‘Man, I’m still building. Let’s someday get to the point where there’s an opportunity for us to share the stage together,’” Usher recalled.
He expressed his belief that this joint venture could encourage similar collaborations among other artists, stating, “There is power in numbers. After this becomes the success that I know it’s going to be, you will see more collaborations. You will see artists beginning to understand, ‘Wait a minute. We actually serve more of our fans when we bring them together, as opposed to trying to do it all by ourselves.’”