Usher is no stranger to topping the Billboard charts, so it’s only right that he would reach his “Climax” on the cover of Billboard Magazine’s latest issue.
After dropping the cover art and set list of his new album Looking 4 Myself, set to drop on June 12th, Usher knuckled up for the cover of the magazine’s May issue wearing a cobalt blue suede motorcycle jacket and some serious pinky ring bling.
PHOTOS: Usher Reveals “Looking 4 Myself” Cover Art & Tracklist
Usher is lined up to perform at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards on May 20th, so his place on the magazine’s cover comes at the perfect time.
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In his interview, Usher chopped it up about transitioning his sound and working with super-producer Diplo.
Check out some excerpts from the interview below:
On his new sound:
“Electronic music has given me a new story, a new opportunity to build something I think a mass audience will understand.”
On debuting “Climax” via Twitter:
“I really wanted to offer the greatest courtesy to my fans first—they are ultimately who brought me to this point, and I want to make sure they understand my journey. Twitter is kind of like my outboard communication, one of the places I’ve chosen to speak directly to my fans.”
On his new album, Looking for Myself, set to be released on June 12:
“The cool thing about Diplo and the thing that made me want to work with him is that you can’t put him in a specific category or a box. He does everything. That represents what this album is. This album doesn’t fit into a specific box. It is an all-world experience that gives you a multitude of genres, a multitude of experiences: electric soul, revolutionary pop, classic, new tradition, dance, tech. And it brings me to more of a relevant place.”
Usher’s cover stance with his fists up is no coincidence, not only is he fighting his way back to the top of the charts, but he is also gearing up to star as Sugar Ray Leonard in the Roberto Duran biopic Hands of Stone, with Gael Garcia Bernal and Robert De Niro.
Be sure to head over to Billboard.com to read the full cover story.
