Usher has released his new single “I Cry.”
Along with the release of the song, Usher shared a statement on Twitter encouraging men to show their emotions, especially after the death of George Floyd. “This song was inspired by wanting to teach my sons that it is ok for a man to feel emotions deeply and to cry. Like many men, I was raised to believe that we have to be ‘tough’ and not show our vulnerability, which I don’t want to teach them,” Usher shared.
“While I was shut in during the pandemic and watching the death of George Floyd, the ongoing slaughter of Black men and women, the protests and the events that unfolded, I became very connected to the wider universal feeling of hopelessness.” “Like many, I grew increasingly frustrated by how slow things have been to change,”
Usher continued. “I became very depressed thinking about all sons who have lost their fathers to police brutality, social injustice and violence; the daughters and mothers too. So I returned to this song and realized it was intended for this time, so I finished it and here it is.”
Usher will donate his proceeds from “I Cry” to the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, which provides grants and support to community-based organizations and minority-owned small businesses that have been hit particularly hard by COVID-19. Usher will perform the song live for the first time Saturday, June 27th, during the “Global Goal: Unite for Our Future” concert special hosted by Global Citizen.
