An album like Usher’s Confessions is incredibly rare. The record is chock full of classic singles, from fiery party starters like “Yeah!” and “Caught Up” to the devastating heartbreakers like “Burn” and “Confessions Pt. II”. Even records that didn’t become singles have become monuments to his discography, like “Superstar” and “Seduction”. A lot of artists could’ve decided to call it a career right then and there. How could you follow up on that kind of success? Apparently, the artist born Usher Raymond IV seriously considered walking away from making music after such a height.
In a February 2026 conversation with Entertainment Tonight, the “My Boo” crooner shared his thinking after the meteoric success of Confessions back in 2004. There was a lot weighing on his mind at the time, but first and foremost, it was a measure of inspiration. Moreover, there was a certain burden that came with being a major artist after that kind of success. The pressure started to seep in immensely, causing extended breaks from creating.
Usher Admits All The Reasons Why He Thought About Hanging It Up After ‘Confessions’
“Anybody who has been an artist at any level of intellectual property, trying to find inspiration, sometimes, you can lack it,” Raymond admitted. “Especially if you’re solely focused on a certain level of recognition. You sell 1.1 million units in the first week, 10 million albums—I don’t even know if I want the pressure of trying to beat that again. Some portion of that beared relevance to me.”
Additionally, there was the matter of ownership. At the time, he had worked for a label for over ten years, enough to weigh on any artist like Usher. However, that length of time really hit him because he never owned any of his art. Consequently, he never deemed it totally necessary to rush into new projects. Instead, he’ll balance his work and life properly if he doesn’t have the control that requires him to be more active.
“Some people will ask, ‘Why do you take three years to put out an album every time?’ Because I’m dealing with the reality of what it is, that I signed when I was a teenager,” Usher continued. “The reality of being able to sustain the lifestyle that I’ve made for myself and my family caused me to have to be away from just making music. Having to travel, do other things, and work, which takes a certain amount of focus. Even to sustain that is a lot because you can get lost in it. But I didn’t. Everything that mattered changed, my perspective changed.”
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