Usher, an international R&B singer, stated a desire to join the Afrobeats music industry, claiming his affinity for the genre and its musicians.
He stated that he worked with Nigerian singers Burna Boy and Pheelz on his current album because he wants to be a part of the Afrobeats movement.
Usher was the latest Western performer to join the Afrobeats movement, after he featured Pheelz in ‘Ruin,’ the first single from his current album, and Burna Boy in the album’s title track, ‘Homecoming’.
In a recent interview with Apple Music, Usher revealed that Pheelz had an impact on his collaboration with Burna Boy.
He said:
“I am all about collaboration and bringing African, you know, Nigerian culture to my own world. Their music is really popular now. I wanted to be part of it [Afrobeats], that’s why I went to Africa to make this album.
“I picked up things when I was in Ghana. I picked up things when I was in Nigeria. And working with Pheelz, he created the record [‘Homecoming’]. I just felt that Burna Boy would take it to a different level of credibility. I really do enjoy him as an artist. I just felt that this song would only be lifted better if he was part of it.”
