Usher releases video for powerful new song, ‘I Cry’
Usher has released the video for his new song, “I Cry,” which spotlights the work of renowned civil rights photographer Gordon Parks.
The Atlanta-based singer released the song at the end of June and said it was “inspired by wanting to teach my sons that it is OK for a man to feel emotions and to cry.”
Usher, who also directed the video, has committed to donating record proceeds to the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, a nonprofit that invests in underserved communities and communities of color across the country.
Upon the release of "I Cry" last month, Usher also stated, "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. While I was shut in during the pandemic and watching the death of George Floyd, the ongoing slaughtering 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. 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."
About the Author
Melissa Ruggieri has covered music and entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 2010 and created the Atlanta Music Scene blog. She's kept vampire hours for more than two decades and remembers when MTV was awesome.
