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."