In a somewhat unbelievable turn of events, Usher has revealed that his recent song ‘Papers’ was actually written before the end of his marriage. The R&B singer shared the information about the buzz single for his new album, ‘Raymond vs Raymond’, in an interview with MTV News earlier today. ‘Papers’, which peaked at #31 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Hip-Hop/R&B chart, seemed to be taking jabs at his now ex-wife, Tameka Foster, and quickly gained radio play for its controversial lyrics. Check out what Usher had to say about the record below:
“I think people would have immediately alluded to the fact I was talking about my wife when I made that record — and now my ex-wife,” he said. “When the song was recorded, I wasn’t divorced. It was some reality in the contrast of trying to make it all work, having to balance a career and having a normal life. Coming in at 6 in the morning and arguing was a reality when you have those type of relationships. I felt that in a way, the story did touch on certain things at the time. I didn’t know how realistic it would become. I didn’t know I would become divorced. I did know it spoke on the contrast between trying to balance this world of being married and having this responsibility that’s like a marriage at the same time. The song spoke to that place. Unfortunately, it did become a reality.” {Source}
Although only Usher and his wife truly know what occurred during their former marriage, this news is somewhat unbelievable. This is not the first time that Usher has used his private life as the main focus of his music to encourage radio airplay. Therefore, won’t be surprising at all if it was later revealed that he did indeed plan his divorce to coincide with the promotion of his new projects. On the other hand, turning personal pain into brilliant material is what true artistry is all about so maybe Usher was actually being creative rather than manipulative.