Ask any teenage girl who Usher is and she’ll probably break out in convulsions from excitement. Who’s Usher? With two hit singles, “You Make Me Wanna … ” and “Nice & Slow” blazing up the Billboard charts, he’s only the hottest star in R&B. And his boyish good looks – coupled with some fabulous abs – make him easy on the eyes too. But Usher’s not just another pretty boy. We recently caught up with the 19-year-old singing sensation (who comes with co-headliner Mary J. Blige to the Arie Crown Theatre on Friday) and found him to be a sensitive, wise and level-headed young man.
Q: How do you feel when thousands of girls are shouting your name?
A: Excited. It helps me perform when I have the crowd into it with me. My energy level is higher and I feel really good about myself.
Q: You’ve got folks all over the country singing “You Make Me Wanna … ” with their own versions of what should come next. If you could rewrite the song with a different theme in mind, how would you finish it?
A: ….stay at home with my girl
Q: What’s your idea of “the perfect woman”?
A: Someone who understands me; someone who can be a good friend. Believe it or not, someone who’s in the same field as me. Because I don’t have a lot of time, it would be best for me to go out with someone who has the same career goals. I would also date older women. I don’t really get caught up in age. I always leave open opportunities for older women who can possibly teach me something.
Q: Do you have any regrets about teenager stuff you’ve missed out on?
A: Not really. I get to go to pro basketball and football games, so I don’t really miss the high school games. Most kids my age have those posters of their dream car pasted on their walls at home. I’ve been fortunate enough to get my dream car now – a black Porsche.
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