Usher Laments Never Recording W ith Prince

Usher has lamented never getting the chance to record a song with Prince. During an interview for Vogue’s Life in Looks series, the Yeah! hitmaker described how he wore a custom-made jacket from the late superstar’s tailor, Arturo Padilla, for a special tribute staged at the 2020 Grammy Awards.

Reflecting on the moment, Usher admitted he regrets not reaching out and asking the Purple Rain hitmaker if he was willing to collaborate during his lifetime.

“This moment was really a celebration. I wish we had more time. I would of figured out a way to have gotten to do a record with Prince,” he stated. “He’s the one person that I always wanted to work with, that I never got a chance to do a song with. And the journey continues…”

Prince, real name Prince Rogers Nelson, died at the age of 57 in 2016. Elsewhere in the conversation, Usher reflected on Jay-Z asking him to be the headliner of the Super Bowl Halftime Show in February. The hip-hop icon has served as the NFL’s live music entertainment strategist since 2019.

“I found out that I was gonna be the Super Bowl Halftime Show by Jay-Z. He asked me, ‘Are you ready for the major moment?’ I’m like, ‘What you talking about, brother?’ He’s like, ‘Are you ready for your Michael (Jackson) moment?’ I was like, ‘The Super Bowl? Hell, yeah,’” the entertainer recounted. Usher’s Super Bowl Halftime Show featured guest appearances by Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, Ludacris, will.i.am, and H.E.R.