USHER FIX

 
MTV launched August 1, 1981 and continues to serve as the home for many of pop culture’s most memorable moments in music and entertainment. In honor of the occasion, Usher, along with Van Toffler, President of MTV Networks Music & Logo Group and Stephen Friedman, President of MTV rang the opening bell.

“I’m really happy to not only be a part of the Stock Exchange, but MTV who has remained relevant for over the last 30 years and will continue to evolve because they are open and really give us that outlet, not only to be musical but also to be creative,” said Usher, who was only two years old when the network launched.

 


 

Usher taped a promo for the 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards, airing November 7 from Madrid, Spain. He is nominated for three awards, including Best Pop, Best Song for “OMG,” and Best Male, at the 16th annual show.

Don’t call it a comeback, but following a tumultuous 2009 that included a messy divorce, Usher could describe the past 12 months as his climb back to the top. Now, he’s celebrating with a national tour. “Been hard at work getting ready for this tour … Man, ya’ll are really in for a treat,” the singer tweeted Monday. “I’m on. Twits back up.”

Recently, MTV News caught up with Ursh about his upcoming national run.

“The tour starts November 13 in Seattle,” Usher said. “[Producer] Max Martin made an incredible record with ‘DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love,’ but what would I expect: less? He’s one of the best.”

Racking up several hits on the Billboard chart this year, including “OMG” featuring will.i.am, his current single checks in at #5 on the Hot 100, and Usher couldn’t be happier.

“[I'm] loving it. Just in time for an incredible tour,” Usher said during a recent visit to New York. “I took a step away from L.A. tonight. My dancers and crew are real hot with me right now.”

The singer was confident that his upcoming run will be memorable. “The tour’s gonna be incredible,” Usher said. “Incredible records go with incredible tours.”

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Usher has been nominated for the MTV European Music Awards in the Best Pop, Best Male, and Best Song categories.  The awards take place on November 7 at “The Magic Box” in Madrid.

Click here to vote for Usher!

Click on video to see the full episode.

MTV and Yahoo’s new partnership, Behind the Lens, will be giving Usher fans a behind-the-scenes look at “OMG” to celebrate his recent VMA nomination. 

In celebration of the upcoming 2010 MTV Music Video Awards, MTV and Yahoo have paired up to launch Behind the Lens for a behind-the-scenes look at some this year’s nominees and previous VMA winners. Behind the Lens also gives music fans a backstage look a never-before-seen photos, “Making-Of” tidbits, and other fun trivia facts surrounding the music videos that have made the VMA’s such a memorable event.

Click here to experience Behind The Lens.

For a video as forward thinking as Usher’s “OMG” — with its laser beams and light flashes — director Anthony Mandler actually looked back for inspiration.

“The original idea was kind of Max Headroom,” Mandler told MTV News, citing the animated science-fiction character from ’80s British TV. “That’s where it came from — the TV flickering on and there’s this character. We just wanted to bring it up to date.”

“Max Headroom was always in his room,” he continued, “this unidentifiable room, ’80s shapes. I used that for inspiration.”

The formula worked: “OMG” is among the Best Male Video nominees for the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. The clip is up against Drake’s “Find Your Love,” Jason Derulo’s “In My Head,” Eminem’s “Not Afraid” and B.o.B.’s “Airplanes.” Mandler is a multiple nominee, having also helmed Drake’s video.

“OMG” is the first time Usher and Mandler — who’s worked with Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, and Rihanna — collaborated on a project.

Usher said he knew the video would be a challenge and wanted to make sure the director was up to the task.

“When I first shot the song to him, I was like, ‘Are you sure you’re gonna be able to catch this one?’ And he said, ‘I got it,’” Usher explained.

“We wanted to bring into my world,” he continued. “Obviously, the international sound and look and feel has already been set, but we wanted to do something theatrical, fun and energetic to show us working off of each other and playing off of each other as artists, but the cinematography would be artistic and incredible.”

Mandler described the visuals as “Hitchcock-ian.” Though the style of the shot was important to the director, he had a simpler goal in mind: to capture Usher in his element. He said the key to the clip was simply letting Usher’s talent take over.

“The concept was to create a world where we put Usher in a space where he does what I think he does better than anyone else in the world, which is perform at a level and magnitude of a superstar and take us, the viewer, whether audible or visually, on a journey, not a ride,” the director said. “And, in that, I wanted to create an unpredictability, so one set leads to another and another, and you never know what’s gonna happen. Along the way, Usher becomes our guide. We’re so focused on him, we don’t notice the change. The thing is unfolding little by little, and you can’t quite see far enough ahead to know what’s gonna come next.”

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