Hoping to illuminate the change, Usher released his self-directed video “I Cry” on July 4.
The bleak song includes black and white images and photography by Gordon Parks. With Usher facing the camera, several shots of Parks appear on the screen, including those of children crying and protesters holding signs against police brutality.
“Do I love myself more than my sisters and brothers?” Usher reflects on the second verse of the song. At the end of the gloomy clip, Usher writes a note of positivity, which says, “We are the change.”
In an exclusive interview with Billboard Last month, Usher spoke about the importance of his new album. “No matter how successful it is, you still need to understand that someone, somewhere, is still experiencing this unfair reality, and it became more vivid when we all had a moment to be home,” she said. “I think the pandemic gave us the awakening we needed, because we were able to bring all of those emotions. All of those emotions began to emerge as a result of being able to see what is happening in the world.”
Proceeds from “I Cry” will be donated to LISC, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, which seeks to help underserved and colored communities across the country.
See “I Cry” below.
