Usher didn't originally like his hit song 'Yeah!' and had to be convinced to record it, says one of the song's writers
- "Yeah!" is Usher's best-selling song of all time.
- But according to songwriter Patrick "J. Que" Smith, the R&B star had to be convinced to record it.
"Yeah!" is Usher's best-selling song of all time, but according to one of the writers of the song, Patrick "J. Que" Smith, the R&B star didn't like it when he first heard it.
"Usher didn't really like the song," Que revealed during a recent appearance on the "R&B Money" podcast.
Que said that when the song was first played to Usher, his fourth studio album, "Confessions," had already been finished and Usher was "really unsure" where "Yeah!" would fit in.
He said that it was Usher's friend and former A&R rep Kawan "KP" Prather that eventually convinced him to record the song.
"KP is really one of the people that got Ush' to cut the record," said Que.
"KP's whole thing was, 'All I know is that shit feel like hella Atlanta, I fuck wit' it, cut it, if you don't like it, we don't keep it. But there's not problem with putting your voice on it, sing it and see what happens,'" he added.
Recording "Yeah!" proved to be the right move for Usher.
Featuring Ludacris and Lil Jon, the song shot to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for 12 consecutive weeks. Internationally, the song topped several charts, including in Australia and the United Kingdom.
To date, "Yeah!" has sold over 8 million units worldwide.
On Saturday, Usher performed at Lovers & Friends Fest 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ahead of the gig, rumors swirled of an alleged brawl between the "Yeah!" singer and Chris Brown, who was also performing on Saturday.
50 Cent had a set sandwiched between the two on the day, during which, according to Vibe, he joked with the crowd about the alleged fight.
"Great job putting this together Usher. Guess he don't like getting punched in the face," said 50, adding that the show "would've been a perfect event" until the R&B stars "went crazy."
Representatives for neither Usher nor Brown immediately responded to requests for comment.