While attempting to knock out the box office with his role as legendary boxer Sugar Ray Leonard in the 2016 drama Hands of Stone, Usher is also revitalizing his catalog with a new album, titled Hard II Love. The veteran singer formally announced the new project, which follows 2012’s Looking 4 Myself, during a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Here is everything we know about Usher’s eighth studio effort.
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The Title
In January, Usher popped up on New York artist Daniel Arsham’s Twitter and revealed that his album would be called Flawed. “You heard it here first,” the tweet read.
You heard it here first. pic.twitter.com/TrS4udgUSa
— Daniel Arsham (@DanielArsham) January 13, 2016
He also explained the ex-title in an interview with Billboard after his Cannes Lions Festival panel with Ryan Seacrest in June. “I find the inspiration every time I find a word: what is ‘flawed?’ It’s something that is not perfect. It’s a future relic of some sorts, to grow and blossom and gain texture,” he explained. “But it is those things, those tumultuous occurrences and things that happen in your life that define what it is, and in our country and us as people. All of these things are standards, and I became the inspiration. Now I can’t tell you yet at the end what it’s gonna be, and but right now it’s Flawed.”
Then, earlier this month, when an iTunes New Zealand link popped up with a new Usher album, the title read Hard II Love. He then confirmed the title on Jimmy Kimmel.
The Cover
“That is a bust of me done by Daniel Arsham,” Usher told Kimmel about the cover, which shows an imperfect statue of the singer.
The Release Date
Hard II Love is set to roll out on Sept. 16 and is now available for pre-order on iTunes.
The Track list
The 15-set track carries previous releases like the Young Thug collaboration “No Limit” and “Crash.” After making his special announcement, Usher also released two new tracks: “Missin U” and “Champions,” from the Hands of Stone soundtrack. While unlisted on iTunes, the “GMix” to “No Limit” featuring Master P, 2 Chainz, Gucci Mane, Travis Scott and A$AP Ferg could also make the lineup.