Usher’s new song leans into the “grown and sexy” R&B trope

In recent years, the label of “grown and sexy” has become a point of pride among a growing subset of the genre’s fans who value maturity over toxicity. At 44 years old and still widely revered, Usher is in some ways the godfather of the movement, and he’s embracing it on “Good Good,” his new single featuring Summer Walker and 21 Savage.

Usher feels unmistakably in his element on the track, a pop-leaning song that makes strong use of its lead’s vocal prowess and yearning charisma. The subject: a mutually agreed upon, healthy breakup, where the prospect of remaining friends seems like a realistic one. It’s not exactly the stuff of reliable R&B tropes, but both Usher and Walker croon with a mixture of acceptance and melancholy that feels natural to the genre. 21 (a staple on my TikTok For You page thanks to clips of podcast appearances where he dispenses wisdom) brings some levity to the track: “I come through from time to time and have you pullin’ them sheets / That’s if you want to, I’m just playing girl / Stop smackin’ yo’ teeth.”

“Good Good” the first single from Usher’s next album, due out this fall. Watch its iMessage-themed lyric video and stream it on its own below.