Usher's Birthday Has Us Blasting Throwback Jams Like "Nice & Slow" As R&B Icon Turns 45

BYHayley Hynes1342 Views
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45 is set to be one of Usher's biggest years yet as he prepares to headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show in February.

Libra season seems to be a particularly busy time for celebrity birthdays. Stars like Cardi B, Doja Cat, Kim Kardashian, and Amber Rose are all turning another year older in the span of just a few days. Another name on the list of October-born creatives is Usher, who turns 45 today, the 14th. While he's likely got big plans to turn up with his loved ones all weekend long, we're commemorating the occasion by revisiting some of the R&B icon's earliest hits.

Specifically, we're spotlighting 1997's "Nice & Slow," which was produced by Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal. The song's sensual lyrics find a young Usher crooning about getting intimate with the object of his affection. "Now here we are, driving round town / Contemplating where I'm gonna lay you down," his voice shines on the second verse. As he sings, the Southern artist gets up close and personal with Kimora Lee Simmons. She played his love interest in the Hype Williams-directed visual.

Read More: Nelly & Ashanti Give Usher A Run For His Money In Adorable New Singing Video

Take It "Nice & Slow" Today in Celebration of Usher

The fashion mogul is just one of many women who was lucky enough to be serenaded by the "OMG" hitmaker during his Las Vegas Residency. Of course, he got some ladies in trouble with their boyfriends, but overall, Usher's run in Sin City was successful. As that came to a close last month, it was confirmed that he'll be entertaining the crowd during 2024's biggest football game of the year.

Revisit Usher's decades-old visual for "Nice & Slow" above, and be sure to add the song to your playlist on Spotify/Apple Music if you haven't already. Are there any songs from the birthday boy's discography that you hope make it on his Super Bowl setlist? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.

Read More: Usher’s “Good Good” Hits Billboard Top 30, His First Song To Do So In Eight Years

Quotable Lyrics:

Let me take you to a place nice and quiet
There ain't no one there to interrupt, ain't gotta rush
I just wanna take it nice and slow
(Now, baby, tell me what you wanna do with me?)

About The Author
Hayley Hynes is the former Weekend Managing Editor of HotNewHipHop, she stepped down after two years in 2024 to pursue other creative opportunities but remains on staff part-time to cover music, gossip, and pop culture news. Currently, she contributes similar content on Blavity and 21Ninety, as well as on her personal blog where she also offers tarot/astrology services. Hayley resides on the western side of Canada, previously spending a year in Vancouver to study Fashion Marketing at Blanche Macdonald Centre and Journalism at Mount Royal University in Calgary before that. She's passionate about helping others heal through storytelling, and shares much more about her life on Instagram @hayleyhynes.