Usher almost quit music due to 'lack of support': 'I think I grew frustrated'
Pop star Usher has admitted he almost walked away from his career after growing 'frustrated' over the 'lack of support' for his music - so he took time out and went travelling before returning to the industry
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Usher almost walked away from his career after growing "frustrated" over the "lack of support" for his music.
The 45-year-old 'Yeah!' star has confessed he started questioning his own abilities after failing to replicate his previous successes and he worried his tracks were no longer resonating with fans - so he considering quitting the industry for good.
He told PEOPLE: "I think I grew frustrated and just needed a moment to decompress and to process what I was feeling. I just felt the lack of support and it was a bit stifling because I was still putting the same amount of effort into trying to create things that I felt would be celebrated.
"It was a moment of true consideration, like ‘Is it time to hang it up? Am I good enough? Is it time for me to stop?’ I just have to go away'."
Usher decided to take time out from his career by going travelling and he says the trip helped him get back on track.
He added: "Thailand, Africa, India, Tokyo, London, I went on this journey. It was all about fun. And after I went all of those places, I got it. I was able to purge my thoughts and get to a place where I can really relax and allow light to unfold and not look at things in boxes, good or bad.
"I’ve gone through everything that I’ve gone through for a reason. I choose to not look at them as negative things. These traumas have become treasured if I can choose to see them that way. That’s when I got it. And I just started believing in what I said and going after it."
After getting back from the trip, Usher's personal life also got a major boost as he struck up a romance with record executive Jennifer Goicoechea - who he married in Las Vegas on Super Bowl Sunday (11.02.24).
He explained: "Jenn was the first person I saw when I returned. She was like, ‘You look different.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, where you been?’ ... I found an amazing partner who happened to be my best friend and was there all the time and I was like ‘Wow’, this could be great'."
