In the wake of Usher's Super Bowl halftime performance, the R&B star gracefully shrugged off the enduring comparisons between him and Justin Timberlake.
The 45-year-old Dallas native has frequently been juxtaposed with the equally gifted 43-year-old Memphis-born singer.
With their smooth voices, both Usher and Justin found fame almost simultaneously.
However, when asked about their relationship, Usher told People magazine that he does not consider them direct competitors.
The "Love In This Club" singer revealed to the outlet, "I think people more than likely need to find comparisons, but we are all unique artists and have our creativity."
"I love the producers that he works with, so much so that I worked with them. And I think he loves the producers that I worked with so much so that he worked with them," he went on to confess.
Not A Justin Timberlake Clone
From an early age, both Usher and Justin Timberlake discovered their passion for singing. Their paths to success began with their appearances on the popular talent show "Star Search."
While the former NSYNC star's journey continued on Disney's Mickey Mouse Club, Usher took a different route, which he often humorously references.
With a chuckle, he reminisced about his non-Disney upbringing, joking that he might have been banned from the lot.
Usher acknowledged the influence of Justin's and NSYNC's early ventures, expressing admiration for their manager Johnny Wright.
He said, "I can remember as a kid going to their foundation events and just supporting *NSYNC and trying to get as close as I possibly could to them, because I just respected what Johnny Wright was doing."
From the moment Justin embarked on his solo career, Usher's desire to collaborate with him burned brightly.
"I've always wanted to do a record with Justin and have reached out many a time, but we've never managed to make it happen. I think that he's an amazing performer."
Despite numerous attempts to make it a reality, their musical partnership never materialized.
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The Real King of R&B
Usher even spoke highly of Justin Timberlake's talents, describing him as an extraordinary entertainer.
Usher was questioned about his perceived competition with Justin. In response, he confidently stated, "I'm in competition with no one other than myself, and I've always tried to beat my own record."
He went on to clarify, "Beat my own expectations and try and better myself. And if anything, I've been motivated by people like Justin."
"I think that he has a leg]acy that should be respected and not compared to anybody else."
Usher concluded, "Do I feel at times that the score was a bit unfair in terms of how people even judged us or some of the things that may have been given to him? He had better management staff, you know what I'm saying, access to things I didn't. I'm cool with that."
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