Solo Artist
Most frequent collaborator: Jermaine Dupri · 21 tracks
Holds writing credit on 106 of 144 tracks
Partly. Usher holds a writing credit on roughly three-quarters of his tracks, and his authorship grew over his career, but he is a vocalist first. He co-wrote hits like 'Burn' and 'Confessions Part II' with Jermaine Dupri, yet some of his most famous songs, including 'Yeah!,' 'OMG,' and 'U Don't Have to Call,' were written entirely by outside hitmakers.
Across all 144 tracks: how many Usher wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.
Share of all 144 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Usher's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
Where Usher sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
None of the signature songs above fall in this category.
LaFace Records
LaFace Records
LaFace Records
LaFace Records
LaFace Records
LaFace Records
LaFace Records
RCA Records
RCA Records
mega / RCA Records
No albums from this decade.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. JD Jermaine Dupri · TL Terry Lewis · JJ Jimmy Jam · BC Bryan-Michael Cox · KT Keith Thomas · MS Manuel Seal
Data Insight
Usher occupies a middle tier of authorship: he co-writes consistently on personal and narrative tracks, most notably throughout Confessions, but routinely cedes full songwriting credit to outside hitmakers like Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon, and Ryan Tedder on his uptempo and dance-oriented material. The result is an authorship score of roughly 30-35%, reflecting genuine but selective creative involvement.
Quick Facts
Creative Fingerprint
A vocalist first: Usher co-writes a good share of his catalogue, especially with Jermaine Dupri, but many of his signature hits, including 'Yeah!' and 'OMG,' were written entirely by outside hitmakers.
The Story
Usher (Usher Raymond IV) is an American singer, songwriter, and dancer from Chattanooga, Tennessee, who rose to fame in the mid-1990s as a teenager on LaFace Records. He became one of the defining artists of 2000s R&B, with his 2004 album Confessions standing as one of the best-selling albums of that decade. Known for his commanding stage presence and smooth vocal delivery, Usher has earned eight Grammy Awards and sold over 80 million records worldwide.