Usher’s Son Naviyd Admits He Didn’t Share His Music With His Parents At First

Usher‘s 16-year-old son, Naviyd, is making a name for himself as a singer-songwriter-producer with the release of his debut single, “Smooth Blues.” One might prematurely assume the song would fall into the jazz genre based on the title, but it’s actually more jazzy and vibrant. The record sounds both futuristic and contemporary as he lays down his smooth vocals over a funky beat, and just like his father, those R&B undertones are undeniable which he wrote and produced— came to be. “For my first song, I wanted it to be fully produced and written by me so I could set the standard of my sound and how I truly want it. In a way, I feel like when others produce or write for you, they can’t really capture what u truly know you want. Only you can know that fully,” Naviyd explained “Smooth Blues” was admittedly a surprise to those closest to him, including his parents, and that was intentional. “I didn’t show the song to the people closest because I didn’t want them to mess with my creative process,” he noted. “I didn’t show my parents; I barely showed my best friend. I wanted them to hear it with everyone else and then give their opinion because then at that point, I can’t change it, and then it’s stuck like how I wanted it.” He confessed, “I’m always open for improvement and opinions. But on my first song, I felt like opinions from others would mess up the rawness of my vision, and I would just have catered to what others had said. When speaking on the story behind “Smooth Blues” and the production of it, Naviyd shared, “To be honest, I wrote this song about something I haven’t experienced before, so during the process of writing, my way of coming up with the story and progression was putting myself in the perspective of someone who has. I feel like being able to create a story out of nothing is a huge attribute as a writer. Production-wise, I wanted this song to have a bunch of different layers and a storyline-type vibe. So in different parts of the song, when different events are happening, certain sounds or effects will be used so the listener can feel more immersed in the story.

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