Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978), who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American recording artist and actor. Usher rose to fame in the 1990s and after releasing his albums My Way (1997) and 8701 (2001). My Way has been certified 6 times platinum by the RIAA. 8701 has been certified 4 times platinum by the RIAA. Each album sold over 8 million copies worldwide. His success continued with Confessions (2004), which has sold over ten million copies in the United States, and been certified diamond by the RIAA. Confessions has the highest first week sales for an R&B artist in history, has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, and was named the best selling R&B album of the 2000s decade. To date, Usher has sold over 45 million albums worldwide.

Usher has won numerous awards and accolades for his musical work. Including 5 Grammy Awards, 4 World Music Awards, 4 American Music Awards, 8 Soul Train Music Awards, and 19 Billboard Music Awards. In 2008, Usher was ranked as the 21st most successful Hot 100 Singles Artist of all-time by Billboard magazine. The RIAA ranks Usher as one of the best-selling artists in American music history, having sold 22 million copies in the United States alone. Billboard Magazine ranked Usher the #1 Hot 100 artist of the 2000s decade. They also named him the most successful singer and second most successful artist of the 2000s decade. His 2004 album Confessions was ranked as the top solo album and second most successful overall album of the last decade.