Usher opens up about his new Ralph Lauren fragrance campaign, composing an original song for the launch, and channeling the timeless energy of New York City.

A Ralph Lauren and Usher Collaboration? In Usher's words..."Yeah!"
With a career that spans three decades and includes everything from Grammy-winning albums to coveted Super Bowl performances, Usher has never been one to shy away from reinvention. Now, the global icon is stepping into an entirely new lane: fragrance.<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/ralphlauren" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;Ralph Lauren</a>&nbsp;Fragrances has named the iconic performer the face of its latest scent,&nbsp;Ralph&rsquo;s Club New York Eau de Parfum, marking a first for both the artist and the heritage brand.
The partnership between Ralph Lauren and Ushe is an an ode to legacy and cultural impact. Inspired by the energy and spirit of New York City and the timeless glamour of its golden age, the fragrance channels the same confident spirit that Usher has long embodied both on and off the stage. With notes of lavender and bourbon and a grounding base of sandalwood,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/fragrance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the fragrance</a>&nbsp;is both classic and unexpected.&nbsp;
To bring the campaign to life, Usher set out to compose an original song to accompany the fragrance&mdash;an effort inspired by the sophistication and spirit of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/frank-sinatra-young-photos-my-way-singer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frank Sinatra&rsquo;s</a>&nbsp;iconic &ldquo;New York, New York.&rdquo; Speaking with&nbsp;L&rsquo;OFFICIEL, he opens up about the creative process behind the music, what drew him to Ralph Lauren, and how his pursuit of excellence continues to shape every facet of his career.

L'OFFICIEL:&nbsp;What I love so much about fragrances, and scents in general, is that they can provoke a memory within you, or bring back something very specific. Did you have a reaction like that?
Usher: &nbsp;Well, fragrance can do one of two things. It can either bring you back&nbsp;or&nbsp;to a moment&hellip;when you smell certain things that evoke a certain sensuality and arouse your curiosity. This is something that struck a chord with me. You have two iconic figures in this concept, along with an icon in itself: New York and the idea of what the New York experience is. What better person to help us understand the essence of that than Frank Sinatra? "New York, New York" was the title of one of his extremely timeless classics. They [Ralph Lauren] introduced that as an idea for me to play with, and I wanted to remake it. I wanted to reimagine it in a way that was my version of "New York, New York."
L'O:&nbsp;So we get that, Usher&rsquo;s version, and the campaign. That's exciting.
Usher: Yeah, you know, it's kind of re-engineering a concept, an idea using melodies. And this idea of working in this timeless space. New York means so much to so many people. Obviously, you heard the cliche: "If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere." But it really is.
L'O:&nbsp;What is it? What would you say it means to you?
Usher: You can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere, precisely what it said. New York is the birthplace of so many cultures in terms of contemporary style, music, street culture, elegance, the idea of nightlife, and the hustle of daylight. You get lost in New York if you don't know what you're doing, but it's a great place to get lost in, because you learn something. You know it is a place for the modern soul and unmistakable style. It is a place where you find identity, and you can obviously be inspired by something.&nbsp;
I started my career in New York City, so it was really special to come back and reimagine the idea of a timeless space as we put the campaign together. And by the way, it wasn&rsquo;t just me. It was a collective of really relevant and incredible talents. Jacob Sutton directed the piece that we&rsquo;re putting out, which highlights and supports the song I wrote with Varis. There was also the duo Markus &amp; Koala, who&rsquo;ve shot incredible things, and Tariq Patterson, a choreographer I had never worked with before.
We put together a really amazing, immersive experience that takes you on a journey of success and captures that phrase: "If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere."&nbsp;I thought of Studio 54, the energy and vibrance of the '90s when I was a kid, the history of New York, the Harlem Renaissance, the idea of speakeasies, the nightlife, the culture&mdash;the day hustle and the nightlife grind. All of that was in my mind when creating the perfect scene.

L'O:&nbsp;Is there a song of yours or choreography of yours that you feel like this fragrance most reminds you of or harkens back to?
Usher: I think that there's an essence overall in terms of this intensity that happens between a man and a woman or in a relationship with someone, the seductive nature, and the bold expression in all of my music and all of my experiences. But if I had to think of one, I would say "Seduction" is a song that I feel embodies it. There's the song we've made that you haven't heard yet, which embodies it.&nbsp;
L'O:&nbsp;And is this song just for the campaign, or is this going to be on Spotify too?
Usher: This is just for the campaign. Who knows what the future holds if people take a liking to it, which I think they will, because it starts with the fact that we are reimagining "New York, New York." There's a magnetic energy that came with that song in that era, that aura of Frank Sinatra's grandeur.
L'O:&nbsp;It almost sounds like Frank Sinatra became a muse within this memory.
Usher: There is a very natural connection between the energy of what Frank Sinatra represented for New York City and also to what this Americana brand represents for Ralph Lauren; the fragrance is only an extension of that. There was a great deal of inspiration in terms of the contemporary nature of what Frank Sinatra was at that time.&nbsp;
L'O:&nbsp;Is there anything you felt like you learned about yourself or got to experiment with creatively that you hadn't before with this?&nbsp;
Usher: To be able to have a fashion house that understands how to curate an elevated, sensual, commanding style, and create this natural, organic lifestyle of New York City at the same time, it gave me access to not only represent something that I feel encapsulates where I am and where I have been over the past two to three years of my life, but also to to be an icon for an iconic designer and a house that is going to be here far after I'm gone. I'm happy that I was considered and that we were able to collaborate to make something that I would love&mdash;that I would make a part of my legacy.

Photography by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot.

Usher Enters a New Era of Elegance with Ralph Lauren Fragrances

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Usher Enters a New Era of Elegance with Ralph Lauren Fragrances

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