Two random memories of my favorite Usher songs
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Two random memories of my favorite Usher songs
One from an ex-boyfriend, the other from my dog
Writer’s note: This post was first published on Medium’s “Tickled” on July 10, 2022 and will now be permanently housed on Substack’s new “Tickled” column.
To this day, I’m still not sure why my first official boyfriend chose this song to sing to me. Maybe it was because it was popular or because he thought I’d enjoy it. A month before then, I’d walked my usual route home from high school with three other friends. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a very tall, very handsome guy on the porch next door to her house. She spoke to him, and he waved. I didn’t quite make eye contact with the guy, who had a Black & Mild strategically placed in the corner of his mouth. But I could see him. And I knew he could see me.
Plans, be damned. I was going to figure out a way to return to her block so I could “accidentally” run into him again. My plan worked. I stopped at home to drop my bookbag off, returned to sit on her porch and he was still there — people watching and not saying much. This plan continued for several days, in which he always seemed to be on the porch whenever we walked home from school.
Somewhere along the line, he decided to come next door and watch music videos with us in their living room. And the first video that I remember being on was Usher’s “You Make Me Wanna.” He started singing along to the song quietly before my friend’s father walked in the room and shouted, “I see you sneaking looks at Shamontiel!”
I folded my lips into my mouth, trying not to smile and refused to make eye contact with either him or my friend’s father, who marched right back out of the room. (If you want to get an idea of what my friend’s dad was like, think of how Drake’s father acts in music videos. Same difference.)
Less than a month later (and a few more pop-ups), I was coming home from school alone that day (not sure why no friends were with me) when I saw someone jogging after me. (This was a sight to behold because Mr. Black & Mild always looked like he was too cool to run for anything — besides cover.)
“Eh, you wanna be my lady?” he asked me.
I giggled and nodded. Just like that, we were official.
A little under three decades later, I don’t think any significant other of mine has asked me to be in a relationship with him with quite the same swag.
Recommended Read: “The Keke Palmer breakup celebration is making me cringe ~ Not all single women want to see other women be single”
Usher memory #2
When I saw Usher Raymond IV’s NPR “Tiny Desk” performance (and it took long enough for that to happen), this was my first memory. As soon as I heard the opening to that song, I went right back to being 16 years old and hearing my friend’s dad bust this guy out for quietly singing the words to an Usher song.
Years later, whenever I get a whiff of a Black & Mild, that ex pops into my head without fail. Young “like” brings back fond memories.
I didn’t think anything could outdo that memory, but here comes my dog Junee trying to give that ex-boyfriend a run for his money. See her reaction to Usher singing “Superstar” (also one of my favorite songs). It doesn’t quite top my first memory, but it’s entertaining nonetheless. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy this post? You’re also welcome to check out my Substack columns “Black Girl In a Doggone World,” “Homegrown Tales,” “I Do See Color,” “Tickled,” “We Need to Talk” and “Window Shopping” too. Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter to keep up with all posts at once.
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