Usher stepped out of the spotlight and into dad mode for Instagram’s new Carversations series — and the debut episode is already stirring buzz.
The R&B icon appeared alongside his teenage sons, Cinco and Naviyd, for an unusually candid conversation about life online, fame, and the pressures that come with their last name.
The episode, which premiered December 11, features the trio talking inside a car — the show’s gimmick meant to help kids open up without direct eye contact. Usher’s sons didn’t hold back about the nonstop scrutiny they face on social media.
They spoke about online comments, peer pressure, and the constant push to look “perfect,” especially as the children of a superstar. Usher listened closely and told them that “authenticity matters far more than approval,” urging them to use the internet as a tool, not a scoreboard.
Usher Speaks On What Life Would Be Like If He Had Social Media As A Kid
The 45-year-old megastar also reflected on his own early years and admitted the digital age could have altered his entire career path. “If Instagram was around when I was trying to get signed,” he told his sons, “things would have been very different.”
He recalled endless auditions, closed doors, and the struggle to get discovered before eventually landing with L.A. Reid. Today, he noted, “young artists can share their talent instantly.”
Carversations marks a softer turn for the singer who dominated the late ’90s and 2000s with No. 1 hits like “Nice & Slow,” “U Got It Bad,” and the record-breaking Confessions album, which has sold more than 15 million copies.
Yet the episode’s appeal has little to do with platinum stats. Fans tuned in to see how one of music’s most celebrated performers navigates parenting in an era defined by filters, algorithms, and cyber-pressure.
Cinco and Naviyd, whom he shares with ex-wife Tameka Foster, appeared relaxed and playful as they traded stories about what they see online. Usher stayed patient, calm, and protective — a far cry from his onstage swagger. The conversation offered a rare glimpse of the singer not as a superstar, but as a father trying to guide two teenagers through a world he never had to grow up in.
For many viewers, that’s the real headline: even Usher can’t escape the challenges of raising kids in the age of Instagram.
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