OMG

Story of Song

Usher explained the concept behind the OMG Tour: “To give you an overall experience, futuristic, Edgy, Sexy, energetic, cool, connected, relevant and artistic.” On working with will.i.am and shooting the music video, Usher told MTV News: “We wanted to bring will.i.am into my world. Obviously, the international sound and look and feel has already been set, but we wanted to do something theatrical, fun and energetic to show us working off of each other and playing off of each other as artists, but the cinematography would be artistic and incredible.”

The director of the music video, Anthony Mandler, explained that the animated science fiction character from the UK’s 80s TV, Max Headroom, was what originally inspired him. He told MTV News: “The original idea was kind of Max Headroom. That’s where it came from, the TV flickering on and there’s this character. We just wanted to bring it up to date. The concept was to create a world where we put Usher in a space where he does what I think he does better than anyone else in the world, which is perform at a level and magnitude of a superstar and take us, the viewer, whether audible or visually, on a journey, not a ride. And, in that, I wanted to create unpredictability, so one set leads to another and another, and you never know what’s going to happen. Along the way, Usher becomes our guide. We’re so focused on him, we don’t notice the change. The thing is unfolding little by little, and you can’t quite see far enough ahead to know what’s going to come next.”

Release date

Released March 22, 2010

Songwriter/s

William Adams

Label

LaFace

Chart Rankings

US – 1

UK – 1

GERMANY – 27

In the US, this song made Usher the first artist in the 2010s to have a number 1 single during three consecutive decades–the 90’s, 2000’s and 2010s. It also made him the fifth artist to ever accomplish this. The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the Rhythmic Charts. On the US Dance Club Songs and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts it peaked at number 3, and reached number 2 on the Mainstream Top 40 charts. It sold over 4.719 million copies. In the UK, ‘OMG’ topped the Official Charts Company and the R&B Charts. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified it Platinum for sales over 787.000 copies. The song topped the charts in Australia where it was certified 5 times Platinum, and went Platinum in Ireland and New Zealand. It reached the top 10 charts in Belgium, Canada, Scotland, and Slovakia. ‘OMG’ was certified Double Platinum in Canada, and Gold in both Mexico and Sweden.

Artist’s age on release date

Usher Raymond IV was 30 years old and William Adams, aka will.i.am, was 34 year old when this song was released.

Cover Versions

Ahmir – Kris Collins, Joelle and Sophia – Siren Gene – Cher Lloyd – Paulina & Douglas James – Jason Yang (violin cover) – Eric Stanley (violin cover) – Conor Maynard – Lindsey Lee – Joseph Vincent – Krissy & Ericka – Other amateur artists covered this song on Youtube.