Usher certainly surprised many when he made an unexpected appearance and performance at this years SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. Not only was it a surprise that he came out to perform, but the act which he chose to hit the stage with, indy rock band The Afghan Wigs, was even more intriguing. Keeping the surprises coming, immediately following the appearance, Usher returned home to Atlanta and headed to the studio with friend, mentor and longtime collaborator Jermaine Dupri. Many became excited when JD posted a photo on Instagram of himself wearing his big SoSoDef logo head, sitting next to Usher in the studio.

Jermaine has said he is not as focused on working with the big, established artists at the moment, but one act he will always be ready to get in the lab with certainly is, Usher. A many core fans of the R&B superstar have continued to voice their requests for him to return to the guidance and creative direction of Dupri, and frequent collaborators such as Bryan Michael Cox, it appears their hopes are being answered. The first picture was only the beginning, as this was not a fly-by-night session, but a return to continued production together. Jermaine Dupri has been the common thread in many of Usher’s hit songs and albums, but has been close to none-existent on his last 3 LP’s (0 on ‘Looking 4 Myself,’ 1 on ‘Raymond vs. Raymond’ and 2 for Dupri and 1 from Cox on ‘Here I Stand’).