“My Boo” Songwriter Says Usher Hated Song, Originally For Beyoncé Not Alicia Keys

Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/WireImage

More than two decades after it ruled radio, Usher and Alicia Keys’ classic duet, “My Boo,” still feels untouchable. But according to songwriter Adonis Shropshire, the record almost never saw daylight.

In a new interview with Men’s Journal, published February 14, 2026, by Terrell Smith, Shropshire revisited the late-night studio session that birthed the 2004 smash, eventually performed at Super Bowl LVIII. What fans now consider a cornerstone of mid-2000s R&B began with a midnight phone call and a skeptical superstar.

“I got a call at midnight. Jermaine Dupri’s like, ‘yo, come to the studio.’ He got this beat. And he’s like ‘write to this one.’ It’s all he had,” Shropshire recalled. Dupri had crafted the melody for the opening line—“There’s always that…”—but the lyrics were unfinished. Shropshire stepped in to help shape the emotional narrative.

Adonis Shropshire, one of the composers of “My Boo”, revealed that Usher hated the song when he first heard it and Beyoncé was supposed to be the original featured artist on the song

“I got a call at midnight. Jermaine Dupri’s like ‘yo, come to the studio.’ He got this beat. And… pic.twitter.com/nSBjNgj21z

— Blackish Press (@blackishpress) February 14, 2026