For almost a decade, music fans have assumed that much of the material on R&B star Usher‘s blockbuster 2004 album Confessions was inspired by his high-profile breakup with TLC member Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas. The couple had dated for over two years and their split disappointed many fans, so when Usher dropped singles like “Let It Burn” and the apologetic title track, most people believed he was pouring his heart out over losing her.
But in an interview with US Weekly, Chilli says that was not the case at all. Those songs had nothing to do with their relationship.
“We were together when he recorded that album,” Chilli explained. “All of those songs on Confessions–that was about Jermaine Dupri‘s situation. Usher was just singing it. But people kind of bought into it, it was just the timing of our breakup when the album came out.”
“In any relationship, even when it came to my relationship with Usher, when it was time to make a move, I had to do that,” she said. “I don’t care how much my heart was hurting, sometimes you’re just supposed to be with people for a reason and it’s not always a lifetime. Even if you want it to be, it just doesn’t work out that way.”
“But I’ll always love him, forever, because he was my first adult love, a real love,” she added. “But we’re cool, we’re really cool. There’s no hard feelings, nothing like that. It’s all good.”
