Exclusive: Songwriter Sean Garrett Admits Usher “Really Wasn’t” Feeling 2004 Hit ‘Yeah!’ at First, Talks Reuniting With Singer for Latest Single ‘GLU’ [Video]

When you have written songs for Beyoncé, Usher, Fergie, Chris Brown, Summer Walker and Ciara, it’s only fitting that you change your name to “The Pen.” If you know Sean Garrett, he did just that.

With numerous hits under his belt, he’s back again with another banger. This time, he brought us another collab with Grammy award winner Usher, entitled ‘GLU.’

“Working with Usher, he’s really one of the most amazing vocalists, singers and performers in the world. He’s my brother, and we damn near grew up together. We want to always give him the best,” said Garrett.

The songwriter shared that GLU was written specifically for Usher with the help of Lil Jon and Bobby Avila.

This isn’t the first collab between Garrett, Usher and Lil Jon. In 2004, “Yeah!” hit our radios and MP3 players, bringing us a unique sound from Atlanta we never knew we needed.

“I create records that are definitely against the grain. You gotta give the fans what they paid for. You gotta entertain the world,” said Garrett.

Despite the song’s success, Garrett shared that Usher wasn’t a fan of the song at first.

“Most of the songs I end up doing for Usher at first, he doesn’t like them. I ain’t gone lie; he wasn’t f**** with it,” said Garrett.

Garrett also shared that Usher and Beyoncé have been his favorite artists to work with.

“They’re the catalyst; that’s my lineage. They’re great artists,” said Garrett.

Garrett first worked with Beyoncé when he wrote for Destiny’s Child on their last album, ‘Destiny Fulfilled,’ in 2004.

He wrote “Girl” and “Is She The Reason.”

“When I went to work with the girls, I was doing a lot of those records on the fly. I didn’t really know them personally,” said Garrett.

He shared that his relationship with his mother and the many women in his family allowed him to write such deep lyrics for those songs.

“Seeing that happiness that they share amongst each other, trying to be a unit, trying to stay together and hold each other down. Going through different relationships with different men. Trying to find a guy that is your person. That was the perspective,” said Garrett.

Garrett is also responsible for Beyoncè’s “Diva.”

“When I did “Diva,” that was a record where I called Jay Z and was like, ‘Yo, I really got a bomb for B.’ He was laughing at me like, ‘You ain’t got shit.’ I sent it to him, and I was on a plane the next day,” said Garrett.

After being in the business since he was 14 years old, Garrett has the secret ingredients to what it takes to have longevity in the music business.

“There’s a certain sense of integrity that I have to keep. Not just to the music but to the music business to help these young kids know what it is. A lot of time, people get lost in this, lost in the idea of popping. It’s good to be popping, but it’s also important to not lose yourself so you can have some longevity,” said Garrett.