Usher: Downsized But Still Doing It For The Ladies (And Some Men)

The music industry is getting smaller and smaller.

No one knows that better than former chart-topping R&B superstar Usher.

The LaFace/Zomba recording artist, who has been through a whirlwind of very grown-up, real-life changes (on again/off again wedding plans, management shuffling, family drama) over the course of the past two years, is taking his show on the road.

This time, though, it won't be the super-sized arenas Usher once dominated when his monster album 'Confessions' catapulted him to the the pop charts with a string of hits. For the "Sony Ericsson Presents: Usher's One Night Stand Ladies Only Tour," the 30-year-old singer will play a "special" 14-city tour aiming to give his fans the opportunity to get up close and personal.

"I feel like I've had such a connection with my audience," the five-time Grammy Award winner said, "So what better way to get up close and personal than to make it all women?"

Usher Pictures

Singer Usher performs during the 2008 NFL Kickoff at Columbus Circle on September 4, 2008 in New York City..2008 NFL Kickoff - Show.Columbus Circle.New York, NY United States.September 4, 2008.Photo by Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic.com..To license this image (15994388), contact FilmMagic.com

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Usher performs during the 2008 NFL Kickoff at Columbus Circle on September 4, 2008 in New York City..2008 NFL Kickoff - Show.Columbus Circle.New York, NY United States.September 4, 2008.Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com..To license this image (15993765), contact WireImage.com

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Intimate venues such as New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom (Nov. 3) and Atlanta's Tabernacle (Nov. 10) have been confirmed, alongside the Chicago, Houston and Dallas outposts of the House of Blues chain. The tour officially kicks off at Atlantic City's premiere showplace, The Borgata Event Center, on Nov. 2.

Although it's an exciting and an ambitious idea to do a show catering to one gender, it may not be the most fiscally sound.

That's why it comes as no surprise that reports have surfaced that a rep for Usher's label clarified that although ladies may be the focus of the tour, men are more than welcome to attend the shows.

Usher's latest album, 'Here I Stand' was released in May and sold 443,000 copies in its first week of release. The latest single is titled 'Trading Places.'