The last time we checked in with R&B legend Usher, back in 2007, he was telling us about his Atlanta wine bar and contemplating a wine label of his own. While the wine label hasn’t materialized, the eight-time Grammy winner is making a big splash with his new Rémy Martin partnership, encompassing a (very) limited-edition Cognac and accompanying NFT as well as a “multi-sensory immersive experience” in association with the artist’s My Way Las Vegas residency at Park MGM.
Only 50 bottles of Usher x 1738 A.I. Powered Rémy Martin Accord Royal Cognac ($500) were produced, with 25 of them signed by Usher and sold exclusively as NFTs through BlockBar.com, via Ethereum cryptocurrency or old-fashioned credit card (the NFTs can be gifted, sold or “burned” in exchange for the physical bottle any time after Oct. 15, 2022; in the meantime they are being stored in a temperature-controlled facility in Singapore). The label art was created using A.I. technology converting Usher’s spoken description of the Cognac into a visual representation.
"I'm an artist at my core, so transforming an abstract sensory experience like taste into something visual really spoke to my creative process," Usher said in a statement. "I leaned into the exemplary Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal that flowed through me and am so impressed by the visuals that came out of the A.I. process—they truly represent the medley of tasting notes captured in the flavor. It's rewarding to see those words translate to real-world artwork that my fans can engage with while bringing taste front-and-center."
The remaining 25 bottles are being presented to Usher himself, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the release of his breakthrough 1997 My Way album, which has now been certified platinum six times over.
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