![]() ![]() Discovered using Shazam, the music discovery app. ![]() Most noteworthy is that his kids are nowhere to be found in his music. Listen to Papers by Usher, 187,038 Shazams, featuring on 2010s Hits Essentials, and Pure Throwback Apple Music playlists. The one thing that does bother me about this album is that it is safe in that it does not really get into the personal issues Usher has endured over the last few years. I too had my reservations initially as many would know, but I now like the album because I get the process and more importantly, the context. For artists in this day and age, you have to remain relevant, unique and brilliant whilst attempting to retain your identity, not alienate your existing audience and strategically place your brand in spaces which ensure its longevity. We should also realize the role that A&R directors play – artist and repertoire is what becomes the final product we ultimately consume. I do think that we should not discount the business of music and the role the record company plays in influencing the final product. As we have discussed countless times, i do share your sentiments, especially the point you make about Usher having his place in the industry. He didn’t seem to stretch himself at all and, while it is catchy, it feels like an extension of his work on Boom! Boom! Pow! I was a bit disappointed with Will.I.Am’s OMG. ![]() The production on Lil Freak is absolute fire. Producers include the legendary Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and all seemed to bring their A-game when putting their minds to their work. The one overriding characteristic of this album is the level of production, which outshines Usher in a couple of instances. Songs like There Goes My Baby, Mars vs Venus, Pro Lover, Foolin’ Around and Papers are very well written and produced, with Usher seeming to put all of his talent and charisma into each song. There were tracks that I felt very ambiguous about, including OMG, She Don’t Know (featuring Ludacris), Guilty (featuring T.I.) and Lil Freak (featuring Nicki Manj) and there were songs that I immediately took too. Now he’s released Raymond v Raymond and, after all the listening and reflection, the only thing I was sure of when I started listening to it was that I wasn’t sure of how I felt about the album. I heard the Love In This Club track and, while it was catchy, it did not do much for me so I never took the time to listen to the whole album. The Here I Stand album in 2008 just passed me by. His music is never going to change the world or evoke the kind of emotion that icons like Michael Jackson have, but it has its place and I have been a fan from Usher (1994)and My Way (1997) through to 8701 (2001) and Confessions (2004). This is an artist who was able to carve a space in the world of R&B and stay relevant for over a decade. I still remember being fascinated by how a teenager could sing wonderful songs with feeling and emotion, yet still retain his youthfulness. I’ve gone back and listened to the Usher of old, submerging myself in what I consider classic Usher, songs like Nice & Slow, You Make Me Wanna, U Remind Me, Confessions Pt II and U Got It Bad. I have listened to the new Usher album Raymond v Raymond, countless times, letting it run till the end and then starting it all over again. Well we all know that Usher has referred to his relationships in the past in his music and I heard Papers from at least September last year so it must have been recorded beforehand and Usher tends to write his music from his personal experience so why would a happily married man be writing a song about getting a divorce.I’ve been working on this post for about two weeks now. “Consider me naive, but I didn’t think that people would think, because I was not divorced when I came up with the name.” We are our own worst enemy, and we are our greatest supporter at the same time,” he says. Raymond means Usher versus his ex-wife, but it is a personal evaluation. I saw this quote on Concrete Loop where he states I had to laugh when I read that Usher didn’t think that people would think that the title of his new album was referring to his relationship with his ex Tameka. ![]() I love OMG, Lil Freak, shoot I love the majority of the tracks on Raymond vs. It’s even in my interview in Company Magazine. Ok, so I predicted that Usher would be back with a vengeance in 2010 why back when. ![]()
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