Rating:
Genre:
R&B
Release Date: 05/27/2008
After the release of 2004's
Confessions, an album that transformed
Usher from an R&B star into a pop superstar, the singer became a husband and father. That grants
Here I Stand more lyrical depth than the four previous
Usher albums, but we're not talking fathoms. There's a two-minute lullaby for his son, and the noticeably increased talk of settling down and turning in his player card ("My search ends here," "This time love won't let me leave") now holds more weight since he has actually done it through the eyes of the law; he certainly never would have thought to use "Your mama and my mama want some grandbabies tonight" at any earlier point in his life. More seriously, and less noxiously, the changes in his life are most evident throughout
"Before I Met You," a song that is more direct, sincere, and ultimately believable than
"Confessions, Pt. 2.": "You got my life together and I thank you forever." Otherwise,
Here I Stand is almost exactly the kind of release you'd expect a 29-year-old
Usher to deliver in 2008, and while it is seriously doubtful the album will move more copies than the nearly diamond platinum
Confessions, there is plenty to like about it. Beyond some tepid material that can only be expected with a 74-minute album, its biggest weakness is in what it does not contain, like the leaked
"Play Me" and the briefly charting
"Dat Girl Right There," both of which would have been major highlights. Perhaps these songs would have tipped the scale too far in favor of
Usher's wild bachelor past, covered effectively enough through
"Love in This Club" (present in its bleary original and sugary sequel forms), the thoroughly synth-lasered
"What's Your Name" (the closest in make-up to
"Yeah!," if not nearly as revelrous), and the dramatic whirlwind
"Appetite" (a
Danja-produced
Clutch collaboration, the best narrative
R. Kelly did not write). Out of the small handful of brow-raising moments,
"Trading Places" takes the cake. Put together with
Tricky Stewart and
the-Dream, it's nearly surreal, with
Usher putting equal fervor into several visions of role reversals, whether they are romantic ("You get on top/Tonight I'm on the bottom") or menial ("Wash the car/I'm gonna walk the dog"). Questionable omissions and a little oddness aside, the album leaves no doubt that the R&B male crown (30 and under division) should not change hands.
~Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
Average Review:
Number of reviews: 4
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K71393
from Saint Louis, MO
More of a Jazz Feel
I love this cd. i honestly don't think it's better than Cofessions though. Love in this club remix is a lot better than the original. just listen to hear the experience.
JLP
from Jackson,MS
Impressive
Usher really put in work on this album. I travel alot and this album is one that you can put in and let play.
Jrod
from Baltimore, MD
Solid Album
I have only heard three tracks from his new album but they are all very nice and well written. Usher proves that he can maintain his style without switching up like a lot of artist do that have been out for a while. He is a staple in the music business.
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