Album- Looking 4 Myself
Artist- Usher
Usher can safely be described as one of the Kings of the RnB
scene, creating powerful music that has captured a generation and which is
epitomised by his diamond certified album Confessions, a rare feat in the
musical world. With this seventh studio album he aimed to continue his
domination of the music world, but this time presented a more experimental
sound to try and push the boundaries and draw on a world of styles. Yet does
the album live up to its revolutionary wishes? And does it actually sound strong,
or should Usher have stuck with a more RnB heavy sound that made him the
well-known artist he is today.?
Track 1- Can’t Stop
Won’t Stop
Produced by will.i.am, the opening track is a an aggressive
club stomper that finds Usher singing of to this girl and telling her about how
great and sexy she is and how they can’t stop and he won’t stop, alluding very
much to sexual behaviour. The track is centred around a synth heavy hook and is
strong in terms of the production as the euro dance beats make for a cool pop
sound that is upbeat but not aggressively dance driven, allowing for the
sensuality of the track to come through.
The production is also strong in terms of the incorporation of dubstep,
which gives the back beat a gritty feel and makes for a catchy sound. Vocally
Usher is strong, with his lilting RnB tone showing a sensual persona, and the
singer uses some nice ad libs at the songs closing section. However the vocals
are annoying when Auto Tune is used, as the use of this device just sounds like
it is trying to replace the gap of an actual transition between each part of
the song, and also suggests that he isn’t a good vocalist, which is untrue. The
sound of the record is also marred by the lyrical content as it is too
stereotypical of these I love this girl in this sexy way kind of a track, using
clichés that Usher and many of his contemporaries have used before.
Furthermore, the overall composition of the track sounds similar to a previous
track of his, the 2010 hit “OMG”, which coincidentally featured was also
produced by and featured will.i.am, and so the opener suggests the artist has
no originality.
2.5/5
Track 2- Scream
Usher up’s the dance floor levels from the previous track
with this grander, faster and all-round powerful up tempo number that was
produced by Max Martin, another previous Usher collaborator. The tracks lyrics
are heavily sexualised, with Usher singing of seeing a girl in a club and
telling her that if they go home together they can make powerful and sweet love
together. It’s heavily sexual lyrics could be off putting, however Usher brings
a suave quality to the track within his vocal performance, and so you more get
captured by his sensual persona and forceful vocals, with the hook heavy chorus
having a particularly catchy quality. Production wise the track is strong, with
Martin placing Usher’s vocals on a bed of heavy bass, featuring a four on the
floor instrumental and a strong use of synthesisers that are current trends of
the pop scene and make for a catchy sound. The only real issue I have with this
track is that it once again feels similar to previous Usher work, in this case
another Max Martin track released in 2010 called “DJ Got Us Falling In Love”,
and although this is more up tempo and has a fast paced velocity, it is still
similar and so like the previous track signals Usher has no more tricks up his
sleeve.
3.5/5
Track 3- Climax
Finally Usher produces some music that sounds totally fresh
and diverges from his up tempo state of mind for a more slowed down jam that is
a little more lyrically potent. The theme that permeates the song is that the
track is a break up lament where we find Usher singing about a relationship in
a state of tension, with the song’s title emphasising that they are now at a
turning point. The song is cool slice of electronic based music that is
powerfully driven by the chorus and features a very strong vocal from Usher,
with the slow lyrical stresses of the track sounding subtly sensual and heart
touching and delicate at the same time. The track also features Usher vocally
using his falsetto to great effect, both emphasising the message of the track
and matching the Diplo produced beats perfectly to make a track that will
appeal on different levels. The production is also really strong, as Diplo creates
a steady synth based rhythm and a haunting riff, and combines this with potent
string arrangements, subtle electronic ticks and a sparse drum machine, all
coming together to create a cool, almost soulful groove that has the potential
to go all crazy and dubstep up tempo at moments but they goes back down to this
subdued state, sounding intriguing and impressive. It is simple to see why Ushe
picked this as the lead single: it may not capture you straight away, but you
can’t deny the power of the musical composition and the evolution of Usher,
with the track also kind of providing a relief from all the other music in the
charts at the moment.
4/5
Track 4- I Care For U
The fourth track is a mid tempo number that features the
most prominent RnB flavouring of the record so far. The lyrical message of the
track is summed up within the title of the song, as throughout Usher simply
tells his girl how she is awesome and how he feels for her, with the title
forming the hook of the song. The chorus is strong and sensually driven but the
lyrical content seems a bit lazy, with the hook being too repetitive and at
some point getting to the stage where you just want to tell Usher that we
understand. Vocally however Usher is really strong on the track, with the RnB tone
suiting his voice perfectly and making the slow way in which he sings the track
sound extremely believable. The vocal distortion at the end of the chorus is
also strong and catchy rather than annoying, showing how this type of vocal
production can really work. However, whilst the vocal production works, the
production as a whole is both a hit and miss. The song infuses 90’s RnB and hip
hop with a dubstep heavy bass. Although we can commend Usher for pushing his
music, the dubstep influence in the track takes a bit too long to grow into,
and although it is a strong sound by the end, it perhaps would have been a
better track if Usher had kept things a little bit simpler.
3.5/5
Track 5- Show Me
The sound of this track feels a little bit more laid back
than the previous number and the song has a kind of chilled, almost summer vibe
in my opinion. A mid tempo number, the song is all about Usher just having fun
with his girl as he tells her to just relax and show him what she can. The song
is another number that has a heavy sexual vibe and so fits perfectly into
Usher’s already fleshed out sensual persona. The production is cool with nice
house synth claps that are also helped by a bubbly techno rhythm. And vocally
the singer is once again strong, keeping a light tone and sensual groove.
3.5/5
Track 6- Lemme See
(featuring Rick Ross)
Ushers sex appeal that has characterised who he is comes out
very strongly in this mid tempo RnB number that finds the singer sensually
employing his falsetto for a chilled out but forceful number that features a
strong incorporation of heavy synthesisers. The song lyrically finds the singer
in familiar territory as he sings of wondering what he is going to do to a
certain female club goer when he gets her home. It’s familiar territory but the
production gives it an updated feel in terms of the sultry synth tones, and the
Rick Ross rap feature gives the song some urban swag that also nicely contrasts
with the slow, sensual vocals of Usher. And sometimes, songs like this act as
the perfect example of how if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
3.5/5
Track 7- Twisted
(featuring Pharrell)
Produced by and featuring rapper-producer Pharrell, the
seventh track is a stomping number that has a prominent retro 60’s feel.
Described by Usher as nostalgic and his attempt to modernize it, the song finds
Usher lyrically speaking of this girl who has got this relationship twisted and
has made him look like a fool, but who he finds so appealing. The song works
really well lyrically in terms of the punchy quality of the chorus that offsets
the softness of the verses nicely. This is also one of the songs strengths in
terms of the vocals, with Usher really showing the power of his vocal register
by dipping from lower to higher tones. The percussion led production keeps
things simple and old school, and Usher provides a cool rap feature in that it
is a short but sweet moment of fast paced rhymes that highlight the depth this
girl has touched her man. The song ends with some cool swag from Usher as he
speaks, and the only real issue with the track is that the sound is one that
has dominated in today’s music market, particularly by Bruno Mars and Cee-lo
Green, and so although he pulls the track off, you can get the sense that this
doesn’t necessarily suit Usher as well as other sounds.
3.5/5
Track 8- Dive
Things are slowed down a little more for this RnB ballad
that contains elements of pop, and features the singing powerfully employing
his falsetto. The track is lyrically cool in terms of its triple entendre
ideology, as Usher metaphorically compares going into a committed relationship
as to diving into water, whilst a sexual edge can be exhibited within certain
lines. If another person had sang the lyrics they might come across quite
disgusting in a way, but with his rick falsetto and charismatic tone Usher can
easily win us over, and the song showcases how he has a great vocal range. The
production is also really strong, having a sultry feel that will capture you
and sounds both familiar Usher but also a progression in sound.
3.5/5
Track 9- What
Happened to U
The down tempo state of the record continues with this
simple track in which Usher mainly sings in a falsetto. Normally for male
singers this would be a really bad thing, but for Usher this is great as he has
one of the best falsetto’s in the music industry today in terms of male
singers, and so the vocal never becomes annoying and so sounds really good.
Indeed the pre chorus sections are almost annoying in their speak sing style
that is deeper in tone. The tracks lyrical quality is very simple as Usher
sings of having this great life but missing this girl and asking what happened
to this girl and their relationship. Melding the vocal together with a simple
electronic back beat and understated tone of production, this is an extremely
chilled out affair that offers a nice range to the record.
3.5/5
Track 10- Looking 4 Myself
(featuring Luke Steele)
Featuring Empire of the Sun member Luke Steele, the records
title track is a definite pace changer of the record as the tempo changes, and
so does the sound. The RnB Usher is almost thrown out of the window as the song
finds the singer fitting into a new wave and soft rock sound that feels very
much like an Empire of the Sun sound. Yet whilst the track is different, the
soft and rich quality of his vocals meshes well with the simple and slightly
laidback production with the steady and light drum beats, and he still brings
out his unique persona in the nice employment of ad libs. The track is
lyrically all about Usher being on this search for who he is, powerfully driven
by the hook and inspired by the singer’s musical journey and his travelling.
The bridge doesn’t quite work but the message of the track is strong, and if
you weren’t a fan of the RnB Usher, then this might just be a great song for
you.
3.5/5
Track 11- Numb
Co-produced and co-written by the great dance pop maestros
that are Swedish house pop mestros, the transition of sound of the singer and
evolution of him as an artist comes out again in this inspirational up tempo
number that lyrically is rooted in the idea of finding one’s destiny, and just
becoming numb to the negativity, instead just following your dreams. The track
is vocally perhaps one of the weakest moments for Usher, as although he employs
his falsetto powerfully and the ad libs are good in the final section, as a
whole the track lacks a little bit of the spark and personality that comes out
prominently in some of his other tracks. However the dance pop and Euro disco
driven production of the song is very good, with the glimmering synths
providing a euphoric tone that makes the hook of the song that little bit
stronger and draws a nice line between just be chilled and get up and dance.
3.5/5
Track 12- Lessons for
the Lover
A collaboration with long time musical collaborator Rico
Love, the records 12th track is probably the one that is most
reminiscent of the past Usher, even though it features strong electronic
production. The slow tempo of the track brings out the sensuality of the
singers vocals once again, and the lyrical message of Usher giving us a lesson
in love is kind of familiar territory. The tracks production is heavy and cool
with a nice sensual edge in the use of electronica, but as a whole this is just
too familiar territory for the singer, and the track is also dragged out a
little too much.
2.5/5
Track 13- Sins of My
Father
The last track may have been familiar territory for this
track, but this song pushes him more as artist with its darker tone and
completely different sound. Lyrically the track finds Usher playing the role of
a man who is a tortured soul, and who is an a volatile relationship and who
believes this is because of karma from his father. The production consists of a
powerful combination of bass, drums, guitar, keyboard, horns and strings for a
soulful sound that is also slightly reggae tinged and which powerfully builds with
each moment. The sound is a nice change of pace and is backed by a strong vocal
performance that is rich in terms of the transitions from the verses to the
chorus.
3.5/5
Track 14- Euphoria
The final track and the second collaboration with Swedish
House Mafia is a another dance pop number with elements of Euro trance that
would fit perfectly into an Ibiza club setting. The track is lyrically very
simple as Usher sings of being in this state of Euphoria, with his vocals
bouncing along on a bed of shimmering synths and a nice up tempo groove.
However, whilst the singer vocally sounds good within the track, overall this
is too simple a number, and the singer also sounds a little bit uncomfortable
in this state.
3/5
Final Review
Usher is definitely one of the best artists of the noughties
generation because he never does things by halves and always aims to really
push himself. The sound of the record really works in showing a musical
evolution of the artist, featuring a cool melding of genres and a powerful sign
of how Usher has really grown into his voice and is one of today’s strongest
male vocals. The lyrical content can feel a bit too familiar, and certain
tracks don’t work as well as others, but as a whole this is a solid album that
shows Usher is more than a one trick pony, and it makes me sad that this album
hasn’t had the same success as his previous work.
8/10
Best Track- Climax
Worst Track- Lessons
for the Lover
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