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.
I grew up listening to Usher.... and there have been a lot of hits, but then a whole lotta misses as well with this dude... who for me, resembles a Ninja turtle and its hard to take him seriously as a sex symbol. "Here I Stand," is one of the best R&B albums of today. Rarely can a 17 track cd be good to listen through, but honestly folks, its really fucking good. I am also surprised that it d...
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I heard two amazing new songs on the radio.. from two artists that I had assumed totally fell off... Usher and Deborah Cox.Lets keep it real. Deborah Cox hasnt made anything tight in seven years and has gone down the path of putting dance beats behind all her music and doing Gay Pride Parades and events in Europe..But I aint hatin' go get that loot girl.. "give me the loot give me the loot.. Im...
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Usher - Here I Stand(Laface/Zomba, 2008)3 out of 10The most significant chunk of consecutive music I'm currently capable of enjoying on the new Usher album is the last 51 seconds of a song called "Appetite," produced by hitmaking Timbaland protege Danja. Regarding this part of the song, Usher:- is singing over a sparse electro backdrop with a arpeggiated synth chord progression I find pleasing-...
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That's the piano breakdown from Eric Clapton's Layla , right?MP3: Usher - Love In This Club (MSTRKRFT Remix) (Myspace Rip) (Removed - See Below) This remix will be removed after 75 downloads. ~~
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This is not to be confused with the video of the kid on YouTube re-creating this beat in 20 seconds (take that Palow). This is the high budget version featuring Young Jeezy.I love the song, but the vid is ultimately forgettable.
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Usher just announced that his new "intimate" concerts will be LADIES ONLY!! Can you imagine? 15 concerts with only ONE man in the house: Usher. Damn, he's good. Personally, I wouldn't go to an Usher concert, but I thought he was charming in "In The Mix." The singer will be promoting and performing songs from his new album, Here I Stand.Is this what Usher hopes for?: The tune is my fave ver...
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Usher - Here I Stand(Laface/Zomba, 2008)3 out of 10The most significant chunk of consecutive music I'm currently capable of enjoying on the new Usher album is the last 51 seconds of a song called "Appetite," produced by hitmaking Timbaland protege Danja. Regarding this part of the song, Usher:- is singing over a sparse electro backdrop with a arpeggiated synth chord progression I find pleasing-...
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When I see a post that consists of little else than "Click This, Hurry!" I usually just move on. It's rare that I get a laugh out of whatever was so epic the author couldn't bear to describe it. But something told me this time was different, and Boy Am I Glad I Clicked! Remember the Chuck E. Cheese house band? Ever wonder what it would look like singing the latest hip-hop and RnB hits? How...
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my friend and bandmate posted this on my facebook today, and its an utter joy. my favourite part belongs to the "hyp-man" with his chant of "hey" within the chorus, although the ventriloquist (sic?) part is pretty damn ace too. enjoy!
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I heard two amazing new songs on the radio.. from two artists that I had assumed totally fell off... Usher and Deborah Cox.Lets keep it real. Deborah Cox hasnt made anything tight in seven years and has gone down the path of putting dance beats behind all her music and doing Gay Pride Parades and events in Europe..But I aint hatin' go get that loot girl.. "give me the loot give me the loot.. Im...
More >
I grew up listening to Usher.... and there have been a lot of hits, but then a whole lotta misses as well with this dude... who for me, resembles a Ninja turtle and its hard to take him seriously as a sex symbol. "Here I Stand," is one of the best R&B albums of today. Rarely can a 17 track cd be good to listen through, but honestly folks, its really fucking good. I am also surprised that it d...
More >
I tried to keep an open mind.... but I just can't bring myself to like this song. The original version of "Love In This Club" was catchy and fun, but this remix contains none of the previous qualities. The way Lil Wayne is thrown on the end seems really out of place.
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Some random kid on YouTube posted a video detailing how Usher's new song was made by default/preset sounds in Apple's "Garage Band" music program. The bulk of the track was recreated in about 20 seconds.. check it out below."Love In This Club" was produced by Palow Da Don, and reached #1 two weeks ago before being dethroned by Mariah Carey. Who knows how much Palow charged Usher for this...and ...
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Awww, just a few years ago Jay-Z was rapping about "Big Pimpin", and Usher was confessing to cheating on his girlfriend in a title track. Now the two men have a duet about settling down in marriage. Maybe this could be seen as a sign of progress for urban music.Maybe in 5 years there will be songs ab...
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Millions of viewers watched Usher seamlessly weave through dance steps last night on the season finale of 'Dancing With The Stars', but that taped & edited performance didn't tell the whole story. According to *"People.com":http://tvwatch.people.com/2008/05/20/usher-puts-on-rocky-dancing-performance/*, Usher arrived late and threw the entire production behind schedule. Then the singer had diffi...
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Usher does "Love in the Club" for the kids....GorillavsBear.net is the culprit
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Intro |
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| 2 Love in This Club |
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| 3 This Ain't Sex |
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| 4 Trading Places |
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| 5 Moving Mountains |
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| 6 What's Your Name |
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| 7 Prayer for You (Interlude) |
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| 8 Something Special |
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| 9 Love You Gently |
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| 10 Best Thing |
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| 11 Before I Met You |
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| 12 His Mistakes |
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| 13 Appetite |
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| 14 What's a Man to Do |
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| 15 Lifetime |
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| 16 Love in This Club, Pt. 2 |
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| 17 Here I Stand |
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Click to purchase…
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 "Here I Stand")
