Usher Discussion

[Caviar]

Of course. Ever since him and CB flopped with their "pop" albums they're back to R&B. They should have never catered to them anyway. Nevertheless this is good news.

[think pink.]

Yes, great news. I still fear that he will try to slip in some pop songs though .

[darko95]

URBAN

[allow that]

Apr 9, 2013 10:27:06 GMT -5 Jazzy said:

Eric Bellinger said the album is "more R&B; more urban".

My first thought is "good news" like many of you, but then I realize just want "good Usher." If his 'urban' sound is going to be the redundant material found on his two post-Confessions albums, then no thanks. If it means progressively urban like "Climax" then nothing would be better. But... working with JD again for instance? Maybe Mariah called Usher and convinced him it's 2004/2005 again. They seem to the only two banking on him for hits.

[mikeshere]

The same could be said for Timbo, But Justin and Beyonce and im sure JayZ, tapped him for the first singles. and hell whole albums. So I think JD could actually end up being a good contribution to both Mariah and Ushers albums. Ya never know!

[Jazzy]

I liked his two post-Confessions albums more than his most recent album, so I don't have an issue with that at all.

[Deleted]

The difference between Mariah and Usher is, Mariah keeps giving Jermaine singles, but he hasn't produced a single for Usher since "Confessions" (though he's done a few album tracks since then). So I'm not too worried about it, seems either Usher's label or Usher himself knows how to throw an old friend a bone without giving him too much when it wouldn't work. At worst we'll get a couple of album tracks that aren't anyone's favorite and at best JD surprises the hell out of us.

I agree with still for talent, I just want a good album. I did really love most of HIS so I think we differ on that, but I'm not expecting any return to that or RvR. If the songs aren't strong then it doesn't matter what genre they are. Not to mention, urban can mean so many things...just within Usher's discography alone it could mean "Lemme See"/"Lil' Freak"/"Go Missin'," or it could mean "Climax," or it could mean TGMB/HIS (title track), or it could mean "Yeah!"/OMG, or it could mean "Throwback." Hell, it could mean "Think of You" or My Way. When people say they want r&b Usher back I always wonder if they're being specific or if they'd be content with any r&b from Usher. (note: not being accusatory or anything there, just genuinely curious, b/c most people never really clarify when they say it.) I'm not all that picky. He has a good track record. Though honestly, I kinda wish Diplo was producing the whole thing....that just seems like it would be a really adventurous and cool record.

[allow that]

Apr 10, 2013 10:54:06 GMT -5 @cynthiarose said:

Though honestly, I kinda wish Diplo was producing the whole thing....that just seems like it would be a really adventurous and cool record.

Yes. And cohesive as well. So many magnum opus albums reflect the vision of a sole collaborator rather than patchwork.

[T.B.F.]

I'm hot and cold with Diplo, to be honest. I still haven't really forgiven him for the f**kery between him and my girl M.I.A. However, "Climax", once it grew on me, became a standout in Urrrsher's catalog so I will take more of the same. For the record, RvR remains my favorite Usher album. To this day, I still can't believe how much attention Confessions gets. I mean, I know it had some of his best loved singles but it was also so filler-filled. RvR, and to a lesser extent, Looking 4 Myself, are the only albums of Usher's that I can just let play.

[Deleted]

Somewhat unrelated, but the bridge to "She Don't Know" is still perfection. That song's structure was so odd, literally the only verse is the guest rap. But that is one reason why I liked it so much, once I got used to it.

[Rican@]

I was listening to him all day at work today after catching his "Behind the Music" episode yesterday. I have to say "Here I Stand" is still my favorite album from him but he has plenty of high quality singles post -"Confessions". A mix of "There Goes My Baby" and "Climax" would be great. My favorite singles era has to between "Raymond vs. Raymond", "80701" and "My Way". "Little Freak" is still hot and should've been a bigger hit. I still hate "Papers" though, corny as hell.

[hidizzyguy]

Apr 10, 2013 11:57:34 GMT -5 T.B.F. said:

I'm hot and cold with Diplo, to be honest. I still haven't really forgiven him for the f**kery between him and my girl M.I.A. However, "Climax", once it grew on me, became a standout in Urrrsher's catalog so I will take more of the same. For the record, RvR remains my favorite Usher album. To this day, I still can't believe how much attention Confessions gets. I mean, I know it had some of his best loved singles but it was also so filler-filled. RvR, and to a lesser extent, Looking 4 Myself, are the only albums of Usher's that I can just let play.

Agree with all this. RvR is probably my favorite Usher album.

Urban Usher is where it's at for me. I don't mind a few trendy pop songs here and there, though.

[Live Your Life]

Usher in New York:

[circadian]

Well, I'm glad he finally got over those red shoes.

[Resident_Evil]

I was listening to "Say the Words" today and I must say it is an amazing song; still sounds great after 1 year and countless plays. I hope the new album has more songs like that.

[Jazzy]

Apr 13, 2013 13:12:08 GMT -5 Resident_Evil said:

I was listening to "Say the Words" today and I must say it is an amazing song; still sounds great after 1 year and countless plays. I hope the new album has more songs like that.

I loved "Say The Words" until Cynthia or someone here pointed out that he burps on the song.

[Resident_Evil]

Apr 13, 2013 14:14:48 GMT -5 Jazzy said:

Apr 13, 2013 13:12:08 GMT -5 Resident_Evil said:

I was listening to "Say the Words" today and I must say it is an amazing song; still sounds great after 1 year and countless plays. I hope the new album has more songs like that.

I loved "Say The Words" until Cynthia or someone here pointed out that he burps on the song.

LOL. No he doesn't. I remember people saying that he burps when in fact he is only saying "but" in a deep throaty voice.

[allow that]

Switching gears a bit, who else caught this moment on The Voice a few weeks back?





I guess passing US Geography 101 isn't a prerequisite for superstardom.

[Deleted]

Apr 13, 2013 14:14:48 GMT -5 Jazzy said:

Apr 13, 2013 13:12:08 GMT -5 Resident_Evil said:

I was listening to "Say the Words" today and I must say it is an amazing song; still sounds great after 1 year and countless plays. I hope the new album has more songs like that.

I loved "Say The Words" until Cynthia or someone here pointed out that he burps on the song.

that was b-boy, i think, and i commented that once he pointed it out i couldn't unhear it (and still can't). i know he's not really burping so it hasn't ruined the song for me, but it's still hilarious.

[think pink.]

Apr 13, 2013 14:41:28 GMT -5 allow that said:

Switching gears a bit, who else caught this moment on The Voice a few weeks back?





I guess passing US Geography 101 isn't a prerequisite for superstardom.

Lol I loved this.

Usher's smile is deadly. It can let him get away with anything.

[#LisaRinna]

Apr 13, 2013 19:34:50 GMT -5 @cynthiarose said:

Apr 13, 2013 14:14:48 GMT -5 Jazzy said:

I loved "Say The Words" until Cynthia or someone here pointed out that he burps on the song.

that was b-boy, i think, and i commented that once he pointed it out i couldn't unhear it (and still can't). i know he's not really burping so it hasn't ruined the song for me, but it's still hilarious.

We should start a thread about artists burping in their songs. I already have 2 other titles lol

[Ling-Ling]

I don't think Usher's dwindling sales are about him abandoning his Urban audience. He delivered Urban hits to his core fanbase. I think it has more to do with his pop material being so f**king generic. That andt he just isn't the superstar he used to be. Hopefully The Voice will help in getting his old buzz back.

L4M was by far his most consistent album IMO. If it didn't sell, oh well. I want quality music and he delivered last time for the most part. I can't wait for him to release a straight R&B album this next go round and it sell just as sh*tty as this last one. So tired of the whining about him abandoning Urban when he never did, Urban and R&B albums aren't selling well at all. He needs quality crossover records to do that and his latest pop singles are yawn inducing. Whichever direction he goes in, I just want a solid album, if he only pushes gold, I'm fine with that.

[allow that]

Apr 14, 2013 10:32:46 GMT -5 Ling-Ling said:

I don't think Usher's dwindling sales are about him abandoning his Urban audience. He delivered Urban hits to his core fanbase. I think it has more to do with his pop material being so f**king generic.

This exactly. His most recent Urban material is among his all time strongest. His Pop material, however, basically made him anonymous at the format. I think if he released something like "Looking 4 Myself" to Pop instead of "Scream" the risk would have paid off and it'd have given him a fresh presence there. If songs like that didn't sell records for any Jason Derulo/Jay Sean/Mike Posner type, not to mention Chris Brown or Ne-Yo, why would a superstar want to step into that mold anyway?

[Sure Thing]

Apr 14, 2013 10:42:30 GMT -5 allow that said:

Apr 14, 2013 10:32:46 GMT -5 Ling-Ling said:

I don't think Usher's dwindling sales are about him abandoning his Urban audience. He delivered Urban hits to his core fanbase. I think it has more to do with his pop material being so f**king generic.

This exactly. His most recent Urban material is among his all time strongest. His Pop material, however, basically made him anonymous at the format. I think if he released something like "Looking 4 Myself" to Pop instead of "Scream" the risk would have paid off and it'd have given him a fresh presence there. If songs like that didn't sell records for any Jason Derulo/Jay Sean/Mike Posner type, not to mention Chris Brown or Ne-Yo, why would a superstar want to step into that mold anyway?

"Climax", "There Goes My Baby" and "Hey Daddy" are all strong urban efforts. But I'd take Usher's 8701 and Confessions Urban music over the inconsistent version of him today.

However, Usher today still beats the crap out of all the other contemporary R&B male acts out there.

[Sir B.]

Apr 13, 2013 14:41:28 GMT -5 allow that said:

Switching gears a bit, who else caught this moment on The Voice a few weeks back?





I guess passing US Geography 101 isn't a prerequisite for superstardom.

The fact that he grew up in Tennessee makes this even more hilarious to me.

[Live Your Life]

Grammy-winning singer Usher believes his dancing skills will help him in his upcoming role as Sugar Ray Leonard in "Hands of Stone," a new boxing film about the great brawler Roberto Duran.

Usher said he has been preparing to play Leonard — a fighter with fast hands, smooth feet and a wide smile — for more than a year and still needs to lose nearly 25 pounds before shooting begins in October.

The movie is based on Duran, a world champion in four weight divisions over a career that spanned five decades. Duran, whose nickname was "Hands of Stone," rose from the slums of Panama to defeat an unbeaten Leonard in 1980 and claim the WBC welterweight title, only to lose the rematch several months later in the infamous "no mas" fight.

Usher said he was honored to play Leonard in the film.

"You couldn't find a more stylized boxer than Sugar Ray Leonard," Usher said by telephone. "He was an incredible motion guy, the way he moved around the ring, and I think my dancing will make it easier for me to pick up his moves. I've been working on familiarizing myself with the ring, sparring and just understanding how to move in the ring."

The role will mean dropping some weight. Usher said he's currently about 172 pounds but will need to get down to about 150.

The cast also includes Robert De Niro as Duran's Hall of Fame trainer, Ray Arcel. Edgar Ramirez, who was recently in "Zero Dark Thirty," will play Duran.

The biopic, written and directed by Jonathan Jakubowicz, is a love story and sports drama that includes the "Brawl in Montreal," the first fight between Duran and Leonard and the "no mas" fight, which took place in New Orleans. In the eighth round of that fight, Duran inexplicably quit, saying in Spanish "no mas," which means "no more." They fought one more time, and Leonard won again.

Usher said the rivalry between Leonard and Duran was one of the most exciting and unforgettable in sports.

"It's an incredible story to be told," he said. "The metaphor of determination and struggle is one we can all relate to."

Usher said he has had long conversations with Leonard and will meet him in person in coming weeks.

"He had such incredible discipline, and he was flashy and classy at the same time," said Usher, who's been studying videos from Leonard's boxing days. "I want to be as passionate and dedicated in preparing for this role as he was every time he stepped into the ring."

Usher is an eight-time Grammy-winner with more than 50 million records sold worldwide. He serves as a celebrity mentor on the reality TV show "The Voice." He made his Broadway debut in 2006 in "Chicago" as lawyer Billy Flynn and recently appeared in the off-Broadway play "Feurza Bruta."

This will be his first leading role in a feature film.

"I'm up for the challenge, and I'm looking forward to it," he said. "I think my overall feeling is one of anticipation. It seems like this is a real passion project. It's a film that everybody is so invested in, and I have the good fortune of having the character I'm playing still around."

Usher said he was thrilled to collaborate with De Niro, who will play Arcel, the first trainer to be elected to Hall of Fame. Arcel handled more than 2,000 fighters during his 70-year career.

It will be De Niro's third boxing film. He played Jake LaMotta in "Raging Bull" and stars in "Grudge Match" opposite Sylvester Stallone. That film, an action-comedy, is about two aging boxers and is due for release in early 2014.

"Hands of Stone" will be shot entirely in Panama.

[B-Boy]

I'm looking forward to this project. I hope he makes another song like "Say The Words" and "Looking 4 Myself". Those songs were in heavy rotation.

[Live Your Life]

The Voice ‏@nbcthevoice
Monday at 8/7c Coach @usher will take the stage to perform his newest single "Twisted"! #TheVoice #TeamUsher

They're a good 8 months late....

[josh]

what in the f**k kind of handling is this

[B-Boy]

I thought this era was over. I guess "Twisted" could work as a single. It has a couple of advantages, Pharrell's feature and the throwback sound.