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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2015 9:47:50 GMT -5
"Good Kisser" is still the only song I like from this album (or what was planned for this album) so far.
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allow that
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Post by allow that on Feb 7, 2015 17:13:14 GMT -5
I still think "Good Kisser" is the weakest lead single of his entire career. I had no interest in even downloading it until two remixes helped it along for me (Disclosure and that En Vogue one). For someone who's as big an Usher fan as I am, that's saying a lot.
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Ivy Leegue™
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Post by Ivy Leegue™ on Feb 7, 2015 17:17:09 GMT -5
Now, his idea of keeping himself relevant is reminding people that he used to be on the Bold & Beautiful as a character named...Raymond, who was an R&B star. For whatever reason, they are showing promos with him in it, with clips from, like, 10 years ago when he guest starred on the show, and the show is actually showing the clips as well.
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Post by asfoster87 on Feb 7, 2015 17:50:42 GMT -5
I remember watching those lol They first aired back in 98/99
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Rican@
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Post by Rican@ on Feb 7, 2015 19:14:05 GMT -5
I still think "Good Kisser" is the weakest lead single of his entire career. I had no interest in even downloading it until two remixes helped it along for me (Disclosure and that En Vogue one). For someone who's as big an Usher fan as I am, that's saying a lot. "Papers" takes the cake for that title for me. I thought "Good Kisser" was a great lead single. It felt like Usher while still fresh for today's music scene, which I was content that he kept his sound without chasing for a hit like "Scream". "Good Kisser" was a 2014 version of "U Remind Me", imo. This will be interesting on what the label wants to do with this current single or if we will see an album this year. Will he be back on the Voice?
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think pink.
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Post by think pink. on Feb 7, 2015 19:48:17 GMT -5
He's done with The Voice. After he won he figured there was nothing left to do on the show.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2015 12:25:14 GMT -5
Now, his idea of keeping himself relevant is reminding people that he used to be on the Bold & Beautiful as a character named...Raymond, who was an R&B star. For whatever reason, they are showing promos with him in it, with clips from, like, 10 years ago when he guest starred on the show, and the show is actually showing the clips as well. That there is anyone still watching soap operas to know that this is happening, lmao. But I do remember that. The tail end of an era where appearing on a soap actually meant something.
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think pink.
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Post by think pink. on Feb 8, 2015 14:25:49 GMT -5
Ah, yes I remember that! He had that white girl sprung. I could relate.
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Post by Ivy Leegue™ on Feb 8, 2015 18:38:25 GMT -5
Now, his idea of keeping himself relevant is reminding people that he used to be on the Bold & Beautiful as a character named...Raymond, who was an R&B star. For whatever reason, they are showing promos with him in it, with clips from, like, 10 years ago when he guest starred on the show, and the show is actually showing the clips as well. That there is anyone still watching soap operas to know that this is happening, lmao. But I do remember that. The tail end of an era where appearing on a soap actually meant something. #byeantigonelicia
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Post by It's me, bitch. on Feb 17, 2015 0:34:03 GMT -5
11. USHER - I Don't Mind f/Juicy J: 91.745 (+ 0.078)
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Post by Queen of Insomnia. on Mar 7, 2015 3:56:34 GMT -5
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#LisaRinna
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Post by #LisaRinna on Mar 7, 2015 12:02:19 GMT -5
That was hilarious lol
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Post by Kishi KCM on Mar 8, 2015 9:02:31 GMT -5
That was funny! Those thighs though....I'm hungry!
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allow that
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Post by allow that on Mar 16, 2015 10:47:32 GMT -5
He's featured on Martin Garrix's new single.
I know many of you turn your backs to EDM Usher, but this is a good track. It'll certainly be an international smash for him and personally I'd welcome its release in the US too.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2015 11:52:13 GMT -5
bwahaha I love that he so unabashedly refuses to learn his lesson. Did he not get the memo that featuring on other people's pop songs doesn't give him any more slack? Because people were definitely holding "Without You" against him when they went on about his turn to pop.
Anyway, I do like the song. Personally I would love it if he did a 100% dance album because I think he'd make an excellent one, but that's just me.
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allow that
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Post by allow that on Mar 16, 2015 13:10:27 GMT -5
bwahaha I love that he so unabashedly refuses to learn his lesson. Did he not get the memo that featuring on other people's pop songs doesn't give him any more slack? It's such a bullshit standard that Usher's meant to be sentenced to making only one form of music anyway. He's a superstar; someone in his league is meant to be versatile. Urban fans complained that Usher stopped making Urban music, but he hasn't. His other recent features in the past six months include a party jam (Kid Ink) and authentic R&B (Wale). He's providing what people want from him, but also knows that he's a global star and as such shouldn't have to box himself off. Why should he be expected to be August Alsina?
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Post by SHOOTER on Mar 16, 2015 13:22:49 GMT -5
After hearing IDM for the umpteenth time and realizing my disdain for the record is exactly the same, I also realized this damn album still ain't got a release date and I'm completely over him and this era.
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allow that
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Post by allow that on Mar 16, 2015 13:40:12 GMT -5
After hearing IDM for the umpteenth time and realizing my disdain for the record is exactly the same, I also realized this damn album still ain't got a release date and I'm completely over him and this era. The opposite is true for me. The fact that they aren't releasing his album on the heels of "I Don't Mind" has provided me with a sense of faith and renewed interest.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2015 13:41:37 GMT -5
bwahaha I love that he so unabashedly refuses to learn his lesson. Did he not get the memo that featuring on other people's pop songs doesn't give him any more slack? It's such a bulls**t standard that Usher's meant to be sentenced to making only one form of music anyway. He's a superstar; someone in his league is meant to be versatile. Urban fans complained that Usher stopped making Urban music, but he hasn't. His other recent features in the past six months include a party jam (Kid Ink) and authentic R&B (Wale). He's providing what people want from him, but also knows that he's a global star and as such shouldn't have to box himself off. Why should he be expected to be August Alsina? They're selfish, that's why. And Usher is a better person than I am because I would have thrown up the deuces and put out an album full of pop/crossover smashes without thinking twice about it. If they're going to force him to 'choose' a side (which he really shouldn't be - I agree it's a stupid standard) he should choose the side that's going to make him more money. And well...I'm not any happier about r&b's state of disarray than anyone else, but I also don't see the point or logic in taking that out on someone who has always had fans outside of that. edit: obviously I am also not opposed to an album full of r&b gems either. I just want a good album, period and don't want him to feel limited.
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SHOOTER
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Post by SHOOTER on Mar 16, 2015 13:47:02 GMT -5
After hearing IDM for the umpteenth time and realizing my disdain for the record is exactly the same, I also realized this damn album still ain't got a release date and I'm completely over him and this era. The opposite is true for me. The fact that they aren't releasing his album on the heels of "I Don't Mind" has provided me with a sense of faith and renewed interest. Good Kisser was a very solid R&B record coming from him and they didn't release the album on the heels of it either so I doubt they're waiting to release a high quality record followed by the album either.
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Post by allow that on Mar 16, 2015 13:50:27 GMT -5
It's such a bulls**t standard that Usher's meant to be sentenced to making only one form of music anyway. He's a superstar; someone in his league is meant to be versatile. Urban fans complained that Usher stopped making Urban music, but he hasn't. His other recent features in the past six months include a party jam (Kid Ink) and authentic R&B (Wale). He's providing what people want from him, but also knows that he's a global star and as such shouldn't have to box himself off. Why should he be expected to be August Alsina? They're selfish, that's why. I'm not any happier about r&b's state of disarray than anyone else, but I also don't see the point or logic in taking that out on someone who has always had fans outside of that. The same people lashing out at Usher for being too pop or too dance helped Katy Perry and Disclosure crossover to urban radio last year. The same people complaining that Usher should be getting all of the accolades given to Justin Timberlake instead (and he should!) are the ones attempting to stifle Usher's reach potential. Can't people just be proud that Usher's talented enough to do it all?? Same. I care about "quality Usher" more than "particular genre" Usher. Good Kisser was a very solid R&B record coming from him and they didn't release the album on the heels of it either so I doubt they're waiting to release a high quality record followed by the album either. "Good Kisser" is a bland ass flop that stalled in the 70's on the Hot 100...
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Post by SHOOTER on Mar 16, 2015 17:03:22 GMT -5
"Good Kisser" is a bland ass flop that stalled in the 70's on the Hot 100... and "I Don't Mind" is basic Pop drivel that's almost top-10; to each their own. I want a good Usher album period but I have no expectation of getting one anytime soon. At this rate, it'll probably sound like a disjointed mixtape.
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Post by allow that on Mar 17, 2015 16:39:55 GMT -5
"Good Kisser" is a bland ass flop that stalled in the 70's on the Hot 100... and "I Don't Mind" is basic Pop drivel that's almost top-10; to each their own. Right, which is why the album wasn't released on basic drivel either. Anyway, Usher's album isn't coming out until the fourth quarter apparently.
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Post by pnobelysk on Mar 17, 2015 18:23:33 GMT -5
They're selfish, that's why. I'm not any happier about r&b's state of disarray than anyone else, but I also don't see the point or logic in taking that out on someone who has always had fans outside of that. The same people lashing out at Usher for being too pop or too dance helped Katy Perry and Disclosure crossover to urban radio last year. The same people complaining that Usher should be getting all of the accolades given to Justin Timberlake instead (and he should!) are the ones attempting to stifle Usher's reach potential. Can't people just be proud that Usher's talented enough to do it all?? Same. I care about "quality Usher" more than "particular genre" Usher. Good Kisser was a very solid R&B record coming from him and they didn't release the album on the heels of it either so I doubt they're waiting to release a high quality record followed by the album either. "Good Kisser" is a bland ass flop that stalled in the 70's on the Hot 100... Good kisser peaked at 65 on the hot 100 and I'm pretty sure it spent like 19 or 20 weeks on the chart . There's nothing wrong with that
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2015 21:31:18 GMT -5
FWIW Good Kisser did what it was intended to do, which was hit at urban/UAC/rhythmic (it did do well at rhythmic, right?). A low Hot 100 peak for a non-pop single isn't really a big deal. My guess is that they planned to start with something clearly designed to assure urban that he was 'back'/had never left, then follow up with a multi-format song. Unfortunately SCTGITY just didn't hit; and GK by itself was not enough to make anyone feel reassured of anything. That's not even to mention the stuff he kind of put out there but then kind of didn't (Believe Me, Clueless). And now he's done this song with Martin Garrix so I'm not even sure what the point of above strategy was, anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot urban fans simply refuse to buy his album until it is out and they've had a chance to hear the whole thing and make sure there isn't a lick of pop on it. they don't trust him anymore.
I do think that if you play all the songs he's released so far (not counting the Garrix track) you can hear a very distinct and urban-driven cohesiveness in the minimalist production he was going for, but the campaign was so sloppy that nothing felt tied together.
At first I was meh on a 4th quarter release because I'm impatient, but the more I think about it the more that is really the only correct choice. One, RCA probably has him starting almost from scratch with recording new songs. Two, they will probably stick with two or even three single releases before the album and he'll need more lead time for that. And three, the longer he goes without releasing anything the more he can distance himself from last year's mess and really make this album feel like a 'new' era, rather than a retooling/attempt at salvaging an old one.
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Post by allow that on Mar 17, 2015 22:01:49 GMT -5
FWIW Good Kisser did what it was intended to do, which was hit at urban/UAC/rhythmic (it did do well at rhythmic, right?). A low Hot 100 peak for a non-pop single isn't really a big deal. My guess is that they planned to start with something clearly designed to assure urban that he was 'back'/had never left I agree with the intentions- I just think "Good Kisser" didn't pack enough punch even at Urban. Yes, it performed well enough there, but it hardly felt like an event single or one of the "songs of summer" of the format, which a lead Usher single would usually be good for. And Usher's involvement on the song was the bright idea of RCA execs, apparently. It definitely negates the efforts to keep pop music at a distance, but Usher genuinely loves EDM and it's just a side feature so... I don't know. It's a quality track and his vocals soar over it in such a commanding way that as a fan I can't help but be pleased. He's an international superstar and this is definitely a song that'll extend his career's shelf life in Europe. In the US, it should be a way to keep him current in pop radio's books so when he returns with something more R&B-leaning later this year they'll hopefully embrace him. Urban shouldn't be mad over this- they play pop music by white people all the time lately!!! Plus they have "The Matrimony" currently (which imo is another super strong feature). All songs that hit the target of returning to his urban/R&B roots but fell short in the quality department, sadly. Agree with all of this. The bolded part is soooo true and also what I've now realized is the lack of promo/video for "I Don't Mind."
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Post by wavey. on Mar 17, 2015 22:20:28 GMT -5
One of the two (Ursh or RCA) just needs to get a video rolling, cause everything else is working right now.
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Post by Glove Slap on Mar 19, 2015 14:45:02 GMT -5
The only thing I've really enjoyed from this campaign is the Disclosure remix of Good Kisser, and even that was nowhere near past highs. I agree that it's a shame about how he's expected to box himself into certain styles. It's also weird to say this, but his R&B pretty boy image dates him at this point, seeing as there's no real big male artists with a similar image, which is different from pretty much any other time in Usher's career since he took off. The big male acts today (Trey Songz is nowhere near as big as before, and Chris Brown has a very different image now) pretty much fall under moody, unorthodox, some kind of alt. label woven in there, etc. Usher's picture perfect nice guy charm doesn't fit in with that, it lacks edge. Which makes it even more frustrating that when he was actually being adventurous in his music, it was ignored.
If only Climax had successfully crossed over, it would have solidified his EDM ventures with his R&B core and crossover appeal. It should have been a huge crowning moment for him and could have placed him in line with younger acts who were also channeling electronic influences into contemporary R&B & Hip-Hop. Instead that's where things started to go wrong (Scream wasn't as big as expected, low numbers, etc.).
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Post by allow that on Mar 19, 2015 15:33:25 GMT -5
Usher's picture perfect nice guy charm doesn't fit in with that, it lacks edge. Which makes it even more frustrating that... ...Justin Timberlake can walk away with s**t like "Mirrors" opening radio's arms despite feeling dated and not fitting in because his (fake ass) picture perfect nice guy charm happens to come in a white package. (Sorry I just couldn't resist finishing the sentence). I do agree that there's aspects of Usher's image that seem a bit dated now. But it's also tough to add edge to a personality that's so established and pull it off authentically. For now, I think his strategy of doing a ton of urban features ("New Flame," "Body Language," "The Matrimony") and the occasional pop/dance one ("Don't Look Down") is a good way to keep his name afloat after last year's mess. He's probably best to focus on urban sounds and drop a remix of his singles for pop... that Disclosure remix should have dropped no later than one month after the original came out- not once it had already been falling down the charts for a while. "Climax" is every bit the quality of song you'd want from someone of Usher's stature. I was sure it was going to be a career-lifting, Hot 100 #1 moment when I had first heard it. To be fair it was #2 on the 2012 Year End R&B chart and arguably his most acclaimed single ever, so its failure to crossover (when NOTHING from the R&B chart was anyway) shouldn't have steered Usher's camp towards making safe ass choices on the pop and urban end alike for the rest of that era. But 2012 was such an odd time to be a crossover artist anyway; Chris, Nicki, Beyonce, Ne-Yo, etc all suffered from one end of the spectrum. Now Usher's stuck in a space where he can't go "too electro" without fearing backlash when the reality is his best zone is working with Diplo to make electro R&B. So back at his coulda-been trendmaking moment he was stuck between full-on generic EDM at Pop and the polar opposite of it at Urban when he ideally would have bridged the disconnect and cleaned up with his own sound by dropping an album full of "2nd Round"'s and "Go Missing"'s.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2015 16:08:11 GMT -5
Obvious conundrums aside, I still wonder how differently the L4M era could have gone had he released Euphoria instead of Scream. Euphoria was a sleeping giant, and I will never understand why anyone thought Scream AND Numb needed to come before that. Ironically despite it clearly being a pop song something about his voice on it took me back to 2001 Ursh, and it's the one song that I think urban purists might have cut him a pass for, because it just felt so epic. Also could have lent itself well to a few urban mixes. All songs that hit the target of returning to his urban/R&B roots but fell short in the quality department, sadly. Oh, and Imma let you slide on this for GK and SCTGITY, but I will not accept this Clueless shade!
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