Usher is almost underrated the way the he seems to fall completely off the face of the earth when he's not making music, only to comeback with an album filled with explosive R&B and pop tracks. He's always been this way. Usher has also shown growth on every album since his 1994 self-titled debut. Let that sink in. Usher has been in the industry for almost 20 years, yet it seems like at every turn his music is growing and adapting.
Where Usher is most impressive is his ability to blend his R&B roots with the current hottest pop trend without having to split his album in two and point out the pop and urban tracks. On this album, that's dubstep and dance. Usher enlisted a powerful army of mega pop overlords to craft him some of their best material. Diplo, who seems to be having a signature year, continues to break through his peak with "Climax" which is easily the strongest track on the album and Diplo's most appealing production to date. The kingfish behind Britney Spears' genius Blackout album, Danja, also thrives with dubstep abundant "I Care," another top tier track on the album. Max Martin delivers, as usual on "Scream," though that track falls short of the sheer power of the other pop tracks. Swedish House Mafia, who give a less grime dance sound in "Euphoria" and "Numb," are the best example. The production of both of those songs (at their respective climaxes) would probably drown Justin Bieber or Jason Derulo, but Usher is able to go round for round with the Swedish trio on both tracks to deliver incontestably flawless tracks.
Obviously, he has a great handle on pop music and adapts greatly to trends but Usher still seems to flourish where he originates, which is his sexy-smooth R&B love songs. "Dive," which is probably a second or third choice for top song on the album, is quintessential Usher. Saying this song is good is a massive understatement. There's no question that this song will have a visit with the #1 spot on Billboard's Urban charts. "Lemme See" is another strong play on Usher's part and a brilliant single choice.
Where the album falters, which is does sparingly, is where I expected the impact to be the greatest. The Neptunes produced track "Twisted" is a failure that makes me question The Neptunes producing on Shakira's album. I don't want them delivering this kind of trash on her album. The second Danja produced track on the album, "Show Me" is the polar opposite of "I Care." There's nothing good about that song aside that it's mildy catchy. The title track also has very little going for it. It's not an awful track, but let's just say it didn't last long on my iTunes.
At the end of this album, you'll probably be glad you bought it. This album is good because it probably won't become annoying in a few months like most other albums released this year. When rating, I was torn between giving this album and 8 and a 7 (out of ten), but as I re-evaluate some of the albums I've reviewed this year I noted that I've been quite generous and when I rehash all of the reviews for the end of the year lists we do, I'll be a lot less generous. I feel more easy about giving this album a 7 out of 10.
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