Usher Raymond IV has arguably the greatest challenge of his R&B music career ahead of him as he prepares to release Raymond vs. Raymond, his sixth studio album. After the lackluster sales and mediocre success of his prior release, 2008’s Here I Stand (boasting just one #1 single, “Love In This Club”), Usher stands at a crossroads in his career. The album appeared to be a misstep, considering his highest grossing release, 2004’s Confessions was a blockbuster, selling over 25 million copies worldwide – with four consecutive #1 singles – and thus captured the rare Diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. His first four albums each eclipsed the other in popularity, leaving Here I Stand as the album that appears out of place.
The goal is apparent. Usher must reconnect with his fans and provide classic albums like Confessions. “I think I got too real [with Here I Stand], explains Usher on his local Atlanta radio station WHTA-FM. “I was in an honest place with my marriage and then having kids,” he explains. It’s clear that with the ink recently drying on the divorce papers from his former wife Tameka Foster-Raymond (the buzz-single, “Papers,” appears to be loosely based on their relationship); Usher believes Raymond vs. Raymond will be the album to get him back on his superstar trajectory. He asserts the name is not based upon the apparent contention between him and his ex-wife. “We can be our own best friends and worst enemies. This album is about me versus me. You get a lot of different situations, a lot of depth here because I am a complex person.” .....
To read the rest of the album review, click here. Please support our family BE Magazine!
No comments:
Post a Comment