Usher - Classic or Dud?

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I wanna see some serious involved debate about Usher, people.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Monday, 23 February 2004 02:49 (9 years ago) Permalink

He's my hero.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 23 February 2004 02:51 (9 years ago) Permalink

It's a shame I'm voting classic cuz I'd love to say that for "U Remind Me," "U Got It Bad," "U Make Me Wanna" and "U Don't Have to Call" he puts the U in dud. But I love all those songs.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 23 February 2004 02:53 (9 years ago) Permalink

His dancing in "U Got It Bad" blows my mind. Especially when he starts spastically touching his face.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 23 February 2004 02:55 (9 years ago) Permalink

reading all those "u's" there reminds me just how great he really is.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 23 February 2004 02:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

Dan Perry to thread.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 February 2004 02:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

doesnt dan perry psychotically hate usher? or is that ginuwine?

haha xpost

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 23 February 2004 02:57 (9 years ago) Permalink

I've never felt the song or video for "My Way" though.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 23 February 2004 02:57 (9 years ago) Permalink

doesnt dan perry psychotically hate usher?

I just remember Dan saying Justin essentially stole everything from Usher, or tried to. What this means in the larger scheme of like/dislike I don't recall.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:01 (9 years ago) Permalink

He was rubbish on Bold & The Beautiful all those years ago. His head looks like a coconut. I don't like any of his songs. Dud.

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:03 (9 years ago) Permalink

U Make Me Wanna is very classic. I'm not that familiar with his other work though. On the downside, apparently he cheated on Chilli from TLC and she's seems pretty nice.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

how old is he?

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

I really must remember to bring up Usher next time the J.T. squad get all excitedy.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:19 (9 years ago) Permalink

allmusic says he was born in 1979.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:19 (9 years ago) Permalink

And now I'll always have a little voice say "Ursher" in my head. That Yeah song. Urg.

― Hunter (Hunter), Monday, 23 February 2004 03:58 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Yeah" is really, really fucking good.
"U Remind Me" was a catchy pop song with a strong melody that, if performed by the Shins, would be a highlight of their career.

Nothing else of his has really caught my ear.

― djdee2005, Monday, 23 February 2004 04:25 (9 years ago) Permalink

yeah, chilli was all over atlanta radio badmouthing usher, talking about how he's a lowdown cheat, etc. it was pretty great.

do not fuck over tlc women.

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:43 (9 years ago) Permalink

oh, and soooooo classic

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 23 February 2004 04:43 (9 years ago) Permalink

OK I stand by everything I said above except my jab at the Shins made no sense, ignore it.

― djdee2005, Monday, 23 February 2004 04:45 (9 years ago) Permalink

Man, maybe I need a new car stereo, it sounds really... I don't know like, "thin."

The Shins joke was alright. Don't worry the rock rap issue will never die. I am surprised that everyone is so bored with the issue that no one has gotten all lathered about that "Guns of Brixton" sample song.

― Hunter (Hunter), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

I luv the remix to "U Remind Me" with Method Man and Blu Cantrell - really stirring melodrama!

"U Got It Bad" was pretty middling until it got that odd 2-step-rip-off rejig.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 23 February 2004 05:38 (9 years ago) Permalink

He's got a PEANUT head (thanx, Pitman), but essentialy, dude's fairly cool. Some decent songs (the 'Pop Ya Collar' love starts RIGHT HERE), a good voice, an occasionally commendable wardrobe and some excellent moves I love to emulate. He's classic, no doubt. OTOH, I wouldn't immediately jump to his side in a JT vs Usher because JT's had some better sonics running through his singles and the 'Like I Love You' video is pretty stylish. And because JT is friends with JC Chasez.

― Barima (Barima), Monday, 23 February 2004 09:42 (9 years ago) Permalink

dudes, duders, dudets, U Remind Me-classic, that Pop ya collar song, perticularly the earthy honesty behind the mens Yea! makes it impossible not to like. However as I recal he plays the dj in She's All That, in which he dances horribly to The Rockerfeller Skank, instigating a high school dance scene which, in terms of arse twitching embarrasement picks up the gauntlet laid down by Teenwolf. Usher, welcome to Dudleyville.

― lukey (Lukey G), Monday, 23 February 2004 09:52 (9 years ago) Permalink

I have gone from loving Usher to hating him to loving him. "My Way" almost made me want to vomit until I realized one day it was fucking amazing.

Ginuwine is the guy I've always unilaterally despised.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 23 February 2004 15:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

I have this feeling Ginuwine has better albums than Usher. Then again, I have no albums by either.

― Barima (Barima), Monday, 23 February 2004 15:35 (9 years ago) Permalink

i wish he wouldnt yelp all the time. it sounds like he's having a sore nursed with toilet duck.

― Flotsam of the Fishfolk (Flotsam of the Fishfolk), Monday, 23 February 2004 19:26 (9 years ago) Permalink

My friend emily makes me buy his records and play them when i dj so that she can dance to them -upon which moment the redundancy of this debate becomes clear...

― Conor (Conor), Monday, 23 February 2004 22:33 (9 years ago) Permalink

He wore a Marvin Gaye t-shirt on Top of the Pops. I like him.

― pete s, Monday, 23 February 2004 23:39 (9 years ago) Permalink

OTOH, he also sang 'U Don't Have To Call' on TOTP with huge vocalless spaces that Ludacris must've been meant to fill.

― Barima (Barima), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 11:53 (9 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

I just heard Usher's new single "Let It Burn" on the radio and had to run to a computer lab to share my shock at how FUCKING AMAZING it is. I really hope future listens live up to the memory of multiple Usher's weaving around each other, asking if you can hear him cry - hoo hoo hoo, hoo hoo hoo. I think he even used the word "umpteenth"!

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 04:40 (9 years ago) Permalink

usher is reason 2034 why my wife wants to divorce me for my music tastes

― JaXoN (JasonD), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 04:52 (9 years ago) Permalink

He is great.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 16 March 2004 05:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

I really like usher, but whats the issue with j.t and usher?
what type of contreversie is this? I always thought they were close friends being that they are both in the music industry...??

― Jeanette, Friday, 2 April 2004 14:57 (9 years ago) Permalink

here's some fuel to the justin v. usher debate:

MILLION-SELLING 'CONFESSIONS'!

R&B star USHER has sold over a million copies of his new album in the US in just one week.

The singer tops the charts with 'Confessions', ending Norah Jones' 'Feels Like Home''s seven-week reign at the top.

'Confessions'' 1.1 million sales mean it has now surpassed 'Feels Like Home' as the year's fastest-selling album.

Usher and Jones, whose album sold 1.02 million in its first week, now stand as the only two artists to debut in seven-figure territory since *N Sync's 'Celebrity' sold nearly 1.9 million copies its first week in July 2001.

Usher's label, Arista Records, have revealed 'Confessions' is its biggest release in the label's 30-year history, beating the 689,000 first-week sales posted by Notorious BIG's posthumous 1997 album 'Life After Death'.

Usher has sold nearly ten million albums in the United States to date, according to SoundScan.

----

Didnt Justin peak out at #2 with justified?

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Friday, 2 April 2004 16:57 (9 years ago) Permalink

I always thought they were close friends being that they are both in the music industry...??

This is true. Everyone in the music industry lives in a great big house. MTV will be filming soon for a reality series. You will be chosen as the special guest star if you post on the Kanye West thread.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 2 April 2004 16:58 (9 years ago) Permalink

BO-RINNNG! Li'l Jon cannot save you, Usher

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Friday, 2 April 2004 16:58 (9 years ago) Permalink

ps holla back

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Friday, 2 April 2004 16:59 (9 years ago) Permalink

I really like usher, but whats the issue with j.t and usher?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/news/urbannews/040304_usher.shtml

Usher called Justin a "follower" on Radio 1 last month, and challenged him to a dance-off in some other interview.

Which means, of course, that they'll be releasing a massively-hyped duet in the next eight months.

― Lesley, Friday, 2 April 2004 19:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

I want a full-on romantic comedy.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 2 April 2004 19:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

You would.

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 2 April 2004 19:23 (9 years ago) Permalink

BO-RINNNG! Li'l Jon cannot save you, Usher

Ah, I'm glad that someone finally agrees with me!

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Friday, 2 April 2004 19:28 (9 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

The man has three singles in the Top 30 right now, two in the Top 3.

That he isn't getting as much attention as Justin Timberlake did for Justified (which sold a LOT less) is really starting to piss me off.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 2 May 2004 18:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

and I want LOTS more discussion of "Burn."

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 2 May 2004 18:14 (9 years ago) Permalink

also Cibula's review of Confessions is really awesome.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 2 May 2004 18:19 (9 years ago) Permalink

Confessions is definitely on track to outsell Justified, but that hasn't happened yet, and a lot of Justified's press/praise was accumulated over the course of a year, Usher record just came out, so time will tell on that one.

Usher seems to take himself waaay too seriously. I mean, even in the "Yeah" video, he flashes a lot of somber facial expressions, like he Really Means It, and the rest of the album is all ballads. I mean, he's a good singer and dancer at all, but the way he puffs himself up as an Artist, you'd think he was a writer/producer on the level of R. Kelly or even Prince.

― Al (sitcom), Sunday, 2 May 2004 19:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

Usher...not gonna say much more than "bleh". He's had a few songs which I've considered guilty pleasures of mine, I admit ("U Remind Me" remix, "My Way"), but most of his clunky, midi-sounding r&b tunes are just flat. Not to mention that he's not a very good singer, although that's not necessarily a prerequisite if you have enough character.

Around the time he arrived was the period of time r&b music really started going south. It was already headed there but the arrival of him and similar artists brought forth the downfall. Nowadays most of it on the airwaves is unlistenable.

― uh, Monday, 3 May 2004 00:22 (9 years ago) Permalink

fine, dad.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 3 May 2004 00:26 (9 years ago) Permalink

stop calling grandpa "dad," strongo

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 3 May 2004 00:30 (9 years ago) Permalink

Yea, keep telling yourself that's it. :)

― uh, Monday, 3 May 2004 00:35 (9 years ago) Permalink

":)"

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 3 May 2004 00:36 (9 years ago) Permalink

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back when blockbuster was still selling cds

― J0rdan S., Monday, 19 May 2008 23:31 (5 years ago) Permalink

maybe it was specs actually

― J0rdan S., Monday, 19 May 2008 23:31 (5 years ago) Permalink

9 months pass...

i'd say usher singles>>justin singles, but i'm sure justin's albums are better,

I'd actually say it's the other way around, even though I think Justin Timberlake is an insufferable douche he has some unfuckwithable singles ("Like I Love You", "My Love," "Until The End Of Time", "Lovestoned," "Senorita").. as does Usher obviously, but a lot of his best songs are album tracks ("Can U Help Me," "Throwback," "Before I Met You," etc. etc....) and I think Confessions & 8701 (his best album) are >>>>> FS/LS and Justified. Not to say Justin doesn't have his share of album tracks ("Sexy Ladies", "Last Night,"), but yeah. Also, Usher is a waaaaaayyyyyy better vocalist, better dancer and just better all-around personality... I think Justin's album's are carried by the Production - he's pretty expendable, and actually a lot of his shit would be better if sung by someone else because his voice is REALLY annoying sometimes - whereas Usher takes command of his material.

― kiss on the pearl (The Brainwasher), Sunday, 22 February 2009 05:01 (4 years ago) Permalink

but I've never forgiven Justin for boob-gate so I may be biased

― kiss on the pearl (The Brainwasher), Sunday, 22 February 2009 05:02 (4 years ago) Permalink

really though what Timberlake song is fucking with this one:

― kiss on the pearl (The Brainwasher), Sunday, 22 February 2009 05:03 (4 years ago) Permalink

really it may just come down to what you want in your music, obviously Timberlake is more "pop" so.... it's kind of not a good comparison besides the obvious MALE SUPERSTARS WHO DANCE thing.

― kiss on the pearl (The Brainwasher), Sunday, 22 February 2009 05:06 (4 years ago) Permalink

honestly Tape Store I'm curious do you think Justin Timberlake is a necessary part of FutureSex/LoveSongs or that another capable vocalist could sing those same songs and it'd still be your fave album of the decade? Because I don't feel like his voice is special, and if anything his 'persona' detracts from the songs a little bit (to me anyway, I always have trouble buying Timberlake as the cool womanizer he paints himself as in a lot of songs...)

― kiss on the pearl (The Brainwasher), Sunday, 22 February 2009 05:32 (4 years ago) Permalink

FutureSex/LoveSounds**

― kiss on the pearl (The Brainwasher), Sunday, 22 February 2009 05:32 (4 years ago) Permalink

7 months pass...

im sorry if this was posted elsewhere but

― don't blame pitchfork, blame america (call all destroyer), Saturday, 10 October 2009 04:32 (3 years ago) Permalink

And now I'll always have a little voice say "Ursher" in my head. That Yeah song. Urg.

― Hunter (Hunter), Monday, February 23, 2004 3:58 AM (5 years ago) Bookmark

― kshighway1, Saturday, 10 October 2009 05:00 (3 years ago) Permalink

so fucking weird that this thread was revived today but not because of "Papers"

― some dude, Saturday, 10 October 2009 05:07 (3 years ago) Permalink

we talked about it on the r&b thread dude

― we beat so many gimp (k3vin k.), Saturday, 10 October 2009 05:09 (3 years ago) Permalink

i know but...and no offense to cad, but that rockafire thing was all the rage on this board 2 years ago, it's just funny timing, what are the odds

― some dude, Saturday, 10 October 2009 05:13 (3 years ago) Permalink

"papers" is seriously the shit though

― we beat so many gimp (k3vin k.), Saturday, 10 October 2009 05:19 (3 years ago) Permalink

xp that's fine i had never seen it because i don't really pay attention to youtube but i was in tears earlier tonite

― don't blame pitchfork, blame america (call all destroyer), Saturday, 10 October 2009 05:23 (3 years ago) Permalink

8 months pass...

http://www.mtv.co.uk/artists/usher/news/229041-usher-slates-uk-rb-acts-again?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

― titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Wednesday, 30 June 2010 14:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

Legendary R&B singer Usher has said that the recent acts from the UK to top the American charts are bringing the value of R&B music down.

The OMG hit-maker said that British acts such as Taio Cruz and Jay Sean should be classed as pop music and leave R&B to the big boys.

He told The Daily Star: "There’s a very fine line between what’s R&B and pop these days. Just because it’s sung by a male minority doesn’t mean you’re urban or R&B. Those artists are pop. The true value of R&B has been brought down."

OMG, what a cheek!

― titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Wednesday, 30 June 2010 14:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

r&bism

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 30 June 2010 14:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

ushering in a new age

― Filmmaker, Author, Radio Host Stephen Baldwin (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 30 June 2010 14:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

well, he's otm about taio cruz, that's for sure -- i guess "down" could be considered r&b, or at least i heard it on r&b stations -- all of that aside from the obv irony of his whole statement

― hell hath no furry (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 30 June 2010 14:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

i like what hes saying, but you cant really make that criticism if youre usher. or if youre trying to make R&B in the modern era. the lines are impossible to draw. down is def R&B though. cruz is just shit.

― titchy (titchyschneiderMk2), Wednesday, 30 June 2010 14:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

5 months pass...

Usher the first (and only) celeb to give up on that ridiculous "dead twitter" AIDS charity drive: http://twitter.com/UsherRaymondIV

Here's his "last tweet and testament" video:

"It's truly a battle of AIDS vs. Raymond"

― da croupier, Monday, 6 December 2010 19:11 (2 years ago) Permalink

Usher's first tweet yesterday after announcing his death on the 30th: Twit fam, I'm whack for being late, I need your help. Twit,Happy Birthday Rico Love!!! He is the man that wrote you "There goes my baby"

Alicia Keys' latest tweet: @aliciakeys is dead but Bashir, father of 7 is ALIVE thanks to KCA. http://bit.ly/e8pa0VText ALICIA to 90999 & reply YES to give $10

― da croupier, Monday, 6 December 2010 19:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Raymond v Raymond's "Pro Rated" snuck up on me tonight.

― Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 11 February 2011 04:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

The new Usher & Diplo track really has some fun playing with/defying expectations for what an Usher & Diplo track might sound like. Huge improvement over Usher's recent hits:

― Evan R, Tuesday, 14 February 2012 23:26 (1 year ago) Permalink

loving his vocals on this one

― teledyldonix, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:14 (1 year ago) Permalink

this is dope

― the third kind of dubstep (Jordan), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 21:50 (1 year ago) Permalink

yeah I heard this last night. Not a fan of Usher or Diplo but this is pretty sick

― owenf, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 22:32 (1 year ago) Permalink

Diplo is on a roll

― Number None, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 23:08 (1 year ago) Permalink

beat really reminds me of something tho

― Number None, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 23:09 (1 year ago) Permalink

sounds like something from the Araabmuzik album, maybe.

Loving it tho.

― Darren Huckerby (Dwight Yorke), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 23:42 (1 year ago) Permalink

the beat is by diplo?! shocked

i love it - it's v "moments in love" right? reminds me of

― first period don't give a fuck, second period gon get cut (lex pretend), Thursday, 16 February 2012 00:30 (1 year ago) Permalink

amazing song, loving this more than i can say, really shocked that this is usher and/or diplo

"express yourself" (diplo & nicky da b) is pretty great, too, tho more what you'd expect of a diplo track

― Little GTFO (contenderizer), Friday, 17 February 2012 09:36 (1 year ago) Permalink

quoth a commenter on the soundcloud page:

no, it's not Usher, this actually has soul and its not overproduced/ overrated. This sounds more like The Weeknd

― teledyldonix, Sunday, 19 February 2012 02:56 (1 year ago) Permalink

l∞l

― Little GTFO (contenderizer), Sunday, 19 February 2012 03:05 (1 year ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

― littledotheyknow (D-40), Tuesday, 22 May 2012 22:30 (1 year ago) Permalink

I really hate that "Scream" is going to be the crossover "Climax" wasn't.

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 22 May 2012 22:35 (1 year ago) Permalink

yup

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 23 May 2012 01:01 (1 year ago) Permalink

haha, usher's ex OTM

― fapper don (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 23 May 2012 01:05 (1 year ago) Permalink

i don't know -- if i was a "climax" fan i'd be pretty happy that it did as well as it did. usher's entire career for the past few years has followed that forumla, big dancey pop smash with some r&b songs to stay current on urban radio. the only one to crossover iirc was "omg" and "climax" is a lot better than "there goes my baby" and stuff like that

― fapper don (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 23 May 2012 01:06 (1 year ago) Permalink

i mean if someone had said "hey usher's new single is produced by diplo with contributions from nico muhly" i would've put it at 40% odds that it would've ended up as a "promo single" after two weeks

― fapper don (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 23 May 2012 01:07 (1 year ago) Permalink

yeah "Climax" totally surpassed any reasonable expectations -- clearly occupied the same role in the album campaign as "Papers" but did better than that

― waggin the cock and flow tit (some dude), Wednesday, 23 May 2012 01:14 (1 year ago) Permalink

Katherine St Asaph calling it "deliberate troll baiting" was otm.

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 23 May 2012 01:24 (1 year ago) Permalink

although it should be said that labels can't completely control which song is the pop hit and which one is the buzz single -- "Look At Me Now" was supposed to be the urban radio flipside to proper lead single "Yeah 3X" but "Look" ended up being more of a crossover hit.

― waggin the cock and flow tit (some dude), Wednesday, 23 May 2012 01:30 (1 year ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

Hark.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 28 September 2012 18:34 (7 months ago) Permalink

5 months pass...

Usher is apparently a judge on The Voice now. Is he any good? I imagine he'd be super charismatic, but it's funny; for as much I follow his music, I have no sense of what his off-stage persona is.

― Evan R, Tuesday, 26 March 2013 15:14 (2 months ago) Permalink

i haven't watched the show regularly since the first season, but i saw a few minutes of it last night and kinda liked seeing Usher and Shakira on there, they seemed to fit in well. Xtina was always the most boring of the mentors and Cee-Lo was always the most obnoxiously over the top.

― some dude, Tuesday, 26 March 2013 15:31 (2 months ago) Permalink

Usher did really well. He's smooth.

― Spottie_Ottie_Dope, Tuesday, 26 March 2013 15:34 (2 months ago) Permalink

I'm gonna have to try to catch it. Every time I catch a promo with him in it I'm wowed by how damn cool he is. Never seen more than a few minutes of the show so I don't really understand how it works, but the idea of being mentored by Usher is a really fun fantasy

― Evan R, Tuesday, 26 March 2013 15:43 (2 months ago) Permalink

imo its easily the best of vocal judged shows. The 'blind auditions' portion (the first half of the season) is really great. They don't waste time with crappy singers. The judges just have fun. It's not a labor for them and they don't take themselves too seriously.

― Spottie_Ottie_Dope, Tuesday, 26 March 2013 15:49 (2 months ago) Permalink

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