Usher - Classic or Dud?

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ps holla back

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Friday, 2 April 2004 16:59 (twenty-two years ago)

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 (twenty-two years ago)

I want a full-on romantic comedy.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 2 April 2004 19:09 (twenty-two years ago)

You would.

― VengaDan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 2 April 2004 19:23 (twenty-two years ago)

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 (twenty-two years ago)

one 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 (twenty-two years ago)

and I want LOTS more discussion of "Burn."

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 2 May 2004 18:14 (twenty-two years ago)

also Cibula's review of Confessions is really awesome.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 2 May 2004 18:19 (twenty-two years ago)

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 (twenty-two years ago)

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 (twenty-two years ago)

fine, dad.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 3 May 2004 00:26 (twenty-two years ago)

stop calling grandpa "dad," strongo

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 3 May 2004 00:30 (twenty-two years ago)

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

― uh, Monday, 3 May 2004 00:35 (twenty-two years ago)

":)"

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 3 May 2004 00:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Usher's next album will be composed entirely on Midisoft Studio for Windows

― uh, Monday, 3 May 2004 00:37 (twenty-two years ago)

His voice has developed a LOT, and although its not evident on a track as sonically abrasive (in a good way) as "Yeah", on a minimalist track like "Burn" its especially obvious - dude can sing like a motherfucker.

― djdee2005, Monday, 3 May 2004 00:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Usher's next album will be composed entirely on Midisoft Studio for Windows

Is that supposed to be some sort of diss to Usher?

― djdee2005, Monday, 3 May 2004 00:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Dude cannot sing.

He is extremely nasal and throaty and lacks dynamics. He has to strain for a lot of his highs as well.

― uh, Monday, 3 May 2004 00:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not really familiar with his older stuff, but his voice is excellent on "Burn."

Don't you listen to metal? Why are you concerned with supposedly objective evaluations of singing ability?

― djdee2005, Monday, 3 May 2004 00:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm a singer, and have been studying voice for well over a decade, and at one point, was majoring in it in college.

As I said...it's NOT really necessarily necessary to be a great singer to sell a good r&B song. I wouldn't say Al Green was *technically* a great singer, yet I totally feel his music. But while we were on the subject of his singing ability, I thought I would comment on that.

― uh, Monday, 3 May 2004 00:44 (twenty-two years ago)

did I REALLY just say "necessarily necessary"? My god, I can hardly believe I'm not still drunk.

― uh, Monday, 3 May 2004 00:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm surprised that so many people are bigging up the album so much - I count the following tracks as being worthy: "Yeah", "Throwback", "Confessions", "Burn" and that treacly Jermaine Dupri track towards the end. And that's it. Even the Richcraft track is unremarkable.

And "Throwback" is good but it should be much better.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 3 May 2004 00:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I wouldn't say Al Green was *technically* a great singer

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 3 May 2004 00:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Yep, keep going, instead of explaining your position, continue with the ad hominems, they make you seem real intelligent.

Al Green was a great performer and a great R&B artist, but in terms of TECHNIQUE, he was nothing amazing. That is all I said, and it is true. He had the ability to sell a song that made up for it, though.

Do you REALLY want me to out-geek you on this one and give you vocal specifics?

― Uh, Monday, 3 May 2004 00:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I haven't gotten the album yet (I'm waiting till I hear "Confessions" on the radio so that it passes my three-singles-I-love-then-I-by-you rule) but even if only five tracks are credible that's at LEAST two more than Justified had.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 3 May 2004 00:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I take Justin Timberlake as serious as I take making race cars out of diarrhea.

― uh, Monday, 3 May 2004 00:57 (twenty-two years ago)

JT = Usher + Corey Feldman

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 3 May 2004 00:58 (twenty-two years ago)

How many times have we linked to this?

I'm taking bets on how much longer before "Uh" mentions how much he loves crunk + grime. Will the weight of the ILM hive mind overcome his defenses soon? Its not a question of "if" but "when."

Tim, I think Throwback is great!

― djdee2005, Monday, 3 May 2004 01:04 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm interested as to why you feel you should link to an article rather than make your own points.

I consider Timberlake a truly ironic joke. His music reeks of sheer deriviative crap, and I wouldn't be arsed to sit through more than 5 minutes of it.

― uh, Monday, 3 May 2004 01:05 (twenty-two years ago)

No I do like it a lot but I'd been hoping that it did for either "Pump It Up" or "Song Cry" what "Yeah" did for "Get Low" and instead find that it's ear-tickling but very restrained.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 3 May 2004 01:06 (twenty-two years ago)

and before someone mentions the whole "originality isn't a requirement" argument (one that I actually agree with), realize that's by far not the only problem I have with his retarded music.

― uh, Monday, 3 May 2004 01:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Tim, what do you think of "Caught Up"? I thought that track was terrific!

"Uh," I'm interested as to why you are afraid to read the article.

― djdee2005, Monday, 3 May 2004 01:07 (twenty-two years ago)

It was written by someone who posts here occasionally.

― djdee2005, Monday, 3 May 2004 01:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I actually think Timberlake sounded great on Celebrity but on Justified he got WAY overconfident, the music is so non-mall that it needs a singer who's equally supple. Timbo just sounds like he's going to do the Urkel (though all the singles are enjoyable). He sounded a lot more soulful when he surrounded himself with guys like Lance Bass and Max Martin.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 3 May 2004 01:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Afraid to read the article? Dee, I'm not sure what your issue is, but you seem to be unable to comprehend the fact that people don't like your favorite musical artists, instead choosing to believe that said people have some mental deficiency they were unaware of.

In any sense, I found the article to be somewhat stupid. It seems to be using one person's critique of Timberlake to represent everybody's, which is just stupid, plus the whole article is rather presumptuous about why people actually bash Timberlake in the media. It's a completely silly, elitist article, that fails to comprehend that just MAYBE the other side has a valid point.

I know I argue "rough" in here, but I would never SERIOUSLY attribute to someone a personal defect because they happened to like an artist I did. Half of my first posts were just for my own amusement.

― uh, Monday, 3 May 2004 01:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Timberlake's pipes are just shitty as hell. I work with people daily that could blow him off of the fucking planet.

― uh, Monday, 3 May 2004 01:15 (twenty-two years ago)

He gets blown plenty.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 3 May 2004 01:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm sure he does, however, that doesn't change the fact that he still sucks.

― uh, Monday, 3 May 2004 01:18 (twenty-two years ago)

― djdee2005, Monday, 3 May 2004 01:26 (twenty-two years ago)

the average Timberlake fan:

http://www.angelfire.com/band2/slayerrobfl/images/ugly3.jpg

― uh, Monday, 3 May 2004 01:30 (twenty-two years ago)

alright new topic. What's everybody's favorite part of "Burn"? The spoken intro? The climax? The mood shift? The word "fifty-leven"? the hoo-hoo-hoo's?

These days its boo-oooo for me.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 3 May 2004 01:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I like the breakdown in the middle. The cool descending synth-efx that sound like sweat dripping are really nice too. "fifty-leven" takes third place.

― djdee2005, Monday, 3 May 2004 01:34 (twenty-two years ago)

"SO MANY DAYS, SO MANY HOURS"!

― C0L1N B3CK3TT (Colin Beckett), Monday, 3 May 2004 01:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Or I guess it's "how". Either way, it's awesome.

― C0L1N B3CK3TT (Colin Beckett), Monday, 3 May 2004 01:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I like "Burn" and all, but I mean, without the completely spastic meter of the verses, it'd be a pretty unremarkable ballad. I guess that's kind of the point, though.

― Al (sitcom), Monday, 3 May 2004 01:49 (twenty-two years ago)

And did anyone else see Usher and Luda on SNL last night? Usher was fucking incredible.

― C0L1N B3CK3TT (Colin Beckett), Monday, 3 May 2004 01:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I love that they did the bit with the different dances that Lil Jon does at the end of the video, that's by far my favorite part of the video.

― Al (sitcom), Monday, 3 May 2004 01:55 (twenty-two years ago)

THUNDACLAP!

― djdee2005, Monday, 3 May 2004 01:56 (twenty-two years ago)

It's a shame he didn't make a whole album of "Burn"/"Confessions" style tracks. This R Kelly/Joni Mitchell fusion thing he's got going is great!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 3 May 2004 02:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Rockaway, Rockaway, Rockaway, Rockaway aaaaand cut.

― Al (sitcom), Monday, 3 May 2004 02:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 212 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Zaytoven is a hilarious name

― niels, Friday, 12 October 2018 06:40 (seven years ago)

pretty forgettable on my initial couple listens

― Machine Gunk Jelly (Spottie), Friday, 12 October 2018 18:19 (seven years ago)

one year passes...

His new single with Ella Mai is fantastic

https://youtu.be/MMitI4VbSuo

― self-clowning oven (Murgatroid), Friday, 13 December 2019 05:20 (six years ago)

three years pass...

actually pretty hyped that he's doing the Super Bowl halftime next year

― Murgatroid, Sunday, 24 September 2023 19:27 (two years ago)

I wondered why people I knew suddenly wanted to discuss how awesome they found Confessions in 2004.

― hat trick of trashiness (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 24 September 2023 19:33 (two years ago)

i can never not hear it luda style as ursher and well reality is confounding in a lot of ways. like why the fuck is urshur at the big game TM?

*i think i said this before better scan*

And now I'll always have a little voice say "Ursher" in my head. That Yeah song. Urg.
― Hunter (Hunter), Sunday, February 22, 2004 8:58 PM (nineteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

omg i am dying right now second time today it is sad rip me

― Hunt3r, Monday, 25 September 2023 03:16 (two years ago)

four months pass...

listening to his peak era albums in advance of this weekend. my way is very refreshing as a cd-era r&b album that comes in at a cool 9 songs, 36 minutes. all the songs are pretty good, too.

― the defenestration of prog (voodoo chili), Thursday, 8 February 2024 20:09 (two years ago)

new album is okay. still excited for his performance

― dyl, Sunday, 11 February 2024 18:34 (two years ago)

Confessions is that uncommon thing: the biggest album is the best album. I dig My Way too.

― poppers fueled buttsex crescendo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 11 February 2024 19:32 (two years ago)

yes confessions is great, pretty much all the way through.

― the defenestration of prog (voodoo chili), Sunday, 11 February 2024 22:09 (two years ago)

"Kissing Strangers" off the new album is him at his midtempo best

― Murgatroid, Monday, 12 February 2024 17:31 (two years ago)

The back half of new album >>> front half

― poppers fueled buttsex crescendo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 12 February 2024 17:59 (two years ago)

Rollerskating while singing live on that stage was crazy ballsy.

― Indexed, Monday, 12 February 2024 18:08 (two years ago)

supposedly something he's been doing at his vegas residency, so at least he's had practice

― the defenestration of prog (voodoo chili), Monday, 12 February 2024 18:11 (two years ago)

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