Album Review: Usher- Here I Stand
Usher
Here I Stand
LaFace Records
4/5
Written By: Samir Siddiqui
Four albums deep into an incredibly-successful career, hit-making is no longer a challenge for R&B superstar Usher, its common practice. So while the lead single for his new LP, Here I Stand, represents classic Usher, the album itself veers away from the formulaic approach of his earlier efforts. The infectious club smash “Love In This Club” is “Yeah!” revamped for 2008, with poppier synths, slower-toned vocals, and a guest verse from go-to Southern-staple Young Jeezy, and it serves as an equally effective album opener. But while the memorable Confessions featured a barrage of instant hits towards the front, and slowed towards the long back-half, Here I Stand moves along at a gradual pace that allows Usher to limit filler and maximize the quality of his best cuts.
While it is clear that Usher can create catchy tunes with ease, Here I Stand focuses more on displaying the vocal talents of the now-married veteran, as he croons with emotion and control on the mid-tempo ballad “Moving Mountains,” a song further aided by a terrific piano-synths production, courtesy of The Dream. Usher later drops a killer hook on the straight-forward “Before I Met You,” and exchanges verses with Beyoncé on the simplistic, well-sung “Love In This Club Part II.”
Here I Stand is not without it’s highlights, and fortunately, for every misstep, such as the sonically out-of-place “What’s Your Name?,” Usher provides a slew of single-worthy songs such as the No I.D.-influenced “Best Thing” and the up-tempo “Appetite,” a song chalk-full of melodic synths and tongue-and-cheek lyricism. And while cliché song-writing still plagues Usher on songs like “This Ain’t Sex” and “Lifetime,” Here I Stand still holds up as a strong collection of solid music. Usher’s latest offering may not feature as many monster records as Confessions, but by giving importance to the construction of the LP as a whole, the project succeeds in ways his biggest album never did.
17 Comments so far
bout to bump this one soon
Good read, I was just wondering what happend to the album reviews that you use to put up. We havent had these for a while, none this year that I can remember.
TSS’s review will be better.
i think the album is actually a little boring. i’m disappointed with it.
The more I listen to the album, the more I like it. “Confessions” had a lot of bangers and a lot of mere album tracks. This album is more solid all around. But, I guess bangers are what sell the album.
ya need to listen to “Trading Places”….that track is HOTT!!!
THIS ALBUM IS ASS. ONLY GOOD SONGS ARE HIS MISTAKES, LOVE IN THIS CLUB, AND MOVING MOUNTAINS. BIGGEST DISSAPOINTMENT OF 08.
This album is very goooood. Confessions was a classic and it’s pretty much impossible to deliver classic albums after classic albums no matter who you are. Here I Stand is a really good album though. Usher once again shows that he’s on top of the R&B world. Good stuff
WTF is going on here? Some of the best songs aren’t on his album? Where the hell is “Dat girl right there”? and Echo is another great track who’s not on this album?
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dood this album is fire!! another classic he shits on chris brown and neyo
honestly “echo” and “the painter” dope tracks those should of made it.
Dat girld jangling, should have been on there, i think to many tracks got leaked, most of the good tracks specifically, the only non-leaked tracks was Best Friend, Before I Met You, and Love You Gently, that love u gently is the shi…..t, this album does shit on that chris brown shit, but i think Ne-yo right up there with usher, not as far as longevity but talent wise
this is a great album. i didn’t think so the first time I listened to it, but i was comparing it to “Confessions”. This is a true R&B album, real grown folks music.
I love this album especially-
Something Special
Here I stand
Trading places
This album is HOT.
wheni listened to the album i didnt think it was good at all so as i listened it accualy grew on me
i think thats because its not a bad album but its diffrent than wuts out now wich are ussually the easier listens years later
everysong has a purpose but the only problen is song placement it dosent flow like it should for the tempo of the album
i think it will get alot of mixed responses cause its not chris brown or neyo and its 4 ears since confessions