What's Good Ya'll! This review of Usher's New Album is LONG overdue. Now I know it seems like I just love everything and I have no real critique at times. But can I be real with you friends? I did not love this album but I like it a lot. I will say this though, it's not a bad album. Like out of 4 stars I would give it a 3. I'm not really sure what I was expecting from Usher to be honest. I've been a huge Usher fan since grade school, however it was his 2010 album Raymond v Raymond where I checked out. And there's no real reason for this especially since that album has a few bops like Hey Daddy, Lil Freak and There Goes My Baby. I guess, I, like many Usher fans, wanted another Confessions and who knows, maybe Usher did too. But the reality is instead of another Confessions, we got Usher's version of 'Emancipation of Mimi'. You know? Mariah's "come-back album." Now I hate the word "comeback" to be honest. It makes it sound like the artists went somewhere and usually what it really means is that the public stopped messing with what that artist was selling.
Now Usher has been around ok, his last album was in 2018. It was more of an EP vibe to be honest and I didn't like it that much but I also only listened to it throughly one time, so there's that lol. Usher has also become wildly popular via social media these past few years, between his new found love of skating, his Las Vegas Residency and most recently this years Super Bowl performance, its safe to say that Usher aint never went anywhere.
Usher's latest album Coming Home was a perfect ode to Atlanta and his reemergence as the R&B popstar we know him to be. The album opens up with the song Coming Home featuring Burna Boy, which was symbolic and smart honestly. It's a cute 1st song, but it aint Confessions...and I hate that I even said that for real because I want us to get Confessions out of our mind. Get 8701 out of your mind. Because I promise you the first spin of this album it may not hit you instantly. However the more I run it back, The more I Iove the songs I thought I hated. For instance, the song Big is a funky, upbeat song that gives somewhat of a Big Band/80's feel. It really is just a fun song you can dance to and play around your kids lol. I also wasn't too crazy about Cold-Blooded at first. Then I realized it is featuring The Dream and in my mind he's low-key my nemesis, that's a whole thing I don't want to get into but that song has grown on me lol.
Let me talk about the songs I love ok, Good Good is a hit hit! The first single off the Coming Home album featuring Summer Walker and 21 Savage was in rotation almost everyday when it first dropped. I love that song, its such a classic R&B bop. I love LOVE A-Town Girl featuring Latto. You can't go wrong showing love to the city that helped make you and featuring one of the biggest names in hip hop is wise. Kissing Strangers is a great ballad reminiscing about a love. Lastly, On the side and Luckiest Man, both songs are on opposite end of the spectrum regarding the content but both give you classic Usher vibes and you'll wanna play them again and again. Honorable mentions, Standing Next to You is a Michael Jackson vibe with a feature from Jung Kook. The song is definitely a cute little bop that instantly opens Jung Kook up to a broader audience if you are unaware with this KPOP artist, and vice verse for Usher.
Lastly, the song Naked, closes out the album. This song, amongst a few others, is why I stamp this album as Ushers' version of 'Emancipation of Mimi'. Within both albums Mariah and Usher exude growth, mentally and vocally it seems. Of course every artist is not going to have music tailored to their current life and situations but it's something about the work that was put into each song selection especially compared to previous works that allows me to see growth.
Listen the album is 22 songs long and while I'm glad artists are getting back to full length albums, I did have to break up this album and listen to it in a span of two days lol. The first time I was like eh, then I ran it back straight through and fell in deep like with it lol.The production is great, I dunno if we will see as many timeless bops from this album hit the airwaves like Confessions but if you are a true Usher fan they will instantly be timeless classics for you no problem!
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