Usher
Raymond v. Raymond
La Face
March 30

By Don Weber

Usher is back again with the new release of his hour long album entitled Raymond v. Raymond. The album contains a variety of previously recent hits and some new material for the album. Raymond v. Raymond is very true to the Usher fan base as song after song has that traditional R&B vibe that got Usher the fame he has now.

The album has a variety of little helpers that made some marks on Usher’s album. Bigger names like Plies and will.i.am helped run some more popular tracks (“Hey Daddy” and “OMG”) which have made some past buzz on the radio and morning music video showcases. While these featured artists do support Usher, this album is pretty reliant on Usher’s effort alone.

Usher drops some sexual lyrics, cool background beats and a few vivid vocals. It’s a surprise that Usher doesn’t just rant about his abs in smooth tone, but he certainly does give some of the hour-long album time for it.

The album itself is pretty supportive of Usher’s career and it precedes a recent divorce and protégé discovery of Usher’s in most recent timeframe. Any listeners will be able to tell that Usher had the time to work on this album.

Usher’s new release is pretty good, especially if you haven’t kept any tabs on the Dallas-born entertainer in recent years. It has already made some radio play and I can guarantee you that it will have more plays in the future. Look for some Usher buzz to come out following this album.

R&B has been getting some rise in popularity with the younger generation and chances are a number of tracks from Raymond v. Raymond will gain quick ears because of it. By all means, if you like R&B or pop check Usher’s new album out. The songs aren’t timeless by any means, but the album is good and worth a solid look.