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 - It's no Confessions, but give it a chanceOkay, we get it. This album was not as good Confessions, but did you really expect it to be? Confessions is one of the best R&B albums of our time. Besides, Usher has moved on from that. He's grown up quite a bit on this album. This album is made more for a candle-lit dinner than a night out at the club, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Favorite Tracks: 2. Love In This Club - Great club banger that went to #1 on the Top 100 chart. It also features a verse from rapper Young Jeezy. 5. Moving Mountains - An emotion-filled ballad currently making moves on the Hip-Hop/R&B charts, this song is a perfect example of the vocal improvement from Usher. It was produced and written by "Tricky" Stewart and The-Dream, the same duo that brought us Rihanna's "Umbrella." 13. Appetite - Anyone that misses the Usher from Confessions, go to "Appetite." This Danja-produced beat is about Usher resisting urges to cheat on his lady. I personally think this is the best on the album. The breakdown at the end of the song will hook you. 16. Love In This Club Part II - Great remix to a great song. I would say this is way better than the original. Great collboration between Usher and Beyonce. It also features a hot verse from scorching hot rapper Lil' Wayne. Not as good as Confessions, but still well worth buying if you haven't already got it. Some other favorites of mine are "Something Special," "Before I Met You," and "Lifetime." There are some good guest features and producers like Bryan-Michael Cox, Jay-Z, will.i.am, Jermaine Dupri, and Stargate among others. Try to zone out Confessions for this one, you might enjoy it. Rating:  - decent albumi must admit like some of the other reviewers, this wasn't his best and it's a different sound. it just shows he's maturing with his sound and style. took me a couple of listens to even say that i liked it. Rating:  - One of his best cd's, yetAt first it had to grow on me, now I'm hooked. Here I Stand has a very mature sound and is very different from his past cd's. Usher is like a fine wine, he gets better w/time. Now, don't get me wrong I have all of his cd's and just to listen to the difference in his sound is amazing. He is always transforming. Rating:  - Usher - Here I Stand 4/10Here I Stand, Usher's first album since 2004's uber-hit Confessions, is your standard Usher disc. Ridiculously built lothario with velvet pipes sings about sex, declarations of love, sex, contemplations of love past, and, uh, more sex. There is one little thing, however, that quite effectively separates Here I Stand from Usher's earlier work: the ultimate bachelor is now the ultimate husband. It's a small distinction, as Usher still sings things like "you order Chinese food before you do me" and "I'm always on the top tonight I'm on the bottom / cuz we trading places," but this is balanced with observations like "wash the car / I'm gonna walk the dog / take out the trash" on the same song ("Trading Places"). Usher's still down to get dirty, but it's a monogamous playground nowadays. While not necessarily a bad thing, it does tend to stunt the album's momentum with interludes like the embarrassingly sappy "Prayer For You [Interlude]" and the corny "Lifetime." Usher's more standard bedroom songs aren't much better, with songs like the above "Trading Places" and "This Ain't Sex" sounding mechanical and uninspired at worst, mediocre R&B jams at best. The best and catchiest song on the record is the first single, "Love In This Club," even though it does have Young Jeezy grunting "I'll set you free / sexily, mentally, emotionally." Sexily? Really? Usher's voice is as strong and assured as ever, and his choice of guest artists is spotless. Jay-Z's cameo on "Best Thing" is particularly effective, breaking up the lover-boy monotony of the surrounding songs. The production is solid, but at a titanic eighteen songs and 74 minutes, the album could've used a more discerning editor to cut away some of the overblown ballads. It was inevitable that the follow-up to Confessions would fall under the shadow of its predecessor, even after four years, but Here I Stand's lack of distinctive hits and its unfortunate tendency to drag along makes it a step down for the king of male R&B. Marriage may be good for the man, but it sure makes for boring music. Rating: - MORE MATURE USERi know everyone want the old usher back which is understandable but he hasnt moved on yet he has quite a few "GOOD" SONGS on this album you have to let it grow on you,like usher he not 20ys old anymore running "wild and loose" and thats whats he's bringing to the table this time around very "IPOD" WORTHY SONGS belive me you will not regret the purchase after a few plays but the old ushers cds are always in "heavy rotation" that will never get old...enjoy!
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