Usher Discograpy: Favorite Song On Each CD

2012  "NUMB"  from LOOKING 4 MYSELF

I just recently posted "Scream" and "Climax", probably the best dance floor and slow jams on the CD.   "Numb" was produced with Swedish House Mafia, a positive themed club hit about ignoring the pain and moving forward.   Should be another big hit!

2010 "MAKING LOVE (INTO THE NIGHT)"   from RAYMOND v. RAYMOND

The CD debuted at #1 and had the big hits OMG with Will.I.Am and More but then Usher released a Deluxe Edition that took the CD to another level.   There was the Justin Bieber duet, Someone To Love, and DJ Got Us Falling In Love, a #1 club hit with Pitbull. Within seconds of the needle drop, Usher's got you heading back to the dance floor.   Usher's reinvents a 70's ballad with "Making Love", should have been released as a single!   Trivia:   Who sung "Into The Night" in the late 70's?   Answer at the end of today's blog.

2008 - "THIS AIN'T SEX" from HERE I STAND

Must say, my least favorite Usher CD.   He was happily married with a new son and made a CD to reflect that mood.   Filled with too many sappy ballads, even the upbeat songs like "Love In The Club" were mellow.  "This Ain't Sex" has a great beat, Usher's dance moves are unworldly in this clip from the Victoria's Secret Fashion show.

2004 - "YEAH" & "MY BOO"  from CONFESSIONS

One of the best R&B CD's of the decade!    First you have Usher's crunk classic, "Yeah", featuring Ludacris and Lil Jon.   The slow jams "Burn" (dedicated to his ex, Chili from TLC), "Seduction", "Bad Girl", along with the title cut.  The CD touched on the controversy of Usher's faithfulness in his relationship. 

"My Boo" has special meaning for me and I love that Alicia Keys is on the song!!  "There's always that one person who will always have your heart"   The video opens with a clip of "Bad Girl" then segues into "My Boo".

2001 "U GOT IT BAD"  from 8701

Released on Aug. 7, 2001 (hence the CD title), Usher, inspired by his love of the Motown classics,enlisted a super team of producers including The Neptunes, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Babyface,.....   "Hottest Thing" and "Work It Out" are incredible hip hop songs.  But the slow, melodic beats and that hook on "U Got It Bad", produced by Jermaine Dupri,   is R&B perfection.    As the saying goes, this one is a "panty dropper".

1997 "NICE & SLOW and The Remix" from MY WAY

Under the direction of L.A. Reid, this was the CD that set Usher Raymond's career into the stratosphere.  "U Make Me Wanna", "My Way", "Slow Jam" with Monica, and "Nice & Slow" featuring Jagged Edge were all chart topping hits and a new R&B superstar to rival Michael Jackson's throne was born.    The original quiet storm classic video plus the remix with Chicago rapper, Twista, are here.

1994  "THE MANY WAYS"               from USHER

From small beginnings, Usher paid his dues.  His debut CD has no hits and topped out at #197 on the Billboard Top 200 CD list.   Yes, 197 out of 200 was its peak.   You could tell his voice hadn't matured and the material wasn't strong yet.  Not my favorite song but it's Usher's first video, so young, who knew how he'd explode into a superstar three years later!    Trivia answer:   Bennie Mardones

New Lead Singer For Journey? : New Music From Mary J Blige, Usher, Train

"ANYWAY YOU WANT IT"  MARY J. BLIGE

In October, I'll be going to my first big Broadway play when I'm seeing Rock Of Ages at Ruth Eckerd Hall.   Of course, the 80's hair band theme drew me in but the reviews have been amazing.  Stories of the crowd singing along to every song, big name musicians joining the cast, what a party!   Just saw the film on Saturday, it was SO much fun!    Tom Cruise as a washed up Axl Rose styled rocker, Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand, top notch.   But the sexy scene stealing Catherine Zeta-Jones as a Tipper Gore clone was the highlight of the film.

On the movie's soundtrack, Mary J. Blige rips into Journey's epic hit.  Mary's version might be even harder rocking than Steve Perry's version!   Love it!   Journey should consider Mary J. for their next lead vocalist (kidding!)

"SCREAM"   USHER

Usher's newly released CD, "Looking 4 Myself" is radically different from his other CD's.   He wanted to explore new music and take some chances.  You'll hear dubstep bass drops, productions from the Swedish House Mafia & The Neptunes, progressive R&B, techno mixed with old school hip hop, even 80's New Wave Beats on the title song.   The first big club banger is "Scream", reminiscent of OMG and More, one of the least adventurous new tracks but still vintage Usher, if "ain't broke don't fix it".

"THIS WILL BE MY YEAR"   TRAIN

The first thing that comes to mind hearing this song is Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire" (on a side note, Billy, we didn't accuse you, relax, man!).  Pat Monahan and Train have another poppy summer jam.   They combine a timeline of their band's career with highlights from Pat's life (meeting his wife for the first time, daughter's birth) and major current events like the start of Facebook, The Simpsons, and 9/11.   Great line about the year 2011,  "the artificial heart is born, how ironic when New York's is torn".    ESPN is already using this song in their XGames promotion.