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SO WHAT HAPPENED?: USHER From "Confessions" to "Here I Stand"..
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ส.ค. 2024
- In this episode we discuss some of the circumstances that played a role into the opposing commercial receptions of Usher's "Confessions" & "Here I Stand" albums.
Also please remember that music opinions are subjective and not the law of the land. This is just my synopsis and perspective. Everyone is going to have their own taste and interests musically.
0:00- Opening & Intro
1:39- "Yeah" Success; The Blockbuster Eras Of The Past
4:47- The Makings of "Yeah"
11:00- The Success of "Yeah"; The Formula For Monster Hits
14:40- "Confessions" Hits Hard; Significance of Million Plus Opening
17:17- The Debut, Rebranding, &1993-2004 Build Up
27:00- 2004 Milestones & Accolades
33:56- The Quiet Hours; Changes In The Industry, High Expectations
44:07- Tameka Foster, Harsh Press, Miss Jones Radio Show
1:00:26- Here I Stand; Love In This Club Success; Momentum??
1:04:17- Moving Mountains; Shifts & The Slow Down
1:09:57- "What's Your Name" & "Here I Stand" Single Set Backs
1:14:46- "One Night Stand: Ladies Only" Tour & "Trading Places"
1:17:50- The Wrap Up & A Few Observations About The Here I Stand Era
Also a special shout out to the many Usher fans and youtube channels that have shared their Usher and music footage on this platform. It definitely helped to enhance this video. Some of those users include:
"Rickyr", "KlassicThrowbackTV", "Brandy Fans", "20x11", "xxxTIN0xxx", "Norwoodlove", "Terrance Johnson", "Gubsotat A Memoir", "Kazu310", "Eric Wolfe", "Music Box Channel", "StarxNuFFxSaid", "Rico Vrihoeven","Mymusicfootage", "Restless Rick" "Brandy Music" "Klassicalmuzik", "Olaf Lopez", "Music Latte" "Mobran96" "Nineties Diva", "Naszah Streater", "John Brook", "JWL Publishing",
This video is for educational purposes and is not intended to infringe any copyright ownership laws.
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Moving Mountains is a beautiful song. Here I Stand was very underrated.
I love Here I Stand 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
Sure was!!! Will work for love is my shittttt! This album is played just as much as confessions
Ppl always forget how commerically successful Usher was in the 2000s decade. Confessions has sold nearly 30 million copies worldwide. Usher was the top selling artist in the world and the most successful singer in the world during the 2000s decade.
It’s actually sold closer to 15-20 million. Still crazy numbers though
@@blackitude100 20M*
@@samichedly8456 They recheck their sales yearly *15M*
I totally forgot just how huge dude was.
It ain’t sold no damn 30 million, and Usher ain’t sell the most in the entire 2000s - current.
Fun fact: the hit song "Can We Talk" was supposed to be Usher's song, but Baby face thought Tevin would be better for it.😉 Not that Usher could sing it...but that song was made for Tevin!
Thank.God.
Another fun fact: In Usher's song "Call Me a Mack," he shaded Tevin Campbell in the beginning. He said, "Just call me the mack anytime baby...cause I ain't 'confused.'" LOL
I think it was a good call. Tevin had a very mature voice from jump. Usher's voice took a little bit longer to mature. And by "mature" I mean that raw vocal talent.
Yep. And Sean Garrett wrote "Yeah"
@@jnyerere Usher’s voice changed on his first album.
I love the Here I Stand album. I’m an R&B girl. Moving Mountains definitely had me in tears once.
multiple times 😭
Album still in rotation in 2021 💪🏾
I prefer Raymond V Raymond over Here I Stand
I prefer Raymond V Raymond over Here I Stand
@@MrEOM41 Raymond v. Raymond is my album! It will always be on my list.
I love reading everyone’s music memories in the comments. So cool to see how music indirectly connects us all even across generations and continents.
Dude, you are the best, Ive been watching you for the pass six years.
Anything old school music is up my alley. I can't get with this new age stuff.
I thoroughly have enjoyed your assessments between TLC, Brandy and now this one. I see you’ve gotten a lot of requests. Ever thought about Ashanti “Chapter II to Concrete Rose” era? Murder INC really dropped the ball on that one
OMG when he said "For those of you that are too young for Freek A Leek". I was like what?? Damn I feel so old 😩😩😩
Right!!!
Right. Damn that was like 16 years ago. 😂😭.
@@Ilovechicago100 WAS IT?!!! Oh no. We got old quick, damn.
There’s some kid born in 2006 who never even heard of this song lol.
😆😆😆 exactly
Calvin deserves his flowers 🌺 💐 for his work ethic for his docu series TH-cam videos
Facts, bro knows his music history 👍
Before this video, I didn't know that Tamika and Chili were the same age. I think part of the issue was that Chili looked like she could have been Usher's age while Tamika visibly looked much older than he did.
That and she is more beautiful. Pretty privilege.
@@ct5951 or good ol fashioned colorism .. (I say as someone who didn't know they were the same age either)
I'm gonna say it was colorism. Tamika received a ridiculous amount of bullying and I can only sympathize with Usher and the position he was in. He had every right to react the way he did.
I agree. When I was younger I thought she was wayyy older. Chilli looked so young and still does to this day. Crazy that they were the same age.
@@ambriaashley3383 yea that, exactly colorism she doesnt look that much older shes dark skinned and not considered beautiful by the industries standards.
That Ms. Jones radio interview had me gagging!! Calvin really didn't leave any stone unturned with the research. Fantastic!
Same here. They was cuttin up!!
Yesss please do Mya’s fear of flying to moodring next
im here for this assessment i love Mya
YES!!!
Chile....let's TALK ABOUT IT!!!
Yes!!!! I ❤️ Mya!!!
Mya's camp dropped the ball with her sophomore album and the aftermath of the success collaboration( Lady Marmalade)
My fun fact.. lol That tour he went on with Mary (IM A HUGE MJB FAN) me and my sister went to the D.C. show it was 1998. I was 14 so before the show starts people are coming in to their seats we are like in the 8th row this random guy starts talking to my sis (we are 11 yrs apart) I can’t remember what the convo was about but they talked for min. Boom show starts Usher opens up and the guy she was talking to was one of Ushers dancers. I said Nene that’s that boy up there lol (memories)
Confessions was absolutely massive. It’s crazy how he peaked 10 years into his career. There was no way he was gonna replicate that with the follow up album
"Nah, uh-uh! Come on here! I'm going to take you to see Tevin Campbell or Tony Thompson because he trippin'!" I HOLLEREDT!
😂😂😂
😂😂
That Ms Jones “interview” was cringey and disrespectful!!!!! He should have cussed her and her male sidekick out and I don’t think no one would have been mad about it. I don’t know why he stayed on the line as long as he did, soon as they got off topic that would have been my cue to just hang up!!!! Professionalism out the window because they had none first. That interview pissed me off and it was over a decade ago 😡
That sidekick is DJ Envy who is now on The Breakfast Club. I guess he matured 🤷♀️
Yoos C DJ Envy was there but it was another guy who was there that was egging her on and being disrespectful, Envy wasn’t doing any of that he was actually trying to keep it on Usher’s fragrance and the event he was having for it.
@@perfectly_imperfect7972 was it star???
JulianDaKing I think that’s who it was. Him and. Ms. Jones were complete assholes
@@yoosc7771 Nah, the other guy wasn't DJ Envy. DJ Envy kept it pretty professional. The rest of the group was a hot mess.
The Confessions era was Ushers “Thriller” moment.
I will always appreciate Here I Stand. It was a more mature side to Usher while still keeping it cool. I'll always say because of his relationship with Tamika, it turned the sappy teeny fans off for whatever reason.
As a teen with an old soul I appreciated this album and still listen to it ♥️
I was 16 when Here I Stand came out and Moving Mountains was my favorite from the album along with Love In This Club.
@@Aries_Superstar_Army Me too lol I felt like I was going through the motions with him on moving mountains. The Beyonce remix on Love in This Club was A-1!
I'm looking forward to his Residency here in Vegas...supposed to start around my bday month...July!!!😁 Depending on Miss Rona🥴... I love these series...so much insight!
I just went looking for tickets! I hope Rona gets better!
I went 1st Wed in August! Number 1 concert of my Life!
Superb! Calvin is thorough, well- versed, entertaining, and showcases our artists in a positive light. Kudos to you!
Calvin is our resident R&B Historian.
Agreed!!!
I am new to Calvin, but I can already see he is the best in the business at doing this. He is well prepared, and does all of his homework. Honestly he does not miss anything. 💯
I’m glad this is back up. It disappeared while I. Was in the middle of dinner lol.
Love these because I was born in 98, so these are my R&B history classes.
This was long overdue!! I'm sure the wait was worthwhile. Lemme go grab a snack and some box wine. 😁
You don’t redo or outdo an album like Confessions. No artist would ever be able to replicate that same body of work like Confessions.
Michael Jackson spent the majority of his career chasing and failing to recreate his "Thriller" success. That's a sad trap for any artist to fall into.
@@jwill6312 Yes! Although his work post Thriller was still great, I wonder what it would of been if he just let the need to outdo Thriller take over him.
@@jwill6312 so true poor guy
Lil Kim said this about Hardcore. She said you can’t go in to the studio TRYING to make a classic. It just happens
Nope. It’s dead. These new R&B guys can’t measure up. Usher is the last and will forever will be
And his marriage fell apart in 2009 then came the album Raymond vs Raymond which was 🔥
Straight 🔥
Yep love that album
This was sooo good. Tell me why it took me 3 hrs to watch this because I kept pausing the video to go back down memory lane with all the songs and artists you mentioned. You did an outstanding job.
You aren't the only one 😁
I did the same thing! 😊
😂
Same! Calvin's historical videos always do this for me. I love it.
Been an Usher fan since "Call Me Mack" days. From the Here I Stand album, I enjoyed the songs: "Trading Places", "Moving Mountains", "Love in the Club (remix), and "This ain't Sex."
Love you Gently
Do you like his newer stuff?
He was single during Confessions. He was married, a father & becoming a true adult during Here I Stand. I think that turned some people off but it was a good album overall.
I actually fell in love with this album during the spring/summer of ‘09. I was on deployment in the navy and I literally played this album everyday. I loved the “luv in this club” remix with Beyoncé. I really wanted a video for that but she was gearing up or taking off for world domination with the single ladies song and vid. Usher is still the man. His voice is amazing, his moves are fluid and his presence is breathtaking. I hate that we are so quick to let ppl like him go or fall by the waste side. He is legendary.
2004 was like the best year in a while for r&b mariah, usher, Bobbi v, Jamie fox... oh and the last destinys child album... good times!
This was dope as always, was born in 88 so I was there for all of the usher era. Usher is the epitome of artist back in the day being media trained, he always handled things playa.
May I make some suggestions?
Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope
Michael Jackson - Invincible
Mariah Carey - e=MC2
Ciara - The Evolution
I love this "So What Happened" series. You are a music historian and articulate concepts in music and trends extremely well.
Calvin!! You are the G.O.A T.!!! I saw Usher in Baltimore during the Confessions tour. It was amazing!!
Beyoncé and usher dominated 03 and 04
The response to Here I Stand reminds me of Trey Songz' Tremaine project. A lot of artists struggle with the transition from being R&B throb to a more adult audience
I feel like the difference with that is that Trey Songz music ALL sounds the same. He never leaves his range OR sound. So...it is gonna be harder to leave that pocket when all your fans know is a certain thing. Usher has never just been one sound or range. It literally varies song to song on his albums. It's never been like that with Trey Songz.
Ready was his best project... after that he got repetitive
I appreciate you for this episode, Usher deserves more credit! I’m happy he’s still making music! ❤️
He definitely does! 💯
Yep, enjoying his current string of singles that have been released in 2020.
👏🏾 You did a great job on this. I actually love the Here I Stand album. To me, this album was Usher’s introduction into manhood.
One of your best music documentaries thus far! 🙂
Thank you
The next videos he should do should be:
Toni Braxton: The Heat to more than a woman
Janet Jackson: All for you to Damita Jo
Mary J. Blige: No More Drama to Love & Life
Fantasia: Free Yourself to Fantasia
Monica: After The Storm to The Making Of Me
Chris Brown: Exclusive to Graffiti
Whitney Houston: My love is your love to Just Whitney
Mariah Carey: The Emancipation of Mimi to E=mc2
Beyoncé: I Am Sasha Fierce to 4
Destiny’s Child: Survivor to Destiny’s Fulfilled
Ciara: The Evolution to Fantasy Ride
Michael Jackson: Future to Invincible
I definitely enjoyed watching this live! Learned new things every time I see these. Awesome job as always Calvin!! 👏🏾👏🏾 I hope you do Toni Braxton next. I need the tea!
@@tylerhackner9731 oh yes! Toni after the 'Heat' era
At that time r&b music was played on the pop stations regardless I noticed it stopped around 09
That’s a fact
Facts. And EDM began to dominate pop radio
That’s what I love the most about the 80s/90s/early 2000s. So many different artists from different genres made it big because radio stations played a song regardless of genre as long as it was good. You could go from pop to rock to alternative and back with R&B. Nowadays they only play the real bubblegum pop songs from people like Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa. That’s literally why we don’t have amazing groups like Aerosmith, Garbage, Nirvana etc anymore
@@shadeyxo yeah i think the last rock/alternative/whateveryouwannacallit group i remember getting mainstream play was 21 Pilots
I love these "So What Happened?" videos. And since Usher is one of my favorite singers, I really enjoyed this one. Btw, Appetite was my favorite song on Here I Stand.
I love your take and this album as well. It really doesn't get the credit it deserves. My favorite song on the album is Love You Gently.
That radio interview was sad as fuck. How can people be that damn childish and they wonder why music artist don’t want to do interviews with them. Sad!!!
The fact that a grown ass man called a random woman out her name on the radio and still had a job? Disgusting. I would've pulled up. Everybody knows where they work, could pull up any day, anytime of the year!
They were out of line
very disrespectful. i’m shocked he stayed on the phone
I remember gathering around the TV with my family to watch Rhythm City. Usher is still that man, but back then? Whew, he could not be touched!
That interview was disgusting. They had no respect for his private life. This is why people don’t want to go on radio shows cause they’re disrespectful
All I can say is . . . encyclopedic knowledge.🥰 Excellent video!
Great job Calvin. Usher has definitely made a lasting impression on the music industry. Til this day I still get excited when Caught Up comes on. Looking back, it's really sad that his marriage to Tameka was overshadowed by so much negativity. That should have been a happy time for them. Idk much about their break up but I can't help but wonder if people had been more accepting and supportive, would they have stayed together. But now with the herpes rumors and another failed marriage, there is a cloud over his head. That's really sad because he's a great artist. He clearly likes older women though. Chili, Tameka, and Grace were all several years older than him.
I agree with you. It's really sad that the public since Tameka are more interessted in his privat life. Usher and Chilli were the perfect couple for the fans. They haven't forgiven him the break up until today.
Btw his current gf is 38 years old. But many believe he'll also cheat on her someday.
Usher will never get rid of this image. Although many other celebraties aren't better than him. 🤔
@@andrearoppel7541 True. There is a price to pay when you're a public figure. Everything you do or don't do gets scrutinized and critiqued. Very few famous people find themselves to be beloved by all. Usher seems to be level headed though. I've never seen or heard any audio of him flipping out. His sex scandals and divorces seem to be the worse he's done. No drunken or drug induced sporadic behavior like many other stars. Even on that radio interview, although we know he was very perturbed, his voice didn't waver. He was still respectful of people who were bring very disrespectful of him.
@@tamiekabookhart1265 Yes, it's impressive how he deals it all the years. I think it's his positive attitude to life and self confidence. He doesn't focus on the negative.
Despite his human weaknesses 😉 Usher is a amazing person, father and artist 😊
SMH CALVIN U ARE SOOOOO GIFTED! LIKE I AM JUST IN AWE OF HOW AWESOME U ARE! :) THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE FROM START TO FINISH! THANK U SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR SHARING! :D this was my New Years eve entertainment as I was not interested in watching any of the countdown show on tv lol I WILL ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS BE A FAN OF USHER!!! HE IS ONE OF THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME! "HERE I STAND" in my personal opinion was for him. he needed to do and could afford to do that album. it was for his heart and soul and if anyone else liked it, thats cool too. but coming off "Confessions" he needed to be able to STAND STILL IN HIS MANHOOD AND IN HIS GIFT and he did just that. I BELIEVE IT TO BE A MASTERPIECE
Great video! Doing the Lord’s work! Usher is one of my favorite male vocalists of all time. Gorgeous unique rich tone and control. ❤️❤️
That radio interview was crazy. Damn 😂
JESSICA MIND 👏🏾YA👏🏾 BIZNESS👏🏾!
Wow!!!! You ain't lying!!! I'm listening to that part while reading your comment 😆
This was a great video, I learned alot. I knew about his mom not attending the wedding. Here I stand is one of my favorite songs by Usher.
Damn! I grew up during this era of Usher, from the start of his career to his peak to now....I'm amazed you did over a hour of commentary on Usher's career. This was superbly done by the way. I'm impressed at your knowledge and how you seem to have done this commentary ad lib yet so precise and on point.
I really enjoyed this and as a millennial I remember this era vividly. Confession was my high school era and here I stand was my first apartment/college era. I remember being highly underwhelmed and dare I say disappointed with the project and choice of wife. Great job Calvin
The whole Tameka thing was just...sad. ETA: Like the obsession surrounding her.
Thank you Calvin!!! Gives me Behind the Music vibes.
Whats so crazy about Usher being hyper-sexualized at a young age is that ABC (Another Bad Creation) was basically doing the same thing but it was even worst because they were much younger.
You are my kind of music journalist ❤️
This was excellent! In regards to T. Foster, I always felt that much of the energy she got was rooted in colorism. I will always maintain that. Yes, she was a piece of work but for all of the pushback she received? It was as if people were offended of her audacity to put herself out there.
Usher will always be good in this house. I play his debut album like it just came out.
I never thought about that but yea l kinda see what you mean. Chili isn't light skinned but you can tell she's mixed with something. Plus she is/was a big celebrity at the time. I was a kid when usher was with T. Foster but l do remember been bothered by the hate train speeding around her. Colorism and classism are real 😒.
I didn’t realize Usher and Chilli were only together for 2 years. Seems like it was a decade!
Usher was my first crush as a young girl. That My Way album had me sprung chile(it’s also a bit underrated when discussing his discography with all the attn going to Confessions and 8701).
Honestly, when "Love In The Club" came out I didn't even know it was on an album. I thought it was on a mix tape or something else. I thought "Here I Stand" was the first single on the album. Which is sad, because I had been following Usher since, "Call Me A Mack" came out. I even remember when he preformed in a department store in my small country town.
I remember when he was doing department store and mall tours! I was very young but I remember it. My aunt was in a 90s girl group around the time so I was always around music. I vaguely remember Usher performing when they were. Ofc at the time Idk who he or anyone else were but it's a fun memory
@@rahbeeuh I was younger too, preteen. He preformed "Can You Get With It"....I remember that much.
@@LilNancyDrew we had no business listening to that 😂 It's all good tho 😌
@@rahbeeuh Right 😅
Amazing job, Calvin! Can't wait for the next "So What Happened?" episode.
one of my favorite albums ..it never gets old.
Please do one of the Michael Jackson Invincible album and Chris Brown Graffiti album ! These are so good
I was in the 5th grade when this album came out. What's Your Name and Appetite were my favorites back then; now Lifetime and Love You Gently are my go too. Trading Places was played at my 6th dance lol. We loved it but it had no business being played there! I always thought that Usher should be way bigger than he is today. As always amazing and informative video.
I remember that TRL episode like it happened yesterday!
Me too. 😂. When he was quoting what usher said, I could see it as clear as the day. 😆
I guess I was mature at 11 years old because "His mistakes' and "What's a man to do" were my jams. In fact, his mistakes literally challenged me to work on then childhood trauma around relationships and stuff so I don't project on a future partner.
This was an incredibly in-depth analysis. Thank you for your time and effort, I learned so much about music.
Favorite song on that album: "Lifetime."
Great job! I’ve been a fan of Usher since I was 12 (I’m 37 now)😀
Damn 40 minutes in you got people thinking Usher ain't never had a chance...
24 for me lol
Calvin, I love this segment of your channel, the amount of research you do is top tier. It's also so interesting how 'Pop Ya Collar' wasn't a hit in the USA, I'm from South Africa and it was a banger this side during my early high school years.
This video was so thorough and well researched, you killed it! I am so excited to see what Usher does next with his music.
Thoroughly enjoyed detailed research you have clearly put in in this presentation. Great piece of work as usual. I love how you are able to intersect music, celebrity, cultural and music, so that we can virtually see where the album exists at the time of its release. This is such a skill. HAPPY NEW YEAR.
This is an awesome coverage of his career. I can only imagine the amount of stress these artists go through to remain current within the industry. Just hearing the description of the many factors Usher may have had faced lowkey stressed me out lol.
😂😂
My favorite albu is 8701. That is my favore. Confessions was good but they played that album out, lol. I feel that around 08 the industry was changing, the sound evolve into EDM and I feel that Usher like many artists was having a hard time fitting in in this time. NOt saying it was him but it was the end of a reign. But he still did good.
This has me reliving my 8th grade year lol I remember my radio station giving away special edition confessions album and I won it... memories
Calvin you are a genius. I think a REALLY good episode (might be controversial) what happened between I Am Sasha Fierce and 4. Sis went from 7 million GLOBALLY in a year to less than 3. Would love a breakdown for that era.
Very good, informative video. Usher is my fave male artist
Confessions was the album of the decade IMO
Thank you Calvin for another great video. Usher will always be my favorite. I’ve loved his voice since “my way”. That interview about the “fragrance” was mad 😡 disrespectful to him!! I was so pissed listening to it.
Great video, and good analysis. I remember the usher confessions era. It's so nostalgic for me because I was about 9 at the time and my friend and I was obsessed with usher. He dominated that time, and he had a really good run with it. With that being said MJ had only 1 Thriller, and confessions was ushers Thriller. It's hard to surpass a precedent like that, but Here I Stand didn't sustain the energy.
Been waiting all fall for this episode!!!!
The editing is torture lol.
The interview was so crazy 😭😭😭
I really appreciate how repectful you were in cover his legacy. He is always being compared to artists that have not accomplished half of what he has. All JT had to do is spin on one spot and the industry called him Usher's competition and compared him to Micheal Jackson. I was a die hard fan and Confessions was the first CD I bought. I always thought here I stand is a bad album but it's probably because I was 17 when it came out. South Africans love RnB and Soul so it is really interesting learning about these genres through African Americans.
Love this series. Here I Stand (the song) was actually the song my wife and I used for our first dance at the wedding. You should do one about Jay-Z, the time between the Black Album and Kingdom Come.
Calvin you should really do a video breaking down how male artists struggle to grow artistically as they age as opposed to women artists who do so easily.
Hi , can you expand on your theory further thanks
Loved the original livestream of this video. It helped me know more on Usher’s career and what was the result from the downfall between confessions and here I stand. I would love if you did what happened video on Alicia keys how did she go from being the top selling R&B female artists of the new millennium to now where she’s becoming a Hollywood spiritual socialite (no shade love Alicia lol)
I think she lost fans when she got with swiss beats honestly
You know how sis👀
I don't think it's fair to call Here I Stand a downfall just because the success it enjoyed wasn't of comparable scale to its predecessor, AKA the biggest R&B album of that decade. Here I Stand still debuted at the top of the album charts and spawned a number 1 smash ("Love In This Club") that was among the biggest hits of 2008. The same accomplishments also apply to the next album he released after that, Raymond v. Raymond in 2010. Number 1, platinum-selling album, number 1 smash ("OMG"). It's also important to remember that 2008 was sort of a last hurrah in R&B's dominance in the pop landscape. By 2009-2010, the genre had taken a HEAVY backseat to an era of near-absolute EDM ubiquity ushered in (no pun intended) by the likes of Lady Gaga, Kesha, and the Black Eyed Peas. Which makes Usher's accomplishments during that time period all the more impressive (seriously, Black R&B artists were genre-hopping and doing all they could to keep their careers relevant around this time, it seriously sucked). Usher's star power may indeed be a shell of its former glory today, but it wasn't a fall so much as a gradual sloping decline that didn't bottom out until 2016.
Alicia reputation fell off just like Usher getting involved with a married person. She's still a top selling artist
Well done on this video, first and foremost! Big fan of Usher so it's a treat to see content of this caliber in long form.
Here I Stand for me was a "decent" album. I quoted decent because at the time, and here in the present, I'd say that 8701 and Confessions are GREAT albums! When U Remind Me dropped I was 100% invested in his music from then. I was in middle school at that time. By the time Here I Stand dropped, I had started college and you painted the picture really well about the imaging around that album. The sound and image became even more mature and he became a bit less relatable for me compared to the music before. I had always felt like even if I couldn't place myself into the lyrics of a song, I could at least enjoy the hell our of the production or vocal melodies. Here I Stand in a lot of ways felt more targeted towards my parents than me. So I felt less connected with the album.
I also agree that the album lacked the variety that previous albums heard. The Here I Stand journey nests in this certain pocket after the What's Your Name track and sort of refuses to leave that space. So it felt a little samey and seemed scared to push too far into any direction.
Favs on Here I Stand:
This Ain't Sex
Love In This Club Remix
Love You Gently
Trading Places
What's A Man To Do
But aye that's just two cents from one big Usher fan! I also have the unpopular opinion that Looking 4 Myself was a decent album as well, with it's own respectable gems and some of his best vocals. To this day, I think Dive deserved more.
Very good analysis. I loved the HERE I STAND album. My faves are “This Ain’t’ Sex,” “Trading Places,” and “Here I Stand.” While not one of Usher’s best efforts, I still can appreciate it.
Thank you for this. I was a huge Usher fan. It was interesting learning the behind the scenes about him.
One of my favorite web series. I appreciate all of the hard work you put into this video!
Yeeees thank you for this video!!! AMAZING WORK! Please do another one on Brandy's ascension after the Human era to now. i think there's a story there too
I love these documentary style like videos! It reminds me of the show Behind The Music. Thank you for another entertaining and thorough video!
The thing is, Moving Mountains is a very well written and produced song. One of his best songs in my opinion and very underrated. At the same time, that's one of those songs that should've been left on the album instead of being a single. I could've seen "His Mistakes" being a single but later on, maybe the 4th or 5th single.
This is the first I’m listening to this type of video from you. It was well put together and informative. Thanks.
34:42 When u listed all the rnb singers after Confessions he had to compete with then said "THOUGH USHER HAS OUTSOLD ALL THESE INDIVIDUALS" ..i scream "opp SHADE" lol. Also.. speaking on hip hop over taking rnb YEAH and Confession era really pioneered that and in a way became a double edge sword for Usher for how to position his music in future. Do you sell commercially trendy hip hop/rnb music for airwaves or pure rnb music with declining spotlight/audience. Hard choice!
Omg so long! This must've taken forever. I'm excited
Fun Fact: Usher stated in an interview that Can we Talk was originally meant for him but LA Reid and Babyface had a falling out so Babyface gave it to Tevin Campbell
Confessions was so big that they played the Confessions on the radio BACK TO BACK over 10 years after it came out. They overplayed it so much every single year that I got tired of it. They just stopped playing it 2 or 3 years ago.
This album was pure r&b
Burn is everything...it came at a time i needed it!!!
Calvin, this was hands down the best music breakdown video that I have ever seen on TH-cam. Your research and talking points were so thorough and well said. I have to say that I personally loved Here I stand as an album even with all of the nonsense going on at that time and it’s still an album I do listen to to this day. The title track Here I said has to be one of the most beautiful songs that I’ve ever heard. I felt like Usher was being mistreated by the media during this time and as someone who was in their 20’s at the time of this album’s release I really appreciated the maturity of the album. Usher was in a different place in his life and you got that from the sound of the album overall. I completely agree that he usually sets trends and that his pop or uptempo songs are his most popular sounds. Overall I appreciate Usher as an artist because he has moments where he will stretch his artistry and give you something different like he did with the Looking 4 myself album which was so creative and played on various genres of music. Again, amazing video. I will continue to enjoy watching your content.