Usher, Not Sounding Like Himself

 It’s no fun when one of your favorite artists puts out a record that you’re not into.Usher dropped Hard II Love two weeks ago and I had some comments about it. Sold them to Billboard. I’ll start first by saying I absolutely love three tracks on it ("Need U," "Missin' U," and "Crash") and there are—fleeting as they may be—some moments that feel really good to me. But overall, I didn’t enjoy it much and, essentially, my biggest gripe is that it didn’t sound like an Usher record.

Usher Sounds More Like His R&B Contemporaries On 'Hard II Love'

Art is a representation of where its creator was at the time they made it. So if Usher ever reads my thoughts on his latest work, he may think, “What do you mean it doesn’t ‘sound like an Usher record’? I sang all that on purpose with my voice!”

Fair enough. If he’s happy with the art he made, good on him. I will always respect a creative that gets their vision out.Anyway, here’s the piece. I'm such a fan of his that I kind of felt bad being so harsh. I've been to at least three Usher concerts and will gladly go to another. So if you see me grinding up on my girl at one of his shows in the future, know that all criticism came with love. Like when one of the homies says your outfit isn't as good as it could be, then suggests better options. Cool? Cool.