Usher - Confessions
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Free Music Notes for Confessions
Free Music Review: Classic CD from R&B superstar
Hit: 5 Stars
With Confessions Usher makes it known that he's the king of R&B and he's not going anywhere. At a first listen Confessions really didn't impress me but after seeing Usher on The Truth Tour back in the summer of 2004 I went back and gave the CD another listen I must I was presently surprised at how much I liked it. As always I'll do a track by track break down
1. Intro - Speaks for itself
2. Yeah ! - What Can I say no matter what this is always going to a club song even though I prefer the ATL remix.
3. Throwback - I never really cared for this song and Just Blaze gives us a horrible beat.
4. Confessions Part 1 - I first heard this one the import version of Confessions and I thought it was better than the sequel. Originally JD & Usher had planned to make the song ten minutes.
5. Confessions Part 2 - Nice Up-tempo although I prefer Part 1 because the beat is slower
6. Burn - The second single released back in 2004, it had to grow on me as Usher was singing poppy and not soulful.
7. Caught Up - One of the songs I gave a second listen to I really like this one
8. Superstar Interlude - Nice little intro leading up to one of the ballads on the CD.
9. Superstar - One of my favorite songs on the CD and a mix tape favorite.
10. Truth Hurts - Catchy song
11. Simple Things - Another Jam & Lewis wonder. Usher really needs to work with them so more of his next CD.
12. Bad Girl - After the concert this song kind of grew on me
13. That's What's It Made For - A bangin slow track that always works for me
14. Can U Handle It - Usher's bedroom track and my favorite song on the CD
15. Do It To Me - Usher's tries to give a tribute to Prince and doesn't fail completely.
16. Take Ya Hand - A popish song but not a bad listen it also grew on me.
17. Follow Me - The final Jam & Lewis track I really started to like this song and the beat by Dre & Vidal is some of their best work.
18. My Boo - I hated this song and I think that Alicia was the wrong choice to duet with
19. Red Light - Usher & Lil Jon reunite for another club banger.
20. Seduction - My second favorite song from the CD, Jam & Lewis always work wonders with this quiet storm slow jam.
21. Confessions Part II remix, with Shyne/Twista/Kanye West- It's all right nothing special.
Rare B-Sides
Usher recorded up to eighty songs and some of them have appeared on various mix tapes and soundtracks.
1. Doin The Most - A lovely ballad produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis that is reminds the listener of Ralph Tresvant's Sensitivity. This is one of the songs Usher should have kept on the CD as it's very soulful.
2. DOT COM - A very sexual song written and produced by Robin Thicke. This is another song that would fit perfect with the other sexual songs on the CD.
3. It Is What It Is - A kind of mid-tempo JD produced ditty, nothing to special and I'm glad they cut it.
4. Whatever I Want - Rich Harrison produced this one with it's blaring horns and catchy beat.
5. Ride - Another track co-written and produced by Rich Harrison, the song was later turned into Get Right for J-Lo.
6. Wifey feat. Pharell - A hot mid-tempo song in the vein of Excuse Me Miss by Jay-Z produced by The Neptune's.
7. Sweet Lies - Another Neptune's Gem that was supposed to appear on The Neptune's Clones Album.
Free Music Review: A great album by a great artist
Hit: 4 Stars
I think Confessions is a great album. Usher is such a good singer and he lives up to that with Confessions. I read alot of the negative reviews and it seems to me that the majority are criticizing Usher himself instead of reviewing this album. Just because the content is different from 8701 doesn't make it bad. This album would not be a waste of money. I recommend it:)
My Faves:
-Yeah
-Burn
-My Boo
-Do It To Me
-Red Light
Free Music Review: If You Haven't Got This Yet...GET IT!
Hit: 5 Stars
Considering the fact that "Confessions", the follow-up to 2001's dissatisfying multi-platinum album "8701", has already gone multi-platinum and scored a load of smash hit singles, I shouldn't even be bothering to write a review about this album. However, I choose to do so because this album is the reason I got hooked onto R&B in the first place.
With the help of Jermaine Dupri, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Lil' Jon, Rich Harrison, Bryan Michael Cox and a bunch of others on the production board, as well as a few guest spots (Jadakiss, Ludacris, etc.), Usher has crafted his best album to date, mainly mixing sensual slow jams with smooth mid-tempo grooves and catchy upbeat numbers. Without a doubt, "Yeah", the Crunk'n'B club-banging classic featuring Lil' Jon's Crunk production and Ludacris' witty 16 bars, is one of the best tracks on the album, but this album is a lot more personal and honest (and self-indulgent) than such a track might suggest.
The best example of the aforementioned fact would be "Confessions Part II", where Usher regretfully confesses to his leading lady about his infidelities and unintentionally impregnating another woman over Jermaine Dupri's piano keys and catchy guitar string loop. Although Jermaine Dupri provides less appealing production on the preceding "Confessions", Usher's emotional vocal delivery and honest lyrics are just as profound; ditto for the Jam & Lewis-produced "Simple Things", an amazing ballad which boasts a killer chorus and downright-brilliant lyrics about giving a girl less materialistic offerings and more emotional attention. On the soulful, smooth "Truth Hurts", Usher sends his paranoid ode to his woman about her infidelities, right before adding a twist to the end in the lyrics and admitting that his "guilty conscience is the real reason [he] wrote this song".
Even when the songs take a more universal turn on the album's other songs, the results are still amazing. On second single "Burn", Usher's voice remains emotional, smooth and soulful while he sings about letting go of a bad relationship over Jermaine Dupri's solid groove. Just Blaze's electric guitars (or wah-wah...can't tell) and rapper/songwriter/Usher's protégé Rico Love's progressively brilliant lyrics fuel Usher's emotional hurt on album highlight "Throwback", and the guitar-driven slow jam "Superstar" is the type of song that'll simultaneously pseudo-seduce female Usher fans and cause male listeners into rolling their eyes in mildly jealous boredom. "My Boo", a soulful duet ballad with R&B/Soul extraordinaire Alicia Keys, is definitely the best track on the album - the type of song that resonates with listeners of all ages and takes you back to the good puppy-love times of one's youth.
Apart from the album's lack of up-tempo material ("Caught Up", "Follow Me" and "Red Light -another Lil-Jon-produced club concoction- is as close as you'll get), this album does have some flaws, which (ironically) come around when he gets sexual. "Can U Handle It" falters with its dull production, weak lyrics and Usher's disappointing vocal performance.
"That's What It's Made For", with its heavily hypnotic guitar/flute groove, is perfect listening when you're "in the mood" (for lack of a less sleazy or explicit phrase), but some people might be displeased with a few things - the lyrics, the fact that it's a sex song, Usher's sense of egotism and the fake orgasms and surrendering come-ons of an infatuated/sexed-up/possibly drunk or stoned female. "Seduction", as predictable as its title suggests, works just fine with usher's melodically smooth vocals and Jam & Lewis' smooth production. What's most surprising about the track is Usher's unexpected rap towards the end, which isn't too bad, despite the fact that the lyrics are (once again) sexual. Nonetheless, I consider that song an actual highlight.
Altogether, a great album, Usher's best to date, GO BUY IT! 5 STARS!
Yes, I know I mentioned that there was some filler, which should mean Usher should not get his full marks. However, this is the album that turned me to R&B in all its forms - Pop, Soul, Rock, etc. Not only that, but the few weak tracks this CD are easily compensated for with all the other tracks, which usually range from great to stellar. Therefore, I refuse to give my favourite album less recognition than it deserves.
5 Best Tracks:
"My Boo (feat. Alicia Keys)"
"Yeah (feat. Ludacris)"
"Confessions (Part II)"
"Throwback (feat. Jadakiss)"
"Seduction"
Album Favourite:
"Simple Things"
Weaker Tracks:
"Can U Handle It"
Free Music Review: Worth buying the Reissue!!
Hit: 5 Stars
i usually hate when people reissue cds and then you have to buy it AGAIN just for like two new tracks, but this album is a different story. It has three new tracks, one new remix, and two new versions of two of the tracks, plus awsome new artwork which is about 50 times better than the original artwork.
heres an indivual review on each of the new tracks:
03. Throwback (Featuring Jadakiss)- this track was REALLY hot to begin with, i always thought it should be a single, but now its 10 times hotter because Jada's on it! (most people didnt realize that, but Jadakiss isnt on the version of this track that appers on the original cd)[5/5]
04. Confessions - this is a brand new song. on the original issue of this cd, 'Confessions' was just an interlude and it was just him talking. This one, is a full song, ranking in at 4 minutes and 20 seconds [4/5]
18. My Boo (Featuring Alicia Keys) - this one song is reason enough to buy this reissue. This song is pure genius, i love everything about it. Usher and Alicia sound amazing together, if you like this song, i recomed thier other duet, The remix of Alicia's hit single 'If I Ain't Got You' [20/5]
19. Red Light - this song is soooo good, its got a hot beat and ushers voice flows so great over it. [5/5]
20. Seduction - slow, song really good, i love this one, Ushers voice sounds great on it, and i really like the lyrics [4/5]
21. Confessions Part 2 [Remix] (Featuring Shyne, Twista, and Kanye West) - hottest remix in a long time, Kanye West, Twista and Ush are all huge names in hip hop, so this songs really great. [5/5]
Free Music Review: WHAT HAPPENED?
Hit: 1 Stars
I dont understand how this album was so successful because it was pretty bad! I loved the 8701 album...it was a lot more versatile and he portrayed a better range in those songs...now the confessions album is just full of his whiny sexcapades and dumb love songs for his girls...which comes off as narcisstic and just plain old predictable ...there is nothing great about this album...his remake to "lovers and friends" was good but why include lil john and ludacris in such a good slow song...yea is the only highlight of the album...everything else is very flat and predicatable R&B....No surprises whatsoever!