Sorry Usher, but your new album should be called “Going Home” instead of “Coming Home” because this album was not worth the eight year-long wait.
Usher, an American singer and this year's Super Bowl halftime show performer released a new album called “Coming Home” on Friday. This was his newest release since 2016 and was highly anticipated by his fans as it's been a long time coming.
His song “Nice & Slow” from the “My Way” album (1997) was his first No. 1 hit and his song “You Make Me Wanna” was his first Grammy nomination from that same album, selling seven million copies.
He expanded his formula for success with his next release, “8701” (2001), which yielded two No. 1 singles, “U Got It Bad” and “U Remind Me,” which earned him two Grammys, according to an article by The New York Times.
Throughout his career, Usher has showcased his versatility as an artist: blending R&B, pop, hip-hop and even dance influence in his music.
He has consistently delivered chart-topping singles and albums that earned numerous awards throughout his music career. His number of Grammy awards and numerous Billboard Music Awards are to show for that.
Despite not having any recent album releases prior to 2016, Usher remains a highly-relevant artist and his past albums continued to be played everywhere.
After all, he performed at the Super Bowl last Sunday — a big deal that shows how much weight his name still carries in the music industry.
His song “Love in This Club” lives in my head rent-free.
One of my best shower performances is singing the chorus as loud as I humanly can over and over again,“I wanna make love in this club (Hey) / In this club (Hey).”
Usher also performed this hit song for Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show and I was singing right along with him.
However, when listening to his new album “Coming Home,” I didn't get the same excitement his music usually brings me.
The song “Big” from his “Coming Home” album has a shockingly low 15,000 views on YouTube. For someone like Usher to have less than a hundred thousand or more views, it’s safe to say I am not the only one who was disappointed.
Scrolling through the comments on the video, I noticed a handful of comments saying “It's okay, but I have heard way better from Usher,” and I 100% agree.
Where is the Usher that makes me feel like a bad bitch who doesn't need a man by her side?
Now, “Coming Home” makes me feel like I just ended my relationship and need to cry myself to sleep.
If I had to pick one song from his new album as my favorite, it would have to be “Stone Cold Freak.” This is one of the songs from his new album that I feel reflects him as an artist. ‘’
The track is catchy and sounds like the Usher we all know and love the most.
I can see this song being my new shower jam, singing into my hairbrush while swaying my hips from side to side.
Out of the album's 20 tracks, there are only about three I can see myself potentially adding to my playlist other than “Stone Cold Freak.” Those are “I Am The Party,” “Please U” and “Standing Next to You.”
One of the only things that saves this album from receiving a one-star rating is the fact that Usher’s voice is so soothing and he still has his vocals to account for.
I do not doubt that Usher's talent, charisma and longevity in the industry have solidified his status as a music icon. Despite this album not being one of his personal bests,
his contributions will continue to resonate with audiences around the world.
