The following "Throwback," produced by Just Blaze, sounds like it was made for the sole purpose of trailing Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name." Like that hit, "Throwback"'s sensitively treated soul sample provides a nostalgic tint that complements the wistful, regret-filled tone of the lyrics. "Yeah!"'s crunk-meets-R&B foundation, featuring an instantly addictive eight-note keyboard vamp and one of Usher's most muscular turns, is so absorbing that Ludacris' 1500th guest verse floats by with little notice. On the other side of the coin, the smartest move Usher makes here is in allowing the Lil Jon-produced "Yeah!" to take its rightful place as the only club track any attempt at doing something stylistically similar would've failed miserably in its presence. At an hour in duration, it could be stripped of five songs and be far more powerful, especially since no one would have to do any wading to get to the meaty parts. Buy the album Starting at £13.29Ĭonfessions' most detracting factor is its length.
Confessions is the fourth studio album by American singer Usher.Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs. It was released on March 23, 2004, by Arista Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2003 to 2004, with its production handled by his longtime collaborator Jermaine Dupri, along with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Lil Jon, among others. Primarily an R&B album, Confessions showcases Usher as a crooner through a mixture of ballads and up-tempos, incorporating musical genres of dance-pop, hip hop and crunk. The album's themes generated controversy about Usher's personal relationships however, the album's primary producer Jermaine Dupri claimed the album reflects Dupri's own personal story. In the United States, the album sold 1.1 million copies in its first week. To boost sales amid threats of bootlegging, the special edition for the album was issued, which includes the single, " My Boo" a duet with Alicia Keys. Confessions earned Usher several awards, including the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album.Īccording to Billboard, it is the second-best selling album of the 2000s decade in the United States, behind Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP. With over eight million copies sold in 2004, the album was viewed as a sign of recovering album sales in the US, following three years of decline. It was also exemplary of urban music's commercial peak and dominance of the Billboard charts in 2004. Confessions has been certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and, as of 2016, has sold over 10.3 million copies in the US and over 15 million copies worldwide. When he began recording Confessions in 2003, Usher claimed he did not want to work with any new producers.
Production began between Usher and Jermaine Dupri, who produced his last two albums, My Way (1997) and 8701 (2001). In spite of his vision, Usher stated, "With this album I chose some new producers who I figured would definitely allow me to really articulate myself in a different way .
You gotta look for something different." Dupri also invited his frequent collaborator Bryan-Michael Cox. The album features productions by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Just Blaze, R. When Usher felt that the album was completed, with forty recorded songs, he submitted the album to his record label, Arista. However, he and the company's then-president, L. Reid, who listened to the record, thought something was missing in it.