Album Review: Coming Home by Usher
Album Review: Coming Home by Usher
In his first new album since 2016, featuring some of the producers he worked with from some of his best works, including Jermaine Dupri, The-Dream, and Pharrell, is Usher back home to R&B?
Usher has been teasing fans with a string of singles that have kept us on the edge of our seats. From the smooth, laid-back vibes of “Don’t Waste My Time” to the sultry beats of “SexBeat,” each release has been a tantalizing glimpse into what could be a full-length project. Yet, despite the anticipation, an album has remained elusive since its initial tease in 2019 since Jermaine Dupri’s Instagram Live. The question on everyone’s mind is, why the delay?
“Don’t Waste My Time,” featuring British singer Ella Mai, is a track that harks back to the golden era of R&B. It’s co-written by Vedo and reuniting his team with Jermaine Dupri and Bryan Michael-Cox; the song is a nod to the ‘90s, a period that many consider the peak of the genre. It’s a feel-good tune that has been a hit at social gatherings, reminding us of Usher’s ability to create timeless music. “SexBeat,” on the other hand, is a collaboration with Ludacris and Lil Jon, reuniting the trio that gave us the 2004 hits “Lovers & Friends” and “Yeah!” This track is a sultry, mature offering that showcases Usher’s versatility as an artist.
“I Cry” is a departure from the upbeat nature of the previous singles, offering a more introspective look at Usher’s emotional side. Released during social unrest, the song addresses the pain and suffering many felt. It’s a raw, moving tribute that shows Usher isn’t afraid to tackle serious issues in his music. “Bad Habits,” the best of the four singles, is a confessional tune that delves into the complexities of love and relationships, a theme Usher has explored throughout his career.
So, what could be the reason for the delay in releasing a full album? One possibility is that Usher is taking his time to perfect a project that will meet the high expectations set as it was rumored titled Confessions 2. Another theory is that the changing dynamics of the music industry, with its focus on streaming and playlists, have made singles a more lucrative and strategic option for artists. Releasing singles allows for immediate feedback from fans and keeps the artist consistently in the public eye. Since then, the more he recorded for the album, Usher suffered writer’s block, scrapped the idea for a sequel because of the pandemic, and, according to the GQ interview, said he doesn’t want to be who he was but wanted to be “better than who he was.”
Whatever the reason, it’s clear that Usher is not rushing to release a full-length project. Perhaps he’s waiting for the perfect moment to drop an album that will not only meet but exceed our expectations, primarily due to not meeting the standards of his magnum opus (Confessions) with a slew of solid to mixed reception of releases he’s dropped since (Here I Stand, Raymond v. Raymond, Looking 4 Myself, Hard II Love). In the meantime, these singles have been a delightful treat, each offering a different facet of Usher’s musical talent that R&B fans have been feening since he rode the EDM wave and Trap&B trends, which he alienated since 2010 (we’re looking at you, “No Limit”).
He experienced a resurgence in popularity, not just from his past achievements in music, celebrating the 25th anniversary of My Way, his viral NPR Tiny Desk performance or headlining this year’s Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show, but also due to his highly talked-about Las Vegas residency. It’s a moment he’s wisely leveraging, especially with his sensual offering, “GLU.” The track is a collaborative effort featuring production from Sean Garrett, Lil Jon, and The Avila Brothers (neither was featured on this new effort), who have worked with Ursh since Confessions. It’s a sultry tune that doesn’t shy away from explicitness, as the verse leaves little room for interpretation, but the chorus offers a slight reprieve in its explicitness.
Following the radio success of “GLU,” Usher dropped another hit, “Good Good,” featuring Summer Walker and 21 Savage (album’s first single), which is on this newest release since A (with Zaytoven) in 2018 and his full-length independent release since Hard II Love in 2016, Coming Home. This track takes a different tone, focusing on emotional wisdom. Usher sends a heartfelt message to a former love, wishing her well despite their separation. Courtesy of Mel & Mus, the production offers a groove that echoes Usher’s earlier work but adds a fresh twist. Summer Walker, who has worked with Usher before, contributes a verse that complements the song’s theme of mature separation. 21 Savage’s feature is surprisingly a grower, reflecting on past moments while looking ahead.
Last year, Usher’s Las Vegas residency became a topic of discussion for another reason. A video went viral featuring Keke Palmer, whom Usher serenaded during one of his shows. This led to public criticism from Keke’s then-partner, Darius Jackson, who took issue with her attire. Adding another layer to Usher’s musical offerings (not featured on the album) is “Boyfriend,” a track that harks back to the early Usher days but is the weakest drop by far. With a bass-driven melody, Usher sings about being the secondary man in a woman’s life, adding complexity to his musical persona.
A tender ballad titled “Risk It All,” featuring only the piano to carry its melody, finds itself perfectly nestled within the repertoire of the immensely skilled artist H.E.R., who also produced the track. Usher joins her, and together, their voices create an unexpectedly harmonious blend. As they alternate, taking the lead in the verses, each supports the other with rich backing vocals that enhance the song’s harmonic depth.
The narrative intertwines into the lyrics, exploring the multifaceted nature of love, its liberating moments, as well as its complexities. Despite fluctuating fortunes within a relationship, the duo is ready to embrace vulnerability for the sake of love. They deliver this sentiment harmoniously as they join voices in the hook.
While “Risk It All” possesses a contemporary sound that may diverge from an early 20th-century backdrop from The Color Purple film, it adeptly captures the essence of discovering true love within oneself and in partnership with someone who holds you in high regard.
The album opens with a title track reminiscent of the King of Pop’s “The Way You Make Me Feel,” while Burna Boy joins in for the ride. Another Nigerian artist featured on the album is Pheelz, who produced the title track and “Ruin,” a breakup ballad featuring a slow-wine rhythmic propulsion of amapiano, which has dominated the mainstream for the past few years. Throughout his career, Usher has been rightfully critiqued for years for following trends and not setting the standard for the R&B genre, but compared to his latest efforts, he’s returned to his creative home with Antonio “L.A.” Reid since his 2004 diamond-seller, some of the writing is there, and his singing tone sounds as good as ever.
Usher’s latest album is a vibrant showcase of musical diversity, with 20 tracks blending various genres, including R&B, hip-hop, pop, funk, and amapiano, as mentioned earlier. This aims to push himself into a different direction does not mean moving away from what has proven successful; the album celebrates collaborations with R&B/Hip-Hop veterans such as Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, The-Dream, Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, and Pharrell Williams (“Cold Blooded”), all of whom have contributed to Usher’s earlier achievements. Single-worthy tracks include the lively but uninspired “A-Town Girl” with Latto, which nods to Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” and “Kissing Strangers,” a reflective, non-distinct poppy-type song on the echoes of a past relationship produced by the late Busbee and Ryan Daly.
The uptempo horn-driven “BIG” has a cheesy hook with forgettable verses (“You want somebody to take charge/You know I do it extra large/When I was a kid, I would go to McDonald’s/I would never order the small), but on some grown man tip, “Please U” is a soulful extravaganza that elegantly navigates the complexities of desire and intimacy. Usher skillfully balances the themes of longing and fulfillment, employing direct and evocative language. The imagery of transforming dry sheets into something ‘wetter’ and the promise to fulfill “all your wildest dreams” further enrich the song’s exploration of intimacy and shared experiences.
Usher’s day-one fans have been waiting for the reunion with Dupri & B. Cox will make Coming Home. The chemistry still exists with a new cheating anthem, “On the Side,” but “I Am the Party” steals the show, and it’ll make your steamy baby-making playlist. The other song that fits the bill is “Luckiest Man,” which sounds like it was taken from the ‘80s playbook. Usher reflects on the rarity and uniqueness of his relationship with his partner by acknowledging his partner’s simple actions, highlighting deep gratitude and admiration. The sections leading up to the hook lyrically and melodically elevate the song, reinforcing the theme of luck and fortune in finding true love.
Other producers feature hip-hop’s MVP, Hit-Boy, who produced the mid-tempo “Bop” with The-Dream, which sounds like vintage Usher with his signature falsetto vocals and pulsating 808s. On the same wavelength, “Stone Kold Freak” is another mid-tempo jam that features one of his best writers, Rico Love, who never disappoints. D’Mile contributed to three tracks featuring the funk-driven The-Dream and Tricky-assisted “I Love U,” one of the album’s best tracks, the guitar-driven head-knocker “Room in a Room,” which deals with finding a space to get stuff off your chest, and “One of Them Ones,” which features co-production and writing assistance with the Underdog, Damon Thomas, a shift from casual encounters to recognizing a profound, soul-stirring connection with someone, marking them as ‘one of the ones’—a rare find that changes everything.
In the verses, Usher narrates a personal evolution from someone who once dismissed love songs as irrelevant to someone deeply moved by them, thanks to a significant other. This transition highlights a change in his emotional state and illustrates the impact of finding true love on one’s outlook on life and relationships. The lines “Until I found the one that I can take home” and “Just because of you, I don’t do what I done before” reflect a mature acknowledgment of past behaviors and the transformative power of a meaningful relationship. His acknowledgment that “It’s probably both” the song and the person that affects him so profoundly underlines the inseparability of his love from his everyday experiences.
Closing out this effort is the remix to “Standing Next to You,” performed by BTS’ Jung Kook from his debut album GOLDEN, which blends R&B and pop elements into another Michael Jackson-inspired track that showcases both artists’ distinct vocal capabilities and artistic styles. Usher’s contribution in the second verse adds a layer of sophistication and depth, aligning with the song’s theme of cosmic, predestined love, thanks to Johntá Austin’s penmanship. His smooth delivery complements Jung Kook’s, enriching the track’s texture, even though it sounds like an encore track as it feels out of place.
Coming Home offers catchy tunes and represents a broad exploration of musical styles, inviting his broad audience to engage with his extensive range as an artist. From tracks that get you on your feet like “Keep on Dancin’,” which may not work for everyone, to collaborative efforts that span different sounds and eras, Usher is committed to evolving his musical expressions while capturing the emotional essence and rhythmic allure his fans have always cherished.
Will the album please the core R&B fans looking for another album like Confessions? Of course not. This album has something for everybody (depending on how you feel about the songs), just like some of his previous projects that had mixed results, but with plenty of trimming, this album will flow from track to track. Usher always wants to move forward, but we hoped he would drive past trends to deliver something more personable and raw. He wants to connect the dots between what music was and what it has become, finding himself as the freshest face among the classic icons or as one of the genuine luminaries in today’s music scene, and it doesn’t stick to landing on some of the songs.
Whether or not you’re with him for the ride is up to you, but Usher is still trying to find his footing as a legacy artist. He may not have anything to prove in his 30-year career. Still, he doesn’t have to continue pandering to the younger generation (*ahem* “A-Town Girl”) and embrace the stage of his career instead of working with newer artists to get him on the Hot 100 charts. If this is about celebrating R&B, then honor it, but there are songs in which he relies on familiar tropes to reduce the genre rather than elevate it.
You can’t have an album title like Coming Home and not live up to the expectations, excluding the incredible rollout. To truly celebrate R&B, Usher would benefit from exploring less predictable thematic ground, showcasing the genre’s total capacity for top-tier songwriting and personal introspection. Maybe next time.
Solid (★★★½☆)
Favorite Track(s): “Bop,” “Stone Kold Freak,” “Please U”