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Usher: Yeah Man

TwistedandBored

By TwistedandBored
in The Voice (US)

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treebyleaf

treebyleaf

So I'm a huge fan of Usher - as a musician, a dancer and as a coach on the Voice - but I'm turned off (no pun intended) by the blatant sexual content of his latest songs. That song he performed on The Voice live called "Good Kisser" where he has "lipstick on his leg"? It's a beautifully sung, well-choreographed ballad about... not mouth kissin'. I'm dating myself, but I miss the early Usher of "My Way" and "You Make Me Wanna." You can talk about love, romance and sex without sounding like you're a 13-year-old boy trying to impress his friends.

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TwistedandBored

TwistedandBored

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I don't think it is only Usher that sounds like a 13 year old when singing about sex. Now days, every singer apparently thinks that is how young men/boys talk about sex to each other. I just love his other songs that are more emotional. You will find those in his CDs. Songs of his that I love are not chart topping material it seems. 

But, I do love him on The Voice. I never that thought Usher was an introvert until I saw him on The Voice. What a surprise! 

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tmelange

tmelange

I'm a huge Usher fan from when he was knee high to a grapevine. lol I understand what you're saying about his new single. But I think there's a lack of 80s-90s style RnB out there now generally. Right now, Usher is competing with many of the same fans as a Chris Brown, whose latest song has the hook "These hoes ain't loyal." lol I think when Usher's full album comes out, there will be more adult-friendly music. I can't fault Usher for trying to keep it young and hip, though. More than enough time in his 40s to go the lounge ballad route. He only has a few more years left where he can pull this type of thing off.

 

BTW, I love Good Kisser. Sexuality in music doesn't bother me. It's always been there blatantly and otherwise. Reminds me of Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye.

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tmelange

tmelange

(edited)

That Chris Brown song made me laugh out loud. He must be talking about himself b/c he's the only disloyal ho I know about. LOL

 

As for Usher--I love him on the voice. We get to see a completely other side to him, and I think his work ethic shines through. I know some people dislike him, but I find him charming and earnest--boastful, but not in a really bad way. He's humble enough to laugh at himself and his own mistakes. His kids are adorable. I would pick his team in a heartbeat if I were on the show. I'm TeamUsher all the way.

 

ETA: And I think he knows what he's talking about from the technical aspects of singing to the performance angle (which is incredibly important these days -- moreso than ever -- because live performing is the primary way recording artists make money). The only thing I would say is he's not a classic songwriter, though I do know he collaborates heavily on the lyrics for the songs he chooses for his albums.

Edited by tmelange
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treebyleaf

treebyleaf

Good points @tmelange. I guess I expect better of Usher than I do of Chris Brown but you're right, they're competing for the same fans and Usher still wants to be seen as young and current. I just hope he comes out with a fast-paced hit at some point where I can listen to the lyrics without rolling my eyes. (Oh no, I sound so old!)

 

And I think he's a great coach. I think the next season with him as a Voice coach will be interesting because he'll be REALLY wanting to win this time. He'll have more to lose if his contestants don't do well since there won't be the excuse of him just being "new". 

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tmelange

tmelange

I was in the computer room at a hotel the other day, and some teens came in to check their facebooks etc. The music they listened to during that time period was truly appalling. Usher may go with the sexual lyrics, but I can't think of one of his songs where he really bashes women. Even Good Kisser is a classic "My girl is sooo great" thing. Usher was raised by a bunch of southern women, and I don't think he'd ever do a song that they would hate, unlike a Chris Brown. lol I'd even be surprised if he ever did something as tetchy as "Blurred Lines." He has never been as edgy as I think he may have liked to be. lol

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TwistedandBored

TwistedandBored

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@treebyleaf, Some of the songs these guys produce is truly appalling. I think Drake sings about girls and love and he gets called "soft". It is weird how we define manly in music world today. And, the women are following in the men's footsteps. This is probably why Indie music is getting more and more mainstream. People are looking for something different. 

 

 

@tmelange, Didn't Usher write most of his Confessions album? If I remember that was rumored to be based on his love-life with Chilli from TLC. I loved that Album as whole. One of the best Usher albums ever! 

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tmelange

tmelange

Actually, Confessions is mostly about Jermaine Dupri (album producer) and his stepping out on Janet Jackson (some little man-trolls can't simply be happy with what they have). The 10-year anniversary date of the album just passed, and the producers talked in interviews about how everyone assumed the album was about Usher and Chilli when it was really about Jermaine's baby-momma trials and tribulations. Jermaine wrote most of the main songs on the album, however, Usher did do a lot of revising on the lyrics to make them fit his persona, so in that way he takes ownership of the writing. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Robin Thicke and Just Blaze all had hands on that album. Confessions is one of my favorite albums of the last decade.

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TwistedandBored

TwistedandBored

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Oh, wow! I did not know that! Seriously, how could Jermaine step-out on a woman like Janet freaking Jackson of all people!? What a dog!!! I really thought that was about Usher and Chilli. I remember some rumors about Usher having a pregnancy scare or something.  

 

You are right, Confessions is a really amazing album. 

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mercfan3

mercfan3

I agree with Usher not really disrespecting women. His songs are all about sex, but they're "I love you girl. You are so beautiful. Let's go have a romantic dinner and then have passionate romantic consensual sex." I think he likes being that "for the ladies" artist. 

 

I don't even mind the "good kisser song." He's got a song called "Dive" so it evens out.

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tmelange

tmelange

I wanted to put this quote here for posterity, since my original post at TWoP is now lost to time. Just in case the issue of his coaching methods comes up in the future:

 

Carson Daly 5/2014:

 

"We called Usher the Mr. Miyagi of coaches because when he first started in season 4 he had these unbelievable little things that he would make the artist do...and it was like wax on wax off and we called him Mr. Miyagi. But there was always a method to his madness, and it was so much fun to watch him come into the show that preexisted him where he could have just watched on TV and gone, "Oh this is how you coach. I don't need to do more or less than that," but he did so much more and it was so evident, people were like...making Josh run laps, or pushups, and it was about breathing, and he cared so much. And it was fun. It's fun to see you get rewarded for your coaching style. It's exactly why we built the show, for a coach like you."

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTX-LbBV33s&feature=share&list=UUa5024htbnJ-UPpvU0SeMHg&index=2

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tmelange

tmelange

Me too! It was a great performance. I know some people were criticizing it, saying it didn't sound like D'Angelo, but give me a break. D'Angelo live doesn't sound like the studio version of that song, because the studio version has D'Angelo's own voice singing on multiple layers. Usher and Adam's live performance was extremely well done, especially since I doubt they had all that much time to practice. I'm going to have to extract the audio from the youtube video since I can't get it on itunes.

 

D'Angelo on Usher:

 

D'Angelo also recalled seeing a 16-year-old Usher and noting, "This little kid's gonna do something." Rolling Stone http://rol.st/1jIlNZ4

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