Many of the songs on the album have to be taken on their own, stripped of context otherwise, determining what applies to UsherвЂ™s real and fantasy lives can be problematic. He pours himself into that song more than any other on the set, and breakup lyrics donвЂ™t get much more specific than вЂњYou donвЂ™t think I know whatвЂ™s up, but sweetheart thatвЂ™s what ruined usвЂќ or вЂњI done damn near lost my mama.вЂќ The song was awarded the top spot on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart, most likely for its lyrical uniqueness since the song does not break out of an exceptionally repetitive twiddle. вЂњPapers,вЂќ the early buzz single for Raymond V Raymond, bears the closest relation to the turbulence he experienced. Even the potential singles are just less fun this time around (not that the actual singles have made much impact on the charts).The making of UsherвЂ™s sixth studio album was inevitably affected by the end of his marriage and its aftershocks. Beyond that, itвЂ™s hard to pick highlights, though there are certainly some notable low points: the sappy вЂњThere Goes My BabyвЂќ is one Will.I.Am stinking up вЂњOMGвЂќ with Auto-Tuned banality is another.

вЂњMonstarвЂќ impresses with an eerie synthesizer vamp and an achingly raw vocal turn, and вЂњGuiltyвЂќ adds some much-needed propulsion to the albumвЂ™s slow jam-heavy second half. Often, UsherвЂ™s impassioned singing is about the only argument for the tracks on Raymond, but goofy throwaway lines like вЂњI suggest we take this here home/So we can make a love song/I could be the best part of your waking upвЂќ actually come off worse when delivered so earnestly. Meanwhile, вЂњSo Many GirlsвЂќ and вЂњOkayвЂќ get dragged down by their aggressively dumb lyrics. VenusвЂќ is the only slower number that holds up to repeat listens more representative are вЂњFoolinвЂ™ AroundвЂќ and вЂњMaking Love (Into the Night),вЂќ by-the-numbers ballads that are as generic as their titles. That Usher didnвЂ™t end up making his Here, My Dear isnвЂ™t that much of a surprise: Up to this point, the man has made a career out of steadfastly refusing to change up his game, and, as usual, the appeal of the album lies with his versatile but always ultra-smooth singing.Д«ut even listeners prepared to forgive Usher for promising risk while playing it safe will be put off by the generally low quality of the songwriting here. Mostly, Raymond plays out like any Usher album before it, with moody love-makinвЂ™ ballads competing for space with club-ready cuts. вЂњMonstarвЂќ opens with Usher promising to tell both sides of his story and, eventually, the truth, but beyond a few numbingly literal verses in songs like вЂњPapersвЂќ and вЂњGuilty,вЂќ thereвЂ™s little narrative to follow.

Raymond, are supposed to be inspired by his recent divorce, and the singer has done his best to hype the album as a racy tell-all in the model of his blockbuster Confessions. The songs on UsherвЂ™s sixth album, Raymond v.

Raymond vs raymond usher tracklist