Here I Stand : Usher : Review : Rolling Stone

There comes a time in every R&B singer's life when he stops catching panties and finds himself a wifey. Having married and fathered a son last year, Usher is back to velvety slow-jams, this time embracing domestic life's freaky side. On "Trading Places," which recalls Prince's "The Beautiful Ones," Usher role-plays June Cleaver to his lady's Ward, brewing her coffee and offering to be "on the bottom." And he spends two full songs begging for sex on the dance floor: The second, "Love in This Club Part II," bites its melody from the Stylistics' "You Are Everything" but packs the hilarity of an R. Kelly song, as Usher and Beyoncé argue the pros and cons of doing the deed. Judging by all the album's innuendo — "I'll bag you like some groceries," "I can't wait to deliver you like a FedEx box" — suburban chores even get him hot. But now that he's got the American Dream, he sounds like he's stopped trying. The original "Love in This Club," produced by Polow Da Don, sounds like it's built on stock samples from Apple's GarageBand software. And "Love You Gently" issues the least subtle come-on — "How 'bout some foreplay?" — before rushing into "Best Thing," where Usher and Jay-Z dream of populating the world with future players. That's the problem with babymaking ballads: Once they create actual babies, the romance is dead.

MELISSA MAERZ

(Posted: May 29, 2008)

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Track List

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Intro
Love in This Club
This Ain't Sex
Trading Places
Moving Mountains
What's Your Name?
Prayer For You (Interlude)
Something Special
Love You Gently
Best Thing (track not available in Rhapsody)
Before I Met You
His Mistakes (I Can't Win)
Appetite
What Is A Man to Do
Lifetime
Love in This Club, Part II
Here I Stand
Hidden Bonus Track

Your Turn

Give us your review of Here I Stand

Review 1 of 5

3of 5 Stars

Thank goodness. A fancy-dancing pop-R&B performer that actually has a wife and kids. Keep an eye out though. If he opens Usherland Amusement Park in his back yard it could be starting all over again....

Jun 4, 2008 12:30:53

Review 2 of 5

5of 5 Stars

Here I Stand is exactly what I have been waiting for. Usher reveals to us what music has the potential to be. Just as Confession, Here I Stand contains great tracks. This is truly one of the greatest albums we have been presented with from R&B artist in a very long time.

May 31, 2008 12:27:58

Review 3 of 5

4of 5 Stars

ha, the 'romance' in you must be dead.

yeah, there's a handful of throwaway lines (and i mean, when has beyonce ever had good lines?) like any other r+b album. but if you don't grind on the nearest inanimate object after hearing 'this ain't sex' or 'trading places,' you are dead inside.

also, 'appetite' is a great track, along with 'moving mountains' (perfect choice for a 2nd single) and a handful of others, in my opinion. maybe you just aren't hearing the same record i'm hearing.

'here i stand' is one of the best mainstream r+b/pop albums in a LONG time.

May 23, 2008 11:09:36

Review 4 of 5

4of 5 Stars

The album is pretty hot. I used some of the music in my video reviews at www.fragrancetalk.com

Take a look at them. The cd is typical of Usher; what we all expected from him. But, it is enjoyable of course.

May 20, 2008 09:18:59

Review 5 of 5

4of 5 Stars

I don't think this album will be as hot as his others but his leaked songs like "moving mountains" and "love in this club pt. II" are truly promising. Let's hope that this review is wrong...like almost all of their music reviews (except Robyn's CD!)

May 15, 2008 07:29:09

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