Product Description

Usher has been a symbol of tender sexuality ever since he shifted from teenage sensation to soulful superstar. He's breathtakingly good at what he does; possessing that undefinable essence known to a select few soul crooners (Al Green, D'Angelo, etc.) who radiate sensuality through song, Usher has reached an apex on the sultry CONFESSIONS, his fifth studio album.
After the obligatory intro, Lil Jon kicks in with his exhortations on the catchy, dance-floor-ready single "Yeah". Usher follows that up with the sublimely sweet "Throwback", a torch song with a fantastic Motown hook. On "Confessions Part II", he exposes his most vulnerable side when admitting to his lover that he's fathered a child with another woman. Exemplifying his versatility, Usher follows the standard pop ballad "Simple Things" with the guitar-riff-driven "Bad Girl", somewhere between 1970s funk and '80s Prince. CONFESSIONS is the sound of an R&B luminary at the top of his game.

Track Listing

1. Intro
2. Yeah! Featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris
3. Throwback featuring Jadakiss
4. Confessions
5. Confessions Part II
6. Burn
7. Caught Up
8. Superstar (Interlude)
9. Superstar
10. Truth Hurts
11. Simple Things
12. Bad Girl
13. That’s What It’s Made For
14. Can U Handle It?
15. Do It To Me
16. Take Your Hand
17. Follow Me
18. My Boo – Duet With Alicia Keys
19. Red Light
20. Seduction
21. Confessions Part II Remix Featuring Shyne, Kanye West & Twista

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3530 in Music
• Released on: 2004-10-04
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
A CD is always more compelling when you know it's lifted from the artist's autobiography, and that's certainly the case with Confessions, Usher's first record since 2001's 8701. The Atlanta singer's string of hits over the past decade have been decidedly under-18s rated, almost veering towards teen pop, but he's changed all that on this coproduced offering, which he claims is "the real him". It would be too simplistic to just brand this record a break-up record, chronicling his public split with TLC's Rozonda "Chili" Thomas; it is that, but so much more. It would be more accurate to call this Usher's coming-of-age record, bridging the gap from boy to man, as he navigates the emotional fallout from the disintegration of his relationship and the events that led up to it--real or imagined.

But other than a guilty conscience, it seems unclear why Usher feels compelled to disgorge his secret life, as he documents his infidelities, transgressions and emotional perfidy in the album's prodigious 17 songs that range from insinuating sultry R&B grooves to the decidedly crunky "Yeah", which pairs an insistent keyboard romp with Lil' Jon's assertive beats and Ludacris' rather humid rhymes. This tracks shines all the more since it's the only club track, but you find yourself pining for more, since most of the other songs tend to get bogged down in his lush, feverish balladry. That's not a bad thing, but the disc would have been better served by a few more muscular tracks. --Jaan Uhelszki, Amazon.com

Customer Reviews

Tiring
Yeah is a great song, and Usher has a great voice. If there were more beats like this, the album would have been great, instead yet more R&B Love songs, How many can Usher make.
Caught Up, My Boo, Burn and Yeah are the good tracks, most of the others are average or filler.
Buy this if you are a diehard Usher fan or love R&B

Outstanding
The album "Confessions" has to be the best rnb album I own to date. Usher has produced an album which demonstrates why he is such a star. The special edition includes 21 amazing tracks, for every different mood. My favourites being 'Yeah!', 'Throwback', 'Confessions 2', 'Seduction' and 'My Boo'. If it is possible to produce the perfect rnb album, then this is it! I was already impressed by the 'My Way' album and '8701' but in its autobiographical style, 'Confessions' shows the absolute talents of a musical phenomenon. It's a must have!

He really should repent for this!
This is one of the worst R'n'B albums I have ever heard. Of the four new songs included, only one actually improves the album: "Red Light". The rest: the boring "Seduction", ANOTHER version of "Confessions" and the oh-so-contrived "My Boo" with Alicia Keys do nothing to save a boring album. The original version was a bad album to begin with. This album got 2 stars for the few good tracks on it: "Yeah!", "Throwback", "Caught Up", "Take Your Hand" and "Red Light".