Neon Reviews: Usher – Versus

Usher - Versus

Less than six months and one platinum certification after the release of Usher’s Raymond V Raymond, the R&B/Pop sensation is back at it with this week’s release of Versus. In similar form to Lady Gaga’s release of The Fame Monster—a packaged addendum to the triple platinum The Fame, Versus serves as an additional gift bag of sorts for fans, chocked full of goodies and new hits already burning up the airwaves, charts, and DJ booths around the world.

In addition to new hits “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” feat. Pitbull and “Hot Tottie” feat. Jay-Z, Usher delights fans to seven more tracks, including Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop chart topper, “There Goes My Baby” and the Justin Bieber-assisted “Somebody To Love” remix.

Opening up the album is the seductive “Love ‘Em All” in which the singer declares “It’s too many women in here, and I wanna love ‘em all.” What’s a sexy, newly single superstar to do when faced with the dire straits of so many women to choose from? Choose them all, of course. Reminiscent of R. Kelly and Keri Hilson’s “Number One”, the slow and soulful melody serves as a nice intro to what the R&B superstar is ready to serve up throughout the album.

“Lay You Down”, produced by Tha Cornaboyz, finds Usher invoking outstanding use of his falsetto on the “Purple Rain”-esque song. Usher promises “You ain’t going nowhere until you let me lay you down.” By the sounds of this sultry, standout track, he’s correct. You won’t be willing to move until the tune plays out in its entirety.

The Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis produced “Lingerie” finds the singer discussing his fetish for what most men love to see their women in (and most women sometimes appreciate from their men)—sexy lingerie. The electric guitar driven track sounds like a throwback of sorts, but in a good way, as it infuses a funkier and soulful dimension into this genre-flipping release.

“Get In My Car” feat. rapper Bun B finds Ursh exploring what many of his R&B counterparts have dared to do as of late—rap. While Usher may not be as versed as some of his peers (keeping his own very simple in a repeated bridge), he still manages to keep it fun as he commands a special woman, out of the many who desire him, to get in his car. The brass and bass elements that comprise the production give the track a marching band anthem feel, reflective of the singer’s southern roots. But after listening for a while, you start to feel a recurring theme emerging across this album: Usher is hot and single, loves to frequent clubs to scope out female hotties. There’s an alarming amount of women that want him, and although he finds it hard to choose from the bunch, more often than not, he’ll find a way to choose one to take home. According to Ursh, “That’s what’s up!”

Rounding up the bunch, the Drumma Boy produced track “Stranger” is a pleasant, yet unexpected, surprise at the end of the album. In the song, the singer is looking to reclaim a past love whose heart is, seemingly, cold to his attempts. A tale of love, loss, regret, and redemption, the slow-riding synths that play throughout the song drive the point of a desperate man begging ,“What I gotta do” to “no longer be a stranger.” This song is a treat that upon first listen will drive even the coldest of hearts toward sympathy for a man who’s messed up, but is determined to repair a broken relationship.

Overall, Versus finds Usher playing it fairly safe, drawing from familiar musical territory that’s proven successful for both him and others. There’s no straying away from what works, and what’s currently working for him. He covers a lot of musical ground across this album, ensuring the enjoyment of his broad fanbase ranging from soulful, R&B lovers to Hip-Hop, club heads, to dance and pop enthusiasts. In terms of Usher versus the current musical climate? He’s doing a fine job of maintaining his healthy position amongst those at the top.