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Now eighteen years deep into his trade of urban contemporary r&b, Usher Raymond is no longer the cute little kid that sang “My Way” and “You Make Me Wanna.” Today, the Michael Jackson-meets-Marvin Gaye apprentice is a man with many scars, deep secrets and maybe a few painful regrets. “Sometimes you gotta go through somethin’ to get to somethin’,” Raymond writes in the inside liner notes of his seventh studio album, Looking 4 Myself. “With every adversity comes a seed of greater benefit. This album represents that growth for me. I finally let go of the me I thought I was and stepped into the creativity that defines my life’s purpose.”
Now eighteen years deep into his trade of urban contemporary r&b, Usher Raymond is no longer the cute little kid that sang “My Way” and “You Make Me Wanna.” Today, the Michael Jackson-meets-Marvin Gaye apprentice is a man with many scars, deep secrets and maybe a few painful regrets. “Sometimes you gotta go through somethin’ to get to somethin’,” Raymond writes in the inside liner notes of his seventh studio album, Looking 4 Myself. “With every adversity comes a seed of greater benefit. This album represents that growth for me. I finally let go of the me I thought I was and stepped into the creativity that defines my life’s purpose.”
Usher’s statements are confirmed in the musical Pandora of Looking 4 Myself. He’s still searching for his voice amidst the growing musical changes of R&B and the ever-extending lifespan of electropop, something he’s been entertaining since his Black Eyed Pea trek of “OMG” exploded into Top 40 radio. “OMG” was frankly the only piece on the original edition of Raymond v. Raymond disc that forced Usher into the unstoppable series of club-ready anthems to be baked afterwards, beginning with the Justin Bieber-duet “Somebody to Love” and closing out with “More,” “DJ Got Us Falling in Love” and the David Guetta produced “Without You.”
On Looking 4 Myself, Usher returns to what works for the moment. Being a bachelor again, Usher, now 33, continues to find his source of healing on the strobe-lit dancefloor with the Max Martin-designed “Scream,” the “Motivation” sounding “Lemme See” and the “Firework” decorated “Numb.” Then there’s the “OMG” copy and paste treatment on “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.” It’s so predictable, even as it somehow manages to take a sample of Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” through a maze of electro whizzes.
Still, the final product of Looking 4 Myself is a step up from the over-hyped Raymond v. Raymond. Usher’s seek-and-ye-shall-find method for claiming newer sounds prove to be sensible artistic strides and are proven best on the breezy-synthy “Show Me.” A particularly interesting standout is the jangly, unconventional-to-the-Usher-brand title cut, so much so that it actually sounds refreshing on his still youthful pipes. The Pharrell-spiked “Twisted” also turns out to be a focal point of the disc, proving itself to be more than just some quirky, last-minute experiment. It wisely merges Otis Redding soul with light reggaeton, as Usher continues to entertain his playboy persona: “You had me looking stupid/But I let it go that way/That booty substituted/I guess that made it okay.” He even dips himself into a nice warm bubble bath of slow jams like “Dive” and “Climax.” On the latter, Usher finds himself experimenting with a brooding Robin Thicke/Drake concoction.
Still, Looking 4 Myself isn’t a victory lap for the troubled star. Some songs feel like a misfire in musical progression, like the sleepy trances of “I Care For You” and, of course, the “OMG” rehash on the Auto-tuney “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.” But overall, the disc stands out as a positive step forward for a 30+ year old urban r&b crooner. While looking for himself, Usher has yet to pull off an album that is as cohesive, entertaining and transparent as Confessions. This dark cloud is something that’s going to forever float over Usher’s shoulders until he’s able to turn the booming bass down and turn the “confessions” up. If he’s ever going to be the Marvin Gaye of the Facebook generation, he’s gotta do more than “Got to Give It Up.” He’s got to open up more and try his hardest to not hide behind the beats and the sheets. Recommended.
By J Matthew Cobb