With Usher‘s latest LP ‘Raymond vs Raymond’ having hit stores this week, all eyes are on its sales (particularly in light of the so-so reception and sales his last effort ‘Here I Stand’ was met with). Speaking in an interview this week, the Grammy award-winning star appeared unfazed by sales expectations, highlighting that some releases will do better than others. Peep his full comments on the matter via MTV UK below:
“’Confessions’ being the highest-selling R&B album of this decade, that is a lot to live up to. There are high peaks and low valleys in life, some moments will be higher than others, but it shouldn’t speak to the honesty and truth that you kinda go through in the process of making music.
“There are going to be some chapters of my career’s music that will be greater than others. I don’t feel I have to live up to anything, I just feel I have to be as honest and as artistic as I can.”
Overlooking the fact ‘Confessions’ was actually released last decade, there is much truth in what Mr Raymond is saying. Although I’m pretty sure it will be greeted with a collective side-eye by the many pessimists (which, considering the circumstances, is wholly understandable). In any case, it’ll be interesting to see what first-week numbers his new LP pulls in.
i will always support usher hes the truth how many years in the game hes still up there!!!! CONFESSIONS is a classic album!!! & his work will always be compared to his best!!!
That’s B.S. Usher is lying his ass off. He has that monster Maneka to pay spousal support for and kids to pay child support for, so I think he cares!
Don’t get it twisted, I love Usher, but I think what he said is B.S.
nice statement… never been a fan of ushers though he had some hot songs..
How much did confessions sell in its first week
usher is one of the few males out there i can listen to a whole album….
his voice is amazing and he does not need autotune…chris, i’m talking to you…
and yes, i think he could care less for the sales, cause he has enough money to back it up…
think he will sell around 250 k
^^^It went platinum in its first week.
I just hope this album can get half of those sells. I dont kmow *Kanye shrug*
That was to @Tomi
SOUNDS LIKE A DISCLAIMER IN CASE THE NUMBERS TANK MORE THAN EXPECTED. LOT OF PEEPS AINT FEELIN THIS ALBUM. WORD IS PEEPS ARE GONNA DOWNLOAD IT BUT NOT BUY IT, LOL. MONICA’S ALBUM IS ACTUALLY GOOD. I WAS SURPRISED AT THE QUALITY. TOO BAD SHE DOESNT HAVE A BIG ENOUGH NAME TO GET MASSIVE NUMBERS 1ST WEEK!
He should do p***. I want him naked. I’m just sayin LOL
he knows damn well he’s past his prime.
Stan – Usher past in prime? Are you kidding me, so Here I Stand did go platinum and had a no.1 record on it, his single Papers went no.1 on the R&B charts with no video. He had three singles in the top 30 before the album was out. I’m sure a lot of other R&B artist would love numbers.
That’s cos too many people download and then don’t buy. I’ll be buying. The album is dope.
http://usherraymondblog.wordpress.com/2010/03/29/interview-usher-talks-raymond-vs-raymond-with-the-new-york-timeswhen-people-buy-my-albums-they-buy-them-for-the-connection/
ON a recent afternoon at an airy recording studio here, Usher Raymond IV leaned back in a chair and sang along as “There Goes My Baby,” a slow-burning ballad from his forthcoming album, “Raymond v. Raymond” (Jive), played over the sound system, occasionally picking up an unlighted cigar, which he rolled in his mouth. When the song ended, this 31-year-old singer, who records under his first name, motioned for an engineer to shut the sound system off and launched into an explanation of the tune’s origins.
“The feeling of it is if you have a true connection with somebody, no matter what happens in life, it will always come back,” he said. “No matter how long it takes to make it through whatever issues pull you apart, something pulls you back together. The rest is between the lines.”
Given that Usher was recently divorced, one might think he was contemplating life with his ex-wife. But when asked if a particular lyric — “Like waterfalls, your hair falls down to your waist” — was intended as a nod and wink to his former girlfriend, Rozonda Thomas, Chili of the R&B group TLC, who scored a career-defining hit with 1994’s “Waterfalls,” Usher smiled broadly.
“Rico’s crazy, right?” he said with a laugh, referring to Rico Love who wrote the song’s lyrics. “He’s a great writer. Real tricky.”
(Rico Love, in a phone interview, admitted the nod was intentional: “I always thought Chilli and Usher were a great couple, so I did that to spark something.”)
THIS IS WHY BLACK ICONS AND LEGENDS DONT LAST. WHY? CAUSE OUR OWN PEOPLE DON’T SUPPORT THEM ENOUGH.
BUT U2, ROLLING STONES ETC STILL GETS PRAISED AND NOT BE ASKED TO SIT DOWN.
@Dilla…
Artists do not make money off of record sales. They make a minute percentage… like half a dime if that, off of every album that they sale. Most of the money goes to the record companies and the other people they have to pay who have promoted the album. Artists make their money off of endorsements and touring. Given that fact… it’s kind of dumb to say he has to sell a lot in order to support Tameka. If you checked his long list of investments, he is not hurting for money at this point.
Well I bought the album and I think its pretty good. I mean he doesn’t have as many slow songs as I would like but its still good. But then again I don’t think his last album was bad.
This is usually what artists say when they know or suspect that their album won’t sell much. I like Usher but he’s just not the same artist that I fell in love with. 🙁
That’s what everyone says when they know they bout to flop lol
I AGREE WITH JAZZY THAT LINE IS SO WEAK LOL.
Well he must know what I know about his album to make that comment… it sucks! I AM AN USHER FAN, I have PURCHASED all of his albums, and I’ve supported him throughout the years but this time around I have to call it like I hear it, and this ish sounds like hot garbage. ALL the songs on this album sound like leftovers from the last. Nothing stands out, nothing has the OMG factor, or even gives me chills. Its really disappointing considering all the hype around the album. I personally think he should’ve kept the original title MONSTAR waited and really listened to the project as a whole because it just doesnt hold up to any of his albums.
I really cant believe that he’s predicted to sell 330-350k . I didnt think it would do bad but I didnt think he would do better than Justin Beiber. We might think Usher has lost it but somebody likes this new stuff
Your a** is lying HERUSHER, that cd is wack like crack pancakes w/ botox syrup yo,
he career is finished just as it was when he fired his mother as manager and married that t***** yo. OOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
U all just shut up and stop hating! He will do fine, u haters will pay for wishing the worst on Usher. This CD will not tank! He will defy the odds again! JUST WAIT AND WATCH!
@TruthSerum, I think that it’s REALLY dumb to think that he makes albums for non profit ya dig? Nobody works hoping to bring in a negative balance on payday. I understand that your an Usher stan and all but let’s use our common sense sweetie, okay! Smh at the dumb b****** on this site.
@TruthSerum, who in hell told you that artist don’t make money off of albums? I understand the points system very well when it comes to albums but who’s to say how many points he receives per album and he certainly has writing credits on his album coupled together, this pays handsomely, especially when an album sells well. Artist that don’t sell records get dropped from their labels and/or receive non existent promotion. What in the world are you talking about? Touring is not the only income for artist, especially established artist such as Usher. Akon signed Lady Gaga and hardly ever makes appearances anymore, he says that he’s about ready to retire off of Lady Gaga money! Now thats an investment.