Long before Usher decided to jump on the Dance-Pop bandwagon, he was the undisputed Prince of R&B. Churning out hit after hit from the mid-90’s through the mid-00’s, Mr Raymond could do no wrong.
This week’s From The Vault comes in the form of one of his most underrated gems, the danceable, yet inspirational ‘Pop Ya Collar’.
Originally slated to be the first single from the crooner’s shelved LP, ‘All About U’ in the 2001, ‘Collar’ was a moderate hit in the U.S., yet was very successful in the UK where it peaked at #2 on the Official Singles Chart.
An up-tempo with an uplifting message urging people to be themselves, and do what’s best for them no matter what others might say, the sizzling track was the entertainer’s first time serving up a more Pop-oriented sound, a pattern he would most definitely repeat during the latter years of his career.
With the ‘Yeah!’ singer on the cusp of having one of his biggest hits in the form of David Guetta’s ‘Without You’ (on which he is featured), and with his Rev-Pop project on the way, it’s rather refreshing to journey back to a time when he didn’t have to sacrifice the essence of his sound in order to score high on the charts.