The Voice and the big screen may be keeping Usher busy these days, yet that hasn’t stopped the recording process for his upcoming new album.
For, taking to Instagram today, the singer shared a shot of himself in the studio with hitmaker Rico Love, whose credits include Mr Raymond’s own ‘There Goes My Baby’, Beyonce’s ‘Sweet Dreams’, and Kelly Rowland’s ‘Motivation’.
Reportedly due later this year, the LP follows 2012’s ‘Lookin 4 Myself’ – which spawned hits ‘Climax’ and ‘Scream’.
Can Rico help Usher turn the (chart) lights on? Time will tell.
In the meanwhile, peep another pic below…
Your thoughts?
I can’t wait for the new album, “Lookin’ 4 Myself” was flaw-free
lol. L4M was the biggest load of cow manure Usher ever put out, with terrible sales to match. He totally lost his audience with it.
Word.
Far as I’m concerned Usher’s albums are his debut, My Way, 8701, Confessions, Here I Stand and Raymond v. Raymond. I like to pretend that lame Katy Perry/LMFAO ‘Looking 4 Myself’ phase of his didn’t happen. I don’t know where his head went after 2010, but I hope he screws it back on tight with this new album.
Yaaaaaaaaaaz GAWD!!!
Please sit Justin Timberlake’s ass down for GOOD!!!
Mr.Raymond, Send that queen into early retirement!!!!
Keep dreaming. Justin is here to stay. Both of his new albums have sold more in one year than Looking For A Plaque sold in two so sit down.
You may as well leave JT out of this because we all know so good and damn well that Usher being able to outsell JT at this point would be an extreme uphill battle.
If Usher wont snatch her wig, Than Bruno is damn well capable of doing so!!
So dont have so much faith in your thieving white boy
Rico is a one trick pony so i don’t know why he called him back. Stick with Diplo and Elijah boo boo.
Diplo is a joke. Usher needs to never work with him again.
1. Usher looks so healthy in that picture.
2. Rico can’t do much outside of what he did before so i hope Usher isn’t regressing instead of moving forwards.
3. I need him to work with Miguel.
He’s not working with Sexlijah this time?
Will elijah ever chart?
Right.
Why is Usher working with Rico Love again? RL is generic as hell and was one of his many, many, many mistakes after Confessions. Usher needs to take it back to 8701 and work with JD, Pharrell, Babyface and Jam/Lewis again. He needs to stay far away from Rico Love, Max Martin, Diplo and all those other post Confessions clowns he recruited.
RL is just as generic as everyone you mentioned with the exception of Pharell. He should be working with fresh talent.
@FUTURECIARA, please leave JT out of this. This is an Usher post. Let’s concentrate on how this album’s gonna sound and do well in terms of commercial and critical success and leave Justin who is reaping the benefits of a solid album.
@Truth, I truly get where you’re coming from as far as losing his audience with L4M but it was actually his best best front to back listen since Confessions. Not to mention, that album is his best vocally. Some people act as if the album was full of Pop songs when there were only 4.
@RANCORNV, Haven’t you heard? He IS working with JD, Pharrell, Jam/Lewis and Bryan Michael C** lol. The thing is, what can JD do for him in 2014? That guy is out of his prime as a producer and hasn’t been hot since ’05. I knew L4M’s floppage will have him running back to his old collaborators. I hope they progress instead of regress. Album #8 is make or break at this point.
8701 >>>>>>>>
Anyway when will these RnB artists stop working with the same 5 producers?
Anyway we’ll see what he cooks up but I bet this album will sound exactly like Chris Brown’s “X”; only thing is Usher is a far superior singer.
No one cares for Usher
Or Gaga. Artpop barely outsold his last album lol.
The thing about usher is; although he’s very talented, he has no signature sound of his own. He hops on whatever trend is hot at the moment and only works with the “in” producers. You cannot listen to a song and say “oh that sounds like an Usher song”. Say what you want about CB, but most of these upcoming black t***/young singers sound exactly like him. Case in point: Justin Bieber(not black I know) and Trevor Jackson.
Love Usher, but this is why r&b is crap, they all work with the same people. He should had found his Q Jones and Timberland a long time ago, and I’m afraid it’s JD.
The only bad to ok album Usher had was his self titled and Raymond vs Raymond.
oh and JT is done, the hype is over. His next album will never sell like that again. Did part 2 go platinum yet?
Rico Love is so 2012.
@MARK111, I agree and I’m a fan. I want to be excited for this new album but so far, NOTHING is looking impressive to me. Nothing. I knew Looking 4 Myself’s floppage was going to have him crawling back to his old collaborators, JD and Bryan Michael-C** (Rico’s been working with him since 2004). L4M’s best moments; Cliamx, I Care 4 U, Twisted, Sins of My Father etc are the direction he should be going in. Not JD who hasn’t been hot for over a decade. This then leaves me to question Usher’s credibility as an artist. Yes, he’s a very talented vocalist and one the best performers of his generation but what has he done ARTISTICALLY to separate himself from his peers? I agree with what people say about Usher not having his own sound because if anything, he lost that individuality after 2008 (2004, if you want to go further back). Say what you want about JT (I’m a fan of his too), but his sound with Timbo is instantly recognizable. He has his own image and frankly no one’s in his lane. How the hell is Usher, a 20 year VETERAN still compared to Chris Brown, Jason Derulo and all?! Not saying CB and Jason aren’t talented but that’s the way I see it. At this point, I think I’m just going to prepare for the worst because frankly, Usher doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing with his musical career.
Agree, that why I said he should’ve had his Jone or Timberland years ago. I think Usher is like Beyonce, they’re great entertainers and vocalist, but not writers (even tho Bey is great at arrangements), but you can say the same with most artist. The different with MJ and JT is that they have that ONE producer that knows their artist, they grew together. If JT steps away from Tim, he’s done. Just like MJ with Jones, yes Dangerous and HIStory had great songs, but those albums were nowhere near Walls, Thriller and Bad (Bad is my favorite, great album).
That why I think L4M did “bad” and is compared to Brown because instead of Usher making his own lane, he just does what’s hot at the time every since Vs. What made My Way, 8701 and confession great was the realness and the growth of each album. And to me Here I Stand was a great R&B album, but at the time the singles were boring cause music was moving to a more Pop sound.
Buy hey, Beyonce been in the game for years and gets compared to Rihanna, it never made sense to me.
It was mostly the music that sold 8701, and mostly hype (cheating, breakup) that sold Confessions. I’ve always thought Usher was his very best during the 8701 era.
Usher is a hasbeen that’s why his music doesn’t sell. I’m just keeping it 100. He had a few memorable moments after Confessions, but the general public is over him.
@MARK111, I agree! It’s annoying how Usher became a follower instead of a leader after Here I Stand. If I had the opportunity to ask him any question, it’ll be why he felt he had to do that. The thing is, Beyonce has WAYYY surpassed him at this point as an icon/young legend for her generation which is sad because they were on the same level, if not that he was slightly higher during the Confessions Era. One thing with Usher’s albums from his debut to even Here I Stand is that you could see/hear the growth with each album. Whether it was his vocals, performance ability or the quality of his music. Now when he decided it was time to scream OMG! everything changed and he regressed al lot creatively. Had he taken his typical 3-4 break after HIS and came back hard with a progressive R&B album (no EDM) like Miguel, we would be calling him a legend by now. It’s sad because when you see him you can tell he has SO much potential but doesn’t tap into it.
@ERIC, true. You’re actually very correct. Confessions is my fav album from him but that era was so shrouded in controversy it was like people went out to buy the music to get i on this ‘story’. 8701 will always be my favorite ERA from Usher because that was him at his most natural, relaxed and non-try hard state. In fact, most true Usher fans would admit this.
This will be great. Cant wait.
the reason usher has started following trends is because of the album Here I Stand, it failed n was totally R&B n so after that he decided to follow what selling (I loved HEre i Stand its my fav album). I believe that was his best album n i would consider it one of the best R&B albums ever to be produced he had an amazing vocal range and was true to R&B however after the album failed he started following trends however he still has alot of R&B songs in his album stuff like I care for u, climax, lessons for the lover ,dive in L4M were great.He still is quite true to R&b considering hw CB n JT r starting to do much more pop.I think he is one of the best R&B artist’s to ever come out. Here I stand was highly underrated.PS plz listen to before i met u on here i stand album itss amazing
All I know is that I haven’t forgiven Usher for “DJ Got Us Falling In Love,” “OMG,” “Scream” and those other cringeworthy electropop dance songs. I’m sick of people giving him props and trying to act like he’s the Real Deal Holyfield when this n**** SOLD OUT and went chasing after the Katy/Kesha crowd. I would rather he flop with class than hit with trash.
“Scream” was terrible. “OMG,” was a grower.” And “DJ Got US…” was just alright/Pitbull made the song.
Usher does need to stick to his R&B roots. The Pop oriented music doesn’t suit him well. ‘L4M,’ I knew wasn’t going to be big once he did his whole going after the Revolution Pop sound he mentioned. That term alone sounds like a flop.
Stick to R&B. And I like that from above^^ I rather flop with class than hit with trash by Absolved.