Usher is back!
The R&B icon has unlocked ‘Coming Home’ – his first studio album in eight years.
Featuring production from the likes of Tricky Stewart, D’MILE, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, and Rico Love, the set also features guest contributions from acts such as Summer Walker, 21 Savage, Latto, Burna Boy, and Pheelz.
Landing amidst the ample buzz surrounding his Super Bowl Halftime Show performance, the LP easily serves as one of the most hotly anticipated of the season.
With ‘Coming Home’ finally here, That Grape Juice has tallied our top 5 tracks from the album.
Join us after the jump…
Stone Kold Freak
Helmed by Rico Love & Ghostkid, this blazing bop blends lush hooks, an addictive melody, layered production, and a stellar vocal performance to epic effect.
Living right at the intersection of slow jam and club cut, ‘Freak’ easily serves as one of Usher’s strongest offerings in years. Unquestionably a strong contender for a future single.
**********
I Love U
When a song unites a trio of titans in the form of The-Dream, Tricky Stewart, and D’MILE, greatness almost always is the end result. And such is the case with ‘I Love U.’
Defined by a killer bass line, this funkified cut is all sorts of addictive and answers our internal call for Usher to play more in the retro-synth space.
**********
On The Side
‘Confessions’-coded lyrically, this compelling cut sees the crooner lay bare that “I’m in love with a girl that I see on the side.”
For all of Mr. Raymond’s vocal astuteness, the story-telling embedded in many of his biggest hits has been their most pronounced points of appeal. ‘On The Side’ adds to that lineage in a wholly impressive way.
**********
Good Good
For TGJ, this still serves as the definitive standout on ‘Coming Home.’ Delicious production paired with narrative-driven lyrics that put a fresh spin on the aftermath of a relationship. A career high.
**********
One of Them Ones
A champion of love songs, Mr. Raymond scores a touchdown with ‘One Of Them Ones.’ Toasting his own status as a pioneer of the slow jam, the superstar seizes the track to celebrate finding “the one” and cleverly declares that the song (that you’re listening to) will “make you put a ring on it.”
**********
Honorable Mentions
A-Town Girl: While not amongst standout records qualitatively, this earworm is easily the song with the most TikTok appeal. Powered largely by a sample of ‘Uptown Girl,’ the catchiness of the hook could see this become a staple on airwaves.
Ruin: In the context of the album at large, the selection of this Pheelz-produced and featured cut as the project’s latest single becomes more apparent. It’s sonically soothing and Amapiano influence reminds that, for all his successes, Usher is continuing to evolve.
**********
What do you think of our picks? What are your top tracks from Usher’s ‘Coming Home’?
According to Hoodrats in TGJ, it is a flop other than their favs 🥱🥱
Flop. He’s trying to keep up with King Breezy….
Usher went back to the old Usher.. the usher before Chris Brown foo!
Meanwhile Chris Brown’s career is 💀
His last album went #4 in the top 200. Went number 1 on the rnb charts. Last tour sold out in the uk. No guidance is almost diamond. Wouldnt call that a “dead” career. Go off tho
This album ain’t on the level of his masterpiece album Confessions….
Did you really expect it to be 😂
not feeling the whole album, his old stuff are way better.
All we care is Justin’s new album.
SOme of his lyrical content is really immature. Stuff I would expect Chris Brown to sing.
I like usher but this cover gay/ . Why would a grown straight man walk around with a peach?
well, you can carry an apple like the snow white witch
It’s an ode to Atlanta hence the album title dummy
No u slow a** b****. The “ODE” is to a “Georgia Peach” which is a woman with a fat a**. U slow AF
How about you walk around with a peach and tell yo daddy you got a “georgia peach” then
Out of all the songs, I love the sound of “Stone Kold Freak” the most, but I don’t know if it really fits Usher. “One of Them Ones” has more of the mature sound I would expect to hear from Usher.
“Big” sounds like an attempt to update Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long” and the lyrics are much too juvenile for Usher.
“Kissing Strangers” and “Room in a Room” could’ve easily come from Chris’s Indigo and 11:11 albums.
This is the album he released in the midst of a career resurgence? Really Usher. He released a heap of GREAT singles over the years. I expected a more mature, soulful sound while remaining contemporary with that classic usher twist. Instead we got a bunch of crap. At least he has an incredible back catalogue to fall back on. Still looking forward to his halftime performance on Sunday.