The Numbers Are In! Usher’s ‘Hard To Love’ To Sell…

Usher’s opening week number prediction for his new LP ‘Hard II Love’ has arrived.

How he’s set to  fare?

Find out below…

Hits Daily Double reports:

Mac Miller (Warner Bros.) 35-40k SPS, 30-35k album
Aaron Lewis (Dot/BMLG) 32-37k, 30-35k
Usher (RCA) 25-28k, 20-23k

So, what went wrong?

As many have pointed out before, Usher’s biggest problem doesn’t stem from his music, but from the presentation of his music.

For, as the likes of Beyonce & Drake surround themselves with masterminds tasked with shaping their brands, Usher’s team seem to have taken an incredibly relaxed approach to his Pop culture positioning.

He’s an icon.

Alas, his camp seem to have forgotten how easy that is to forget in a game as this one.

The last two years  since ‘Good Kisser’s release should have been spent turning him into a soulful/youthful Adult Contemporary act.

Unfortunately, more effort has gone into making the mistake of transforming him into Chris Brown‘s contemporary.

Like so many seasoned artists before him, Raymond made the mistake of trying to turn back the hands of time to win over “younger fans” with visuals and material that are beneath him.

What he should have been doing instead?

Wooing those who have already been there with a campaign which presented him as Bryson and Brown’s older, wiser yet spirited older brother, and flaunted said vitality with fitness-focused shoots.

Alas, his inability to see the value of his age and experience are the reason he is struggling to compete with artists he fathered.

One also has to wonder who approved the project’s trypophobia-inducing cover.

Do you agree?