After three decades of career, Usher has a journey punctuated by trials and errors, many successes and less memorable moments. For this ninth album, after a popular appearance last Sunday on the Super Bowl pitch for the halftime show, the R&B star reminds us that he has mastered the codes of the genre and that he can also innovate when he does. wants, keeping this versatile side which has characterized his music for a long time.
Usher remains well anchored in pop news by surrounding himself with highly appreciated artists, as shown in the song that opens the album, the title track, in collaboration with Burna Boy. Summer Walker and 21 Savage appear on the next one, Good Good.
“I love when you scream, when you’re screaming for me, together we’re comin’”, he says on Coming Home where he asks his loved one to let him “take him to bed”. The meaning of the album Coming Home, according to Usher in an interview, refers to a return to himself, a kind of homage to his journey and to the man he has become. This introspective side is not dominant in the lyrics, which are rather well anchored in sensuality and sexuality (yes, the image on the cover means exactly what it insinuates).
Some songs, like A-Town Girl (inspired byUptown Girl, which is even sampled on the track), with Latto, are simply… nice. A piece far from innovative, but still pleasant to listen to and makes you dance. It is when we arrive at the duet with HER, modern princess of R&B, that we finally delight in one of the most skilful pieces of the album, Risk It All.
Another title, Cold Bloodedfits into more current, more daring rhythms for Usher who has often clung to his sounds well anchored in what the 2000s gave us best (in terms of R&B).
Some texts are somewhat hopelessly simple (BIG, For example). Some melodies are repetitive. As we listen, we feel a lack of direction.
Whether with ballads or radically lascivious songs, Coming Homein 20 pieces and a little over an hour of listening time, is far from flawless – Confession, in 2004, came dangerously close. Usher still manages to remain relevant, 30 years and 9 albums later.
R&B
Coming Home
Usher
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