Album Review: Usher ‘Looking 4 Myself’

Since the first time I saw Usher perform, which I suppose had to have been around 1997, I found myself in the odd position of advocating the man, singing his praises with wild and uncharacteristic hyperbole. I didn’t even like his music very much–I was into Radiohead and The Verve that year–but I told all of my friends that Usher Raymond would be the next Michael Jackson. Something about his level of talent impressed me, and it seemed important that people be told about it.

Of course, I took a similar stance on Chris Brown, so what the hell do I know.

Regardless, on Looking 4 Myself Usher once again manages the trick he has been pulling off consistently for the past fifteen years: He keeps current without losing his own identity as a performer. His previous release, 2010’s Raymond vs. Raymond, fell a little flat, and while it wasn’t a bad album it did seem to lack some of his energy and presence. Not the case here at all, and even if it’s not necessarily my cup of tea, it doesn’t matter, because I feel the need to tell you about how remarkable an artist he is.

This record actually makes one of the most straightforward and effective uses of dubstep as an element in R&B that I have heard to date. Most popular artists are content to sing over EDM in a somewhat disconnected way, capitalizing on its popularity without really caring to understand why there is absolutely no hope of it working in their context. Usher, on the other hand, takes a song like ‘I Care For U’ to a place of turmoil by using elements of that sound without trying far too hard to be taken seriously in its world.

I may be giving him a bit too much credit, though. This album could accurately be described as a compilation of music by a host of great producers, with Usher Raymond as a featured performer. I don’t know to what degree he is involved in production, which really is the album’s strongest feature, but at the very least he’s got good taste.

Looking 4 Myself explores a wide range of different song types and structures. You can probably imagine what much of this record sounds like, but not all of it. There are layers of complexity in its production that might just surprise you, and a few tracks should be totally unexpected. Usher has referred to his sound on this album as “revolutionary pop”, which is something of an overstatement, but he’s definitely trying and the music is better for it.

Usher’s unique vocal approach to each song speaks to this diversity, as well as his talent. He’s not a singer who throws in a lot of random vocal flair or trills for no reason, but he works his way throughout his full range here with precision. He never sounds quite the same from one song to the next.

There are slightly weird and sometimes jarring lyrics, calling to question exactly how much of a romantic Usher really is. “Let’s get together and exchange fuck faces” is forgivably blunt, and maybe even a little charming, but “Let me be your body soap” is just sort of creepy. ‘Dive’ is a beautiful song, perhaps up until you realize the source of the moisture.

At around 57 minutes the standard edition of the album doesn’t go much beyond the norm in terms of length, but it feels like it runs a little long. It’s kind of puzzling to get that feeling out of an album that I would also describe as exciting and varied, but this is a record that sets itself up not as a narrative experience, but a sampling of songs from Usher Industries. It’s like dinner at a tapas bar that begins with chorizo, follows it up with a series of uniquely satisfying delights, and then ends with chorizo. This album conditions the listener to feel disappointed when they are no longer being surprised.

Looking 4 Myself is a good album, and probably Usher’s best since Confessions back in 2004. Any small gripes with it can be easily forgiven when you look at the pure talent being showcased by Usher and his favorite collaborators. He may not be–or want to be–the next Michael Jackson, but we may also never get another Usher, and this record proves again that being Usher is more than enough.

Release Date: June 12, 2012
Image Courtesy of RCA