Usher: Here I Stand

While some people can't sit and listen to an entire album of love songs, Usher has definitely delivered for those who can. Here I Stand, which hits stores May 27th 2008, is like the ten year follow-up to My Way, hitting us with songs about a lot of the same concepts, but giving your boy U-s-h-e-r R-a-y-m-o-n-d ten years to grow and mature.

After a serenading "Intro," the album starts off with "Love In This Club," the first, but definitely not only single off of the album. It's not surprising that the best comes first, being that almost all of Usher's hit singles have been one of the first three songs on his albums.

Things get a little freaky with "Trading Places," where Usher totally flips the script on his chick and has her "on top," taking him shopping (of course that means he's taking care of breakfast in bed!)

"Moving Mountains" is one of those break up songs you're going to hear disheartened couples all over poppin' in the CD player after a big fight. It's a song a lot of people will feel, about one of those relationships where love exists but neither one can seem to get it to work. "It's like moving mountains, hey. But I keep climbing and hoping things would change and the sky turns gray, and the water from the rain washes progress away." It's all too familiar.

It gets funky with "What's Your Name," which definitely mirrors the personality of Will.i.am, the producer, who also makes an appearance on this fun, lounge style joint and slows back down with "Something Special," which sounds like a cocktail lounge joint with an instrumental that you might imagine Alicia Keys singing to.

Jay-Z makes an appearance on "Best Thing," (some leaked versions are sin-Hova) although the track could really do without his usual butt-in verses. Girls will definitely bump this joint after kicking a cheating beau to the side: Usher sings about how he realizes what a fool he was for running the streets and taking her for granted, "I tried to flex, but I confess that when you left, you took the best thing that happened to me."

"His Mistakes" needs to go down in Relationship 101 history, addressing the issue of the new boyfriend paying for the old boyfriend's mistakes. "Always guilty before the sin, I can't win." Mucho props to Usher for summing up such a common conflict in a five minute song.

"Love In This Club Part II" is like the R-rated version of "Slow Jam" from My Way, but this time it's Beyonce', not Monica, that catches his eye on the dance floor. It's the cute back and forth duet all over again, but might make you question what the hell Lil Wayne is doing there (cock-blocking, maybe?). While Lil Wayne appearances usually turn anything and everything to fire, I think we are fully aware that if we call Weezy, he'll "make it juicy" for us, and he's a bit annoying and out of place. Nice try, but it's so not "Slow Jam."

With 17 tracks including a hidden track, Here I Stand is definitely worth actually walking into a store and putting down the money for the entire album, just like back in '07 when we didn't have an option. With a history of having at least three joints off of his albums turning into hit singles, a few more of these can definitely be expected to blow up and make their way onto your playlist. If you're big on slow jams, you'll play the entire album straight through, but even those who can only handle them in small doses will have their jams. So here Usher stands, proving that he has every right to still be, well; standing.

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