8701

About

After spending the ’90s as one of the country’s top teenage R&B sweetheart, full of uncompromising hormones and temptation, USHER reemerged in 2001 with his third studio album, <i>8701</i>—his first artistic offering as a non-teenager. And with that new milestone came music that detailed the experiences of a young man who was starting to see the ups and downs of the prospective love that he’d passionately sought out up to this point. The album’s lead single “U Remind Me,” with its fluttering chord, finds USHER mesmerized by a potential lover, but her similarities to an ex that broke his heart sours his attraction. Over faint acoustic guitar, “U Got It Bad” captures the tension of a topsy-turvy love where petty, explosive arguments turn into longing for resolution. USHER’s conviction in moments like these suggests that he’s pulling from a real place, but the album isn’t just delightful because he’s more seasoned in terms of heartache. .

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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