Hard II Love

About

In 2012, USHER released <i>Looking 4 Myself</i>, an album that largely took influence from the EDM and dubstep trends of the early 2010. Around that same time, a regime change was happening within hip-hop, in which the stars of the 2000s weren’t directly informing youth culture in the ways they’d grown accustomed to. Instead, a new crop of artists were popping up from the streets of various regions around the country. In Chicago it was the Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame-inspired drill scene that introduced Chief Keef, Lil Reese, and Lil Durk to the world. Meanwhile, A$AP Mob and collectives like the Joey Bada$$-led Pro Era were breathing new life into New York City rap after an extended dry spell. Down in Atlanta, some soon-to-be generation-defining artists were starting to make their voices heard, molding the sound that would go on to change how people all over the world approach the genre. In 2012, artists like Young Thug, Future, and Migos were in the infancy of their eventual reign. By 2016, they were already rap titans and influencing how chart-topping pop was being made, even outside of hip-hop culture. So when USHER made his return that year to drop <i>Looking 4 Myself</i>’s follow-up, he was at the perfect time in history to reach back to his home base while still being able to make smash hit. And that’s exactly what he does with <i>Hard II Love</i>, his eighth studio album. .

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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