Usher "There Goes My Baby"

Usher just released a video for his hit "There Goes My Baby" from his platinum CD "Raymond v. Raymond." Good to see Mr. Raymond back in good form musically and visually. A great song goes a long way towards resurrecting a potentially floundering musical career.

Raymond v. Raymond

Usher releases his latest album "Raymond v. Raymond" today. He's making the usual splash for publicity purposes, and although his latest product may be better than his last lukewarm effort "Here I Stand" the results may not be as good in terms of sales. "Stand" was certified platinum, but "Raymond" may be lucky to achieve that certification. Despite using some of the best producers going the new music just doesn't have the magic that Usher displayed from "Confessions" and prior. It's obvious now that "Confessions" was the peak, but I never thought that the spiral downward would be so steep.

Usher remains the best male artist of his generation, however, producing mediocre music just isn't acceptable for someone of his stature. He had his greatest success under the tutelage of L.A. Reid. Perhaps he needs to call Mr. Reid to get an honest assessment of his music.

Chaos In Usher's Camp!

Now we apparently know why R&B singer Usher can't get his A game back. New York Daily News' Gatecrasher reports that Usher again has parted ways with his mother/manager Jonetta Patton. Patton was apparently not happy with Usher's reported girlfriend Grace Miguel's involvement with her son's pending album expected to be released on March 30th.

Jive Records has released two lukewarm singles, "Papers" and "Daddy's Home" and at this point Usher's camp has to really question whether the public is anxious for another release. At the end of the day if the music isn't any good, the public is not going to buy it. Usher's last album, "Here I Stand" was very mediocre. A second mediocre album could leave him as an afterthought.

Usher Singing But Apparently Not Signing "Papers"

Usher Raymond released his highly anticipated new single "Papers" to radio on Monday, but apparently he's not in a hurry to sign final divorce papers to end his marriage to wife Tameka according to the New York Daily News. According to sources Tameka is ready to move on with her life and waiting for the singer to sign on the dotted line. Perhaps Usher has a song on his new album titled "Dollars" and he's just not feeling what he's seeing in the settlement.

Usher Supports Obama In Detroit

R&B Superstar, Usher, made a stop in Detroit today in an effort to encourage voters to support Barack Obama. Usher encouraged over 200 people at Obama's Detroit headquarters to urge all family and friends to get out and support the Senator from Chicago.

Besides being a superb singer and dancer, Usher is a persuasive speaker and ardent supporter for Sen. Barack Obama. Thanks the the Detroit Free Press for the article.

Usher Rehires Mother As Manager

This may have been big news 3 or 4 years ago, but the music business is tanking right now. Does anyone really care that Usher parted ways with Benny Medina and rehired his mother as his manager?

Usher was relevant during his "Confessions" phase, but with the release of a very lackluster Cd in "Here I Stand", it's time for Usher to go back into the studio, and rededicate himself to his craft.

Ushering In the "Bad" Phase of a Career

Usher Raymond is the most prolific singer of his generation, released the follow up to 2002's Confessions on May 29th, titled "Here I Stand". Confessions, which sold nearly 10 million Cd's in the U.S., is probably the best mainstream R&B CD of this decade, and quite simply a masterpiece. Led of by the Lil John influenced "Yeah", to the usual collaborations with Jermaine Dupri, Confessions was an unparalleled Pop and R&B production. Only Justin Timberlake's recent CD can really go head to head with it, and I would give Usher a slight edge. Unlike Timberlake, who seems to not be missing a beat as he heads into legend hood, Usher seems to have hit a bump in the road. The first single from "Here I Stand" was the Polow Da Don produced, "Love In The Club" went #1 on the Billboard charts, but lacked the buzz or OOMPH of "Yeah".

I just watched a replay of Usher performing recently on Saturday Night Live, and he seemed to be just going through the motions (similar to Janet Jackson these days). Michael Jackson didn't totally go into "going through the motion" mode after "Thriller", but with "Bad" and subsequent releases and performances, something just wasn't the same. Pure singers rarely hit this phase from a performance standpoint (Prince is in a different category altogether) even if their records aren't selling. Patti, Aretha, Jill, Badu come to mind. Luther never hit the "motions" phase due to a once in a lifetime voice. Combination singers and dancers seem to hit the wall more often than not for some reason, perhaps just to a wearing on the body, although after seeing Madonna's latest video, "4 Minutes", she seems to be rejuvenated at the age of 49, so all is not lost.

Usher is in transition on a number of fronts: a new wife and child; new management; and the loss of his mentor Antonio "LA" Reid helming his project for the first time in his career. I've listened to the new CD, and it's very average. The good thing about Ushering in the "Bad" phase of a Career is that Usher is young enough to regain the fire that's made him the preeminent performer of his generation.