![]() lang and Winehouse, Bennett became a paragon of multi-generational cool starting in the early 1990s as he toured the world and, in 2011 at the age of 85, had his first No. Sticking to his style as he recorded with Gaga, Elvis Costello, k.d. Recommended.Bennett had a continuous recording career from 1950 to 2014 that would see him release more than 60 albums, 44 of which would chart on the Billboard 200, win 16 Grammy Awards, and include a signature song in “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” Over the last 25 years, Bennett thrived as the primary connection between modern pop and the music of the first half of the 20 th century that came from Tin Pan Alley, Broadway shows and movies. If he’s ever going to be the Marvin Gaye of the Facebook generation, he’s gotta do more than “Got to Give It Up.” He’s got to open up more and try his hardest to not hide behind the beats and the sheets. This dark cloud is something that’s going to forever float over Usher’s shoulders until he’s able to turn the booming bass down and turn the “confessions” up. While looking for himself, Usher has yet to pull off an album that is as cohesive, entertaining and transparent as Confessions. ![]() Some songs feel like a misfire in musical progression, like the sleepy trances of “I Care For You” and, of course, the “OMG” rehash on the Auto-tuney “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.” But overall, the disc stands out as a positive step forward for a 30+ year old urban r&b crooner. Still, Looking 4 Myself isn’t a victory lap for the troubled star. It wisely merges Otis Redding soul with light reggaeton, as Usher continues to entertain his playboy persona: “You had me looking stupid/But I let it go that way/That booty substituted/I guess that made it okay.” He even dips himself into a nice warm bubble bath of slow jams like “Dive” and “Climax.” On the latter, Usher finds himself experimenting with a brooding Robin Thicke/Drake concoction. The Pharrell-spiked “Twisted” also turns out to be a focal point of the disc, proving itself to be more than just some quirky, last-minute experiment. Usher’s seek-and-ye-shall-find method for claiming newer sounds prove to be sensible artistic strides and are proven best on the breezy-synthy “Show Me.” A particularly interesting standout is the jangly, unconventional-to-the-Usher-brand title cut, so much so that it actually sounds refreshing on his still youthful pipes. ![]() Still, the final product of Looking 4 Myself is a step up from the over-hyped Raymond v. Being a bachelor again, Usher, now 33, continues to find his source of healing on the strobe-lit dancefloor with the Max Martin-designed “Scream,” the “Motivation” sounding “Lemme See” and the “Firework” decorated “Numb.” Then there’s the “OMG” copy and paste treatment on “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.” It’s so predictable, even as it somehow manages to take a sample of Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” through a maze of electro whizzes. On Looking 4 Myself, Usher returns to what works for the moment. ![]() Raymond disc that forced Usher into the unstoppable series of club-ready anthems to be baked afterwards, beginning with the Justin Bieber-duet “Somebody to Love” and closing out with “More,” “DJ Got Us Falling in Love” and the David Guetta produced “Without You.” “OMG” was frankly the only piece on the original edition of Raymond v. He’s still searching for his voice amidst the growing musical changes of R&B and the ever-extending lifespan of electropop, something he’s been entertaining since his Black Eyed Pea trek of “OMG” exploded into Top 40 radio. Usher’s statements are confirmed in the musical Pandora of Looking 4 Myself. I finally let go of the me I thought I was and stepped into the creativity that defines my life’s purpose.” This album represents that growth for me. “With every adversity comes a seed of greater benefit. ![]() “Sometimes you gotta go through somethin’ to get to somethin’,” Raymond writes in the inside liner notes of his seventh studio album, Looking 4 Myself. Now eighteen years deep into his trade of urban contemporary r&b, Usher Raymond is no longer the cute little kid that sang “My Way” and “You Make Me Wanna.” Today, the Michael Jackson-meets-Marvin Gaye apprentice is a man with many scars, deep secrets and maybe a few painful regrets. ![]()
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