Hard II Love
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74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 26 Ratings

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  • Summary: The eighth full-length studio release for the R&B singer/actor features guest appearances from Future, Rubén Blades, and Young Thug.
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Top Track

Crash
Would you mind if I still loved you? Would you mind if things don't last? Would you mind if I hold onto You so that I won't crash? Morning light,... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. AllMusic
    Sep 16, 2016
    80
    This is the most pleasing Usher album in over a decade. In terms of ability, agility, and creativity, Usher's vocals still crush the commercial competition.
  2. The New York Times
    Sep 16, 2016
    80
    While Hard II Love doesn’t include a song as cathartic as Usher’s “Climax,” from 2012, it’s full of smaller satisfactions.
  3. The Independent (UK)
    Sep 28, 2016
    80
    Tracks like “No Limit” and “Need U”, with their miasmic, swirling synths and pulsing vibrato effects, epitomise modern boudoir-soul, as Usher slips effortlessly between warm caresses and pleading falsetto.
  4. Spin
    Sep 22, 2016
    70
    For its all its pleasures, Hard II Love isn’t strong enough to convince you he’s decided to stick to a lane.
  5. Entertainment Weekly
    Sep 16, 2016
    67
    Instead of coming across convincingly tough, Hard II Love on these songs merely lives up to its title.
  6. Pitchfork
    Sep 21, 2016
    66
    He sounded breezy and at ease [on 2014's "Good Kisser"], finally confident enough to date women his age. So it’s a little disappointing that on Hard II Love, Usher’s eighth studio album, he hasn’t managed to hang onto that effortlessness. But there’s plenty to like, starting with his voice, which sounds better than ever.
  7. PopMatters
    Nov 2, 2016
    50
    Hard II Love feels like a placeholder, a set of songs that sound perfectly fine while they’re on and become forgettable when they’re not.

See all 8 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. England101
    Sep 17, 2016
    10
    Usher's most cohesive album since Confessions, and marks a return to pure R&B. Fans of My Way and Confessions will enjoy this album a lot.Usher's most cohesive album since Confessions, and marks a return to pure R&B. Fans of My Way and Confessions will enjoy this album a lot.

    'Need U' is a great opening song that just seems to glide along.. and transitions into 'Missin U' nicely. 'Missin U' is has a nice urban vibe to the verses, and switches to an old school R&B chorus... a great song and a classic. 'No Limit' is a nice enough song for the urban masses, but nothing exceptional. 'Bump' is an ATL classic that I can imagine we will be playing in many years to come.

    Then the album switches to a more trap style of music for the next couple of songs.. personally something that I think it could have done without. Then we get to 'Crash' which is another great song.. something more in the line with 'Climax' in the layout of the song.

    'FWM' produced by Skateboard P is a much needed more upbeat song.. with a nice interesting beat and a catchy chorus. 'Rivals' is another urban type track that has a nice flow and is the 3rd single, but could have done without the featured rapper. 'Tell Me' is a 8 and a 1/2 minute Usher classic, and one of his best pieces of work ever!! A nice slow love song with a real nice flow.. and Usher at his finest vocally.

    'Hard II Love' is another great vocal track that is nice enough. 'Stronger' is a nice emotional track that ends the album well. Finally 'Champion' is more of a soundtrack song from his latest movie.. but it is inspiring nonetheless.

    Overall I think this album falls just behind 8701 and Confessions in terms of quality, but it's better than all of his others.    … Expand
  2. OMARIE24
    Sep 16, 2016
    9
    One of Usher's Best album's since Confessions.the new record had more R&B influenced cuts compared to the singer's previous effort.Hard IIOne of Usher's Best album's since Confessions.the new record had more R&B influenced cuts compared to the singer's previous effort.Hard II Love is bound to leave a lasting impression in the R&B/Soul Genre.… Expand

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