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Sep 28, 2016Tracks 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.
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Sep 16, 2016While Hard II Love doesn’t include a song as cathartic as Usher’s “Climax,” from 2012, it’s full of smaller satisfactions.
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Sep 16, 2016This 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.
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Sep 16, 2016He’s paid just enough attention to pop’s new ideas to come out with an album that looks forward while remaining true to what's made him one of R&B's most reliable stars.
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Sep 22, 2016For its all its pleasures, Hard II Love isn’t strong enough to convince you he’s decided to stick to a lane.
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Sep 16, 2016Instead of coming across convincingly tough, Hard II Love on these songs merely lives up to its title.
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Sep 21, 2016He 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.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 19 out of 26
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Mixed: 2 out of 26
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Negative: 5 out of 26
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Sep 17, 2016
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Sep 16, 2016