• Record Label: RCA
  • Release Date: Sep 16, 2016
User Score
7.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 26 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 26
  2. Negative: 5 out of 26
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  1. 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 II Love is bound to leave a lasting impression in the R&B/Soul Genre.
  2. 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.

    '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
    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.
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Metascore
74

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.