Here I Stand
by Usher
  • Record Label: Jive
  • Release Date: May 27, 2008
User Score
7.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 34 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 34
  3. Negative: 7 out of 34

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  1. miramax123
    Jul 22, 2013
    8
    I was impressed of Usher's maturity established throughout the album, although, half of the songs still proved to be prone to what I would call 'commonly depressing' themes that don't give that much of a darker depth into one's feelings, these vague themes are usually used in pop albums which is the kind of turn I felt he was going for (Raymond v Raymond being the evident album). II was impressed of Usher's maturity established throughout the album, although, half of the songs still proved to be prone to what I would call 'commonly depressing' themes that don't give that much of a darker depth into one's feelings, these vague themes are usually used in pop albums which is the kind of turn I felt he was going for (Raymond v Raymond being the evident album). I thought to my self that Usher is better than this, he has the potential to become far more mature and become more R&B-unique and less contemporary and common. Highlights: ''What's A Man To Do'' proved itself worthy, a nice fusion with the electro synths. ''Love in This Club'' is an enjoyable club track, lights up the mood. ''Moving Mountains'' was good, although sung quite over-exaggerated a consistent slow jam. ''Appetite'' was more upbeat, prove its consistency through the interesting lyrical innuendos. And ''His Mistakes'' and ''Forever Young'' in my opinion were the best tracks from the album, both songs, strongly convincing and more moving vocals.… Expand
  2. IanL.
    Aug 11, 2008
    1
    After 4 years since he released his last album, Confessions, Usher has returned to the music biz to make sure we all know he's still alive and kickin'. Er, rather, standing. In front of cars at some kind of... carnival. Paul Robeson and Martin Luther King Jr. biography references aside, in his new album, Here I Stand, Usher comes back and lays down a handful of tracks that After 4 years since he released his last album, Confessions, Usher has returned to the music biz to make sure we all know he's still alive and kickin'. Er, rather, standing. In front of cars at some kind of... carnival. Paul Robeson and Martin Luther King Jr. biography references aside, in his new album, Here I Stand, Usher comes back and lays down a handful of tracks that really expose himself as a person with a soul and conscious thought. He provides social commentary, and discusses real life issues that are often sideswiped by popular media. He really put a great amount of effort into this album to make sure that people know that his songs are not just for entertainment, or background music while you are lovin' up your lady, but rather a medium for philosophical thought and social criticism. He follows in the footsteps of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. Or not. No, he doesn't do this, sadly, despite having a perfect opportunity for it. Nope, it's 18 (21 if you pay more on iTunes) more songs about how to love your woman, or not love your woman. Thanks Usher, the music scene hasn't got a lot of those songs in a while. Is this to say that there shouldn't be songs that talk about the hardships of love? of loss? or on the contrary: the joy of love? No, I'm not saying that. But 18 on the same album? Ugh. It seems all his songs could be easily mistaken for another, and are just a result of a Teddy Pendergrass themed Madlibs gone wrong; that one day, Usher got drunk and wrote a 10 page long paragraph about how he felt about having sex, and a producer said "I'll get the scissors and rhyming dictionary." It wouldn't be so bad if his love songs were a little in-depth, and provided some sort of specificity, but instead we get songs about how love is like "moving mountains." I'm sure it took him the whole 4 years to come up with that one. Okay I'm being harsh. There are 2 songs that are not love songs. Sadly, it is the intro, and an interlude. The intro talks about he walks alone in life (or... at least he walks...) and the interlude is about how he's going to protect his son. It's almost as if he tried to have some variety in his songs and some higher-up said "Songs not about having sex? Get the hell out of my studio, this isn't Motown. Do I look like Barry Gordy?" but still managed to bargain these 2 tracks into the album. Though apparently it wasn't enough, as the intro doesn't even have an ending. Well, we have these songs... What are we gonna do? Are they at least good? Plain and simple, no. He jumps on the recent hip hop bandwagon of using techno instruments in their songs, at the cost of any sort of musical foundation. Don't go into this expecting to hear anything worthy of being called RnB. Instead, you get songs that sound like they were made in some guy's bedroom using Fruityloops that he downloaded and cracked for free. Some of these songs trick you: they start sounding fantastic, enough to make you think "Okay, I'll keep listening." Then the weak handclap snare, techno bass, and synth drop. Along with your bowels. They are more of the same, boring, unoriginal songs that attempt to have some originality by using new sounds. Instead, they sound highly derivative, and the sounds often conflict. Acoustic guitar with techno and hip hop in an RnB song? Someone kill me. And the singing isn't that great either. Now, I know Usher can sing, I'm sure of this. It's just that he doesn't. Instead, he yet again falls in the category of singers that, shockingly enough, don't sing. The only melodic singing is in the chorus, which are often short 4 word lines repeated at least twice, and the verses are just what I call 'talking in a high voice', with the occasional "Ohh!" or "Yeaaah!" If you want to rap, then rap. Don't disguise your raps as songs. It's insulting to the industry, and my ear drums. It's disappointing to see that a genre rich and diverse as RnB can produce such lackluster performers such as Usher. Even more disappointing when we consider that Usher has more fame and notoriety than a lot of more talented, diverse RnB singers, such as Erykah Badu, or Jill Scott. The album is bland, boring, uninteresting, and more of the same ole' same ole. But it will make bank, judging from the plays the single, Love in This Club, gets. F-… Expand
  3. JamarioP.
    Jul 16, 2008
    8
    I here a lot of negative things about this album, but i thinks it's really good. It's a much mire mature album than he has ever made before. And he has some really nice tracks on here. I think people should definitely sit and listen to the words he speak in this album.
  4. sandeep
    Jul 1, 2008
    9
    Marvelous n amazing.
  5. ifaishiaw.
    Jun 28, 2008
    10
    I Love Usher.... His Album was so HOtT??? i have to one for the house and one for my car.
  6. latriceh.
    Jun 1, 2008
    3
    I am a big usher fan and this album compared to the past ones is horrible....Trading places is a good song...moving mountains is good too(althought the video is horrible) I love Usher truly but I am very disappointed in the quality of music that was released after a 4 year break. I hope the next one is better because I expect more of him and I know he can do better.
  7. marionc.
    May 30, 2008
    8
    Of course it won't sell or be a spopular as confessions or 8701 bc the radio played so many big singles but overall this was a good cd.
  8. tiastory
    May 28, 2008
    0
    It sucks best songs in the club remix and in the club the rest is trash.... bring back the confessions please.
  9. DavidS.
    May 27, 2008
    4
    R&B artist Usher dropped his first release since his son
  10. DJKNIGHTXIII
    May 27, 2008
    9
    Lovely album from Usher. If we are just to talk about the stunning ballad Moving mountains then the album deserves a 10 for that track alone.

Awards & Rankings

83
#83 Most Shared Album of 2008

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
65

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 15
  3. Negative: 1 out of 15
  1. AllMusic
    80
    Here I Stand is almost exactly the kind of release you'd expect a 29-year-old Usher to deliver in 2008, and while it is seriously doubtful the album will move more copies than the nearly diamond platinum "Confessions," there is plenty to like about it.
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  2. Billboard
    70
    After a four-year break, Usher's fifth set is bursting with grown man, true-to-life tales like leaving his player ways behind ("Before I Met You"), falling in love ("Something Special," "Lifetime" and the title track), making love ("This Ain't Sex") and having a child.
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  3. Blender
    60
    Usher has called Here I Stand his “grown and sexy” album, and he’s half right. Apart from a couple of A­up-tempo tracks by Danjahandz (“Appetite”) and Scandinavians-of-the-moment Stargate (“What’s a Man to Do”), the production is cocktail-lounge crunk, full of splashy cymbals, jazzy electric guitar and tinkly pianos.
    Read full review
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