Not since Rueben Studdard's slow jam masterpiece, "Sorry 2004" , which jumped off that year, has a slow jam come to epitomize a grown & sexy vibe in the age of vocoder-enhanced- psuedo-R&B grinders. The song I'm referring to is Usher's "Here I Stand". After first hearing it in a old/nu skoool mix a couple months back here on NYC's WBLS, I first though it was a throwback, never imagining that the mature vocals and classic quiet storm vibe could be attributed to an artist whose singles usually incorporated production that until recently, appealed to a much younger demographic. The sound and quality of Here I Stand owes much to Keith Washington's "Kissing You", with its simple, quiet, elegant production values and straightforward, but heartfelt vocal delivery.With lyrics like, You’re like a mirror to my soul but a queen/And finally now I know just what that means/You’re the blessing I never thought I’d get/And to the lord I humbly bow my head, Usher shows his growth as a man, no longer content to work the strip clubs, and take care of family and home. Could that be why the album hasn't performed as well as 2003's mega-smash Confessions, which allegedly focused on his issues with fidelity and break up with Chili from TLC? One would think that with the success of NeYo and his focus on his sensitivity when it comes to relationships that audiences would allow Usher to express his maturity without animosity, as some seem to have regarding his recent marriage.
Hopefully, that won't be viewed so much as a cardinal sin, and he will continue to grow and possibly take his place among the current kings of soul, such as Kenny Lattimore and Kem, and yet still get airplay on stations which target the younger folks.
Have a listen to "Here I Stand" on my jukebox, at the top right of this page.
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