Raymond Vs Raymond is about as generic as an R&B male vocalist record can be right now without resorting to constant sex references (which in itself is refreshing), but at the same time it will probably function as a success in its receiving audience due strictly to Usher’s straightforward persona - not via quality of record. Usher is undeniably a very charismatic artist and always aims to please his core demographics and then some you rarely see him in tabloids, you rarely take him as less than an authentic talent, and unlike some celebrities with scandals abound, you never really wish to punch him in the groin. Unlike many pop stars of the day, he moved past his urge to expand outside of R&B and just stuck to what he was good at: crooning and performance. Usher is plainly and simply himself, period. As there are only so many ways to throw in massive vocabulary to build a proper indie tune, there are only so many ways to say “I wanna sex you up” or “I’m older now, let me be.” Where is the solution to this? Marketing, packaging, live performance, technical proficiency, prowess, fanbase: These things define artists when two or more sound alike, so with that in mind, let us look at Usher Raymond from his sheer presence alone. Truthfully, every genre has its share of acts that sound similar or even exactly the same, whether it’s because like influences spread amongst them, signatures of said genre become overplayed (“the it thing”), or originality goes out the window. There really is nothing to glean here in singles or otherwise as everything blurs together, but as an album it deserves at least some semblance of observation. Unfortunately, when it comes to anything beyond that ridiculously catchy string of successes and a recent MJ tribute at the 2010 Grammy Awards, Usher is not in prime form here on Raymond Vs Raymond - in fact, had one given this a listen prior to R Kelly’s Untitled, I’d have been hard pressed to catch the difference through a handful of tracks (aside from Usher’s lack of use in the Auto-Tune department). This kid had all the right moves for years, everything between the “Bump & Grind” equivalent “Nice & Slow”, the infectious personal favorite of mine “My Way”, to his Lil’ Jon/Luda collaboration “Yeah”.
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His dance moves mirror Michael Jackson, his movie talent mirrors Mariah Carey, and as he ages, his vocals become less and less distinguishable from R&B headline R Kelly.
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