Slowly but surely, Usher has managed to become one of the greatest male R&B stars of the noughties. With some strong singles, excellent singing qualities and not to forget his flashy dance steps, he is the main competitor for Justin Timberlake as the potential successor to Michael Jackson. On his fourth album Confessions (2004) Usher shows that he has now really transcended his image as a teen
… star (his debut album was released when he was 15) and has grown up. Although the 'parental advisory' sticker is missing, the songs are full of sexual allusions and the title track refers to his much-discussed (alleged?) Unwanted paternity. The best song on Confessions is without a doubt the sublime single Yeah !, produced by Lil 'Jon. with a minimalist synthesizer melody and guest raps by Ludacris. Although not everything reaches the same level of this single, Usher has again made a top R&B record with Confessions. (IV)more