RAYMOND V RAYMOND
| Usher
RAYMOND V RAYMOND
Raymond v. Raymond is the sixth studio album by American singer Usher, released on March 26, 2010, by LaFace Records. Production for the album took place during 2008 to 2010 and was handled by several producers, including Jermaine Dupri, The Runners, Ester Dean, Polow da Don, RedOne, Jim Jonsin, Danja, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Bangladesh, Zaytoven, and Tricky Stewart. -wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Consequence of Sound
2010 - 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.
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Slant Magazine
2010 - The album is consistently uninspired, with each song showcasing an incredibly gifted performer grown wearyingly complacent.
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The Guardian
2010 - He does express regret about the marriage breakdown on Papers, but it rings hollow, as does most of this so-so record.
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Washington Post
2010 - Usher manages to make some great music, especially when he appears to be getting his bearings back as a single man and heartthrob
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Pop Matters
2010 - It exploits his personal life for profit, selling you on the notion that you are going to get a peak into Usher's inner emotional life even though you are not, and it does it with some of the most aggressively misogynistic and silly lyricism that Usher's ever sung.
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BBC
So don’t come to this thinking you’ll get the inside scoop on a celebrity divorce, but as a soundtrack to rampancy in general, it’s hard to beat.
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Soul Tracks
an album loaded with catchy urban R&B hooks, but is still weighed down with too-many-familiar, hyper-sexualized formulas, planting him a step below the horny vices of The-Dream or Trey Songz
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Vogue
Raymond v. Raymond is full of hits and misses; the album takes you through a wave of emotions—from ballads like “There Goes My Baby” into the X-rated “Lil Freak” (where Nicki Minaj steals the show)—but there aren’t enough hits to ignore the misses that feel forced
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Soul in Stereo
While this album was seen as somewhat of a creative disappointment at the time, it’s far from a bad release.
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Hip Hop DX
its good moments are strong
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Los Angeles Times
2010 - Here's a battle, the title suggests, between the faithful husband of the last few years and the wily lothario of yore. 3/4
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All Music
Many of the songs on the album have to be taken on their own, stripped of context; otherwise, determining what applies to Usher’s real and fantasy lives can be problematic.
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NME
inds the singer in an emotional headspin, and when he channels it here he produces some of his darkest and most hypnotic soul-pop to date
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90.3 the Core
it sure is something that R&B lovers can definitely vibe with
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Sputnik Music
There are three sides to every story. Usher apologizes. Usher gets women. Usher apologizes. Again.
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Exclaim!
Ultimately, Raymond v. Raymond sounds like Usher is just making time when what he really needs to do is grow up.
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Pitchfork
Usher's new album finds the R&B star holding his own with guests and producers including A$AP Rocky, Diplo, Noah "40" Shebib, Rick Ross, and more.
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Pop! Blerd
Even the songs I CAN differentiate don’t really stick to the ribs.
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News OK
Usher's latest disc, "Raymond v. Raymond," is a bit like deja vu.
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Unrated Magazine
This new CD Raymond vs Raymond is definitely a twist in the road.
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Blog Critics
Vocally, Usher is up to par throughout Raymond V Raymond. The problem is that no one song comes close to the authentic passion and fullness of past hits
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Hip Hop Site
While one cannot really expect him to transcend himself to Stevie Wonder levels of artistry, we know what to expect from an Usher LP, and it delivers on all expectations.
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Pittsburgh Post Gazette
The album's title, "Raymond v. Raymond," is meant to suggest the two sides of the same man, and Usher shows that in this confusing but tuneful narrative.
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Hi Fi Magazine
In search of his playboy swagger (and thankfully finds it), Usher fails to live up to his own musical standards in the process
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Daily News
Instead, Usher simply seems like he's reverting to easy type, milking his old role as a cad too cute to stay angry with for long.
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LA Music Blog
Those that like Usher’s exploration of different tempos will really enjoy this album.
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The Globe and Mail
Raymond mixes anguished, soulful slow jams with aggressive, bass-pumping dance songs, as if trying to balance each mea culpa with a quick "let's party."
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The Georgia Strait
In fact, the guy is a fantastic singer with a commanding vocal presence, and his voice has matured even as his subject matter has devolved.
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Scene
Raymond v Raymond is more than half over before it gets to the good stuff.
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Star Tribune
Back in with the sexy. That's what "Raymond v. Raymond" is about.
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Cairo 360
This album just makes Justin Timberlake look cool again, which is even sadder.
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Anyiko
Some of the slow jamms and R&B in it really make me happy every time I listen. It pays to know that R&B geniouses like Usher are still out there in pursuit of preserving THAT kinda music!
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The Badger Herald
2010 - Raymond v. Raymond, then, is a combination of the old, girl-crazy, party-boy Usher and the new, introspective Usher, and this combination has influenced such a wide variety of music on this album
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