At the time, Lil’ Jon’s jarring, raucous beats were becoming a mainstay in the hip-hop world, but blending Usher’s silky vocals with Jon’s high-octane sound was still a chancy move for an R&B artist. In the process, birthed a fresh sound in R&B that still echoes in today’s music.Īs Vibe reports, legend has it that Usher had his reservations about “Yeah!,” the crunk-infused club banger that would become the album’s lead single. He enlisted a bevy of producers, from veterans like Dupri and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, to hip-hop impresarios like Just Blaze and Lil' Jon, to create a fresh sonic backdrop for Confessions. It Completely Changed Usher's ImageĪs Usher switched up his image, he also revamped his sound. On its 15th anniversary, here's a look back at how it all went down. From its gossip-based marketing techniques to its tremendous commercial success to the fresh sounds of its R&B songs, the album, which was released on March 23, 2004, forever altered the music landscape. He was already on a strong upward trajectory, but Confessions was the catalyst that propelled him to superstardom. His 1994 self-titled debut showcased his voice he honed his dancing skills in the videos accompanying his breakthrough 1997 album, My Way and he established himself as an actor in the years that followed, with roles on the sitcom Moesha and the '90s teen cult classic film She’s All That. In the time before Confessions, Usher had already established himself as a triple threat.

That may sound like hyperbole, but it actually was the truth 15 years after the release of Confessions, it's evident that the album truly did change everything when it came to both Usher's career and many R&B hits that'd follow in the years to come. The message is clear: forget all you think you know about him, because after this record, nothing will be the same. The song’s whimpering guitar riff bleeds through the harsh crash of the glass, as Usher’s reflection splinters before our eyes. II”, the scandalous single from his seminal 2004 album Confessions, the singer stands half naked in front of a mirror that, seemingly out of nowhere, crumbles to shards in front of him. In the video for Usher’s “Confessions Pt.

Melo on usher confessions album