I’ll get right to it. R&B legend Usher’s Confessions album was America’s last great album. It wasn’t the most critically acclaimed. It wasn’t the most innovative. But, the last album that had everyone from Walmart to Wall Street buying and talking about it? The second to last 10 million plus selling LP in the United States (the last album since 2000 to sell over 10 mil was Adele’s 21 album in 2011)? That would be Usher’s 2004 masterpiece. Confessions was the most celebrated R&B album since Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall. Not only was the disc pretty much flawless overall, three hits from the album became modern anthems. Below are my thoughts about the biggest songs from Confessions.
- Yeah. This song is arguably America’s last great song. “Yeah” is one of the biggest songs of all time. Thirteen million copies of the song sold. Nearly one billion views of its companion music video on YouTube. Twelve weeks at the number one spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Somebody loved the song. “Yeah” was a culture rocker of the highest order. It set off parties. It shut down nightclubs. It compelled everybody to dance. “Yeah” was a cosmic level smash that will never get old. In the year 30,000 when mutant cockroaches rule the Earth, you can bet they’ll be getting crunk to Usher’s biggest hit.
- Burn. Another instant anthem from Confessions. This crunk-ballad became the second mega hit to come from the album (see the song above this one). This cut was not only a radio smash (it reached the top spot on Billboard’s pop chart too), but also a summer BBQ bop. Heartbreak never sounded so…dope.
- Confessions Part II. Another number one pop single from the album. The biggest impact of this song was the conversations this created. Was this autobiographical? Was it fiction? Who did Usher cheat on? Who did he get pregnant? Would there be a “Confessions Part III”? This cut was a rumor- guessing/ generating touchstone and a hit song. Usher couldn’t lose in 2024.
Confessions still hits. I know this because I bump the album, and I’ll play it on my phone again some other time this summer. The LP can still start a party, cause sing-a-longs, and make you gossip 20 years later. For that, I give this album an A.
Yeah.
