It sounds good though, and “40” gives us another beautifully spacey beat, just as expected.The best parts of the album have Usher doing what he does best: singing about love, heartbreak, sex, and success - sometimes all within the same song. Noah “40” Shebib even drops by to give us “What Happened To U,” an example of what an Usher version of a Drake song would sound like, “unhappiness with his fame” and all. Other tracks on the album display the same level of ingenuity, such as the Pharell feature “Twisted,” which carries a beat reminiscent of a James Brown song, and has Usher’s swagger and vocal talent on full effect. Though not new by any means, “Climax” still sounds as fresh and innovative as it did months ago: Usher displays unrivaled control of his falsetto and Diplo’s production is restrained and intelligent, allowing the song to build and grow without overtaking the artist with bass and effects. “Climax” is placed as the third track, and thankfully reminds you why you bought the album in the first place. Though they start the album off with some energetic fun, the tracks are easily forgettable and don’t reflect the sum of the genius held within Looking 4 Myself.
The album kicks off with “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” and single “Scream,” both tracks clear club-bangers that, instead of feeling like the “revolutionary pop” that the artist has been talking about for the past few months, are far too reminiscent of the Usher that fell victim to the will.i.am’s and David Guetta’s of the music world on his past albums. Whereas for the most part, Confessions had a cohesive emotional theme, Looking 4 Myself feels like Usher picking and choosing from different genres and themes for each song, with varying levels of success. Well let me alleviate any doubts and say that this is easily Usher’s best work since 2004’s diamond-certified hit Confessions, but by no means is it a perfect album. Ever since “Climax” dropped earlier this year, anticipation for Usher’s Looking 4 Myself has been growing immensely, with fans expecting a return to form from the R&B artist.
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