| Raymond v. Raymond | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 26, 2010 | |||
| Recorded | 2008–2009 | |||
| Studio | Studio at the Palms (Paradise, Nevada) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 58:59 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| Usher chronology | ||||
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| Deluxe edition cover | ||||
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| Singles from Raymond v. Raymond | ||||
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Raymond v. Raymond is the sixthstudio album by American singerUsher, released on March 26, 2010, byLaFace Records. Production for the album took place in 2009 and was handled by several producers, includingJermaine Dupri,The Runners,Ester Dean,Polow da Don,RedOne,Jim Jonsin,Danja,Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis,Bangladesh,Zaytoven, andTricky Stewart.
The album debuted at number one on the USBillboard 200 chart, selling 329,000 copies in its first week. It is certified three-times platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of three million copies in the United States. The album also produced five singles that achieved chart success, including US hits "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)", "Lil Freak", "There Goes My Baby", and international hits "OMG" and "More".
Upon its release,Raymond v. Raymond received generally mixed reviews from music critics, who were ambivalent towards its songwriting and themes. Nonetheless, the album earned Usher several awards, includingGrammy Awards forBest Contemporary R&B Album andBest Male R&B Vocal Performance. Usher promoted the album with a supporting international tour,OMG Tour, in 2011.
In December 2005, Usher became romantically involved with stylistTameka Foster, whom he then married on August 3, 2007.[2] Foster gave birth to Usher Raymond V later that year.[3] Usher released his fifth studio albumHere I Stand on May 13, 2008. It featured more mature, adult-oriented themes, influenced by his marriage to Foster; this thematic shift ultimately led to the album becoming less successful with fans and sales than his previous work.[4][5][6][7][8][9] A year and a half later on June 12, 2009, following his marriage, Usher filed for divorce from Foster, with no initial reasoning.[10] Once the divorce was finalized on November 8 that year, Usher explained that there was "no reasonable hope of reconciliation" and their marriage was "irretrievably broken"; both Foster and Usher had been living separately since July 2008.[10] The divorce was highly documented by the press.[11]
People felt like I'd stepped away from the perception I'd sold for all the years I'd been doing this, when people buy my albums, they buy them for the connection.Here I Stand was very specific to where I was in my life. I don't think everyone was there.
Prior to the filing, Usher relocated to Las Vegas in 2009 to begin working on his sixth studio album.[10] The album was recorded at theStudio at the Palms in Vegas andAtlanta.[12] Producers involved with its production includedJermaine Dupri,The Runners,Ester Dean,Polow da Don,RedOne,Jim Jonsin, |Danja,Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Bangladesh andTricky Stewart.[13][14] Initially under the titleMonster, the album's name was changed toRaymond v. Raymond, taking inspiration from the 1979 Americandrama filmKramer vs. Kramer.[11][15]
Raymond v. Raymond mirrors Usher's 2004Confessions, as a self-confessional album, with several recordings from the album inferring to Usher's marriage.[11]Jive Records urban music president and album executive producer Mark Pitts also conceived the album as a return to the themes of the latter album; "based on what happened withConfessions", Pitts wanted to reproduce its success.[11] Pitts toldThe New York Times that "Usher had a rough couple years", elaborating: "The scrutiny of everything going on, he was worrying too much about what people were thinking. We felt like we had to get his swagger back. Dust off the bed and get it popping and young again."[11] Pitts noted that it was importantRaymond v. Raymond addressed the rumors that circulated around Usher's marriage.[11] The latter reiterated that the album is not specifically about his marriage, and that it is "about the tug-of-war between man and woman, and the honesty a man has to have."[11]
"Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" was released as the first single on December 8, 2009. The single peaked at number 24[16] on theBillboard Hot 100 chart and number two on theHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[17] The song also peaked at number sixty-eight on theAustrian Singles Chart.[18] Its music video was directed byChris Robinson, and was shot inWest Hollywood at "The London".[19] It premiered onMTV on January 28, 2010.[20] For the album's second single, "Lil Freak", Usher and featured artistNicki Minaj shot a music video for the song on March 9, 2010 in Los Angeles with directorTAJ.[21] The single reached number eight on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart[17] and number 40 on theBillboard Hot 100.[16] It also peaked at number 109 on theUK Singles Chart.[22]
The album's fourth single, "OMG", featuringwill.i.am, reached number one on theBillboard Hot 100.[16] It also reached number one in Ireland,[23] New Zealand,[24] the United Kingdom,[25] and Australia.[26] The song became his ninth number-one hit in the US, making him the first 2010s artist to collect number-one singles in three consecutive decades, and only the fourth artist of all-time to achieve the feat.[27] Usher also became the third artist ever to have at least one Hot 100 number-one hit from five consecutive studio albums.[28] The single stayed at number one on the chart for four weeks, including three consecutive.[29] It finished at the top of the year-endBillboard charts.[30][31] It was also named the fifth best-selling song of 2010, selling 3.8 million units,[32] and was certified eight-times Platinum byRIAA.
"There Goes My Baby", which was released as the second promotional single prior to the album's release, was released to airplay as the album's fourth single in the United States on June 15, 2010.[33] It reached number twenty-five on theBillboard Hot 100,[16] and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart,[17] becoming Usher's eleventh number-one hit on the latter.[34] The song earned Usher aGrammy Award forBest Male R&B Vocal Performance, at the53rd Grammy Awards in 2011.[35] "More" was released as the album's fifth and final single, on December 6, 2010.[36] "More" peaked at number 15 on theBillboard Hot 100.[37] The single reached number one in Canada.[38] It also reached the top-ten in Australia,[39] Belgium,[40] and Norway,[41] and the top-twenty in Denmark,[42] France,[43] New Zealand,[44] and Sweden.[45]
In November 2009, a representative of Usher toldMTV News that the album will not be released on December 21, 2009 as scheduled: "The release of Usher's next album,Raymond v. Raymond, has been delayed because we believe that the album is so strong that we want to give it the opportunity to have the proper setup before coming out".[46] The album's release was pushed back again due to Usher experiencing issues in obtaining management, following him parting ways with his then manager, Jonetta Patton, also his mother, in late November 2009.[47] Patton had severed management ties with Usher due to his relationship with formerDef Jam executive Grace Miguel, and she felt "if she didn't end things when she did, it would permanently affect their personal relationship."[47]Raymond v. Raymond was ultimately released on March 30, 2010 in the United States, and released on April 26, 2010 in the United Kingdom.[48][49]
Versus was announced as a follow-up toRaymond v. Raymond on July 8, 2010, and is Usher's firstextended play.[50] Described during a press release as "the last chapter ofRaymond v. Raymond", Usher stated that the EP will explore the subjects of being newly single and a father.[51] It would includeRaymond v. Raymond single "There Goes My Baby", as well as 8 new tracks.[51] Several producers from the latter album contributed to the production of the EP, includingPolow da Don,Jim Jonsin,Rico Love,Drumma Boy,Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Tha Cornaboyz andMax Martin.[51]Versus' track listing and album cover was revealed on July 21, 2010.[52] Despite some criticism towards its pop-oriented material, the EP received generally positive reviews from most music critics.[53] It went on to sell 302,000 copies in the US.[54]
In 2010, Usher competed in a dance battle against fellowR&B artistChris Brown at theReggae Sumfest. The battle sparked an Internet rumor of the two possibly going on tour. This was further pushed by producerJermaine Dupri alluding that the two artist may be unaware of this upcoming tour. The singers later took toTwitter to ask who the fans would like to see them perform with.[55] On September 8, 2010, the singer announced his touring trek (and revealed it was solo) for North America. Due to demand, many additional stops in Europe and Australasia were added. It was Usher's first arena tour in six years; his last being his 2004 effort, TheTruth Tour.[56] The then announced OMG Tour commenced on November 10, 2010 and concluded on June 1, 2011 with Usher performing in a total of 92 shows. In its conclusion, the tour placed seventh onBillboard's annual "Top 25 Tours", earning nearly $75 million.[57]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 57/100[58] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [59] |
| Chicago Tribune | [60] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[1] |
| The Guardian | [61] |
| Los Angeles Times | [5] |
| NME | 6/10[62] |
| PopMatters | 4/10[6] |
| Rolling Stone | [63] |
| Slant Magazine | [64] |
| Sputnikmusic | 2.5/5[65] |
Raymond v. Raymond received generally mixed reviews from music critics. AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received anaverage score of 57, based on 16 reviews, which indicates "generally mixed or average reviews".[66]AllMusic editor Andy Kellman was ambivalent towards its lyrical content and stated, "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".[59] Tyler Fisher of Sputnikmusic found the album thematically inconsistent and called it "a predictably unfocused album".[65] Matthew Cole ofSlant Magazine called it "consistently uninspired, with each song showcasing an incredibly gifted performer grown wearyingly complacent".[64]
Camilla Pia ofNME observed "quite a bit of forgettable bravado babble".[62]Chicago Tribune writerGreg Kot viewed that its "songs about 'So Many Girls' and the burden of being a 'Pro Lover' on the prowl" inversely affect the mature-themed songs, writing "It's the kind of lacerating perspective that adulthood brings, but Usher's too busy chasing his past to fully embrace it".[60] Tyler Lewis ofPopMatters calledRaymond v. Raymond a "cynically commercial and desperate album" and viewed it as a "pale imitation" of Usher'sConfessions.[6]The Village Voice's Rich Juzwiak called its confessional nature "wan" and compared its songs negatively to "pick-up lines: Their immediate success varies, but none are particularly memorable".[8]
In a positive review, Mikael Wood of theLos Angeles Times felt that the album emphasizes "the wily lothario of yore" in response to "Usher fans disappointed by the change in direction his wedding inspired".[5] Andrew Rennie ofNow wrote, "his sixth album proves that his ability to make grown-up hits is stronger than ever."[67]Billboard's Gail Mitchell called it "a more cohesive collection" thanHere I Stand, "centered on the different sides that comprise the artist".[68]
The album earned Usher threeAmerican Music Award nominations.[69] He won two of the awards for Favorite R&B Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist.[70] The album also earned him fourSoul Train Music Award nominations; including, Best R&B/Soul Artist Male, Song of the Year, Album of the Year, and Best Dance Performance.[71] Usher tiedAlicia Keys for the most Soul Train Music Award nominations that year.[71] He won two of the nominations for Best Male R&B/Soul Artist and Album of the Year award.[72] At the53rd Grammy Awards in 2011,Raymond v. Raymond won both its nominations forBest Contemporary R&B Album andBest Male R&B Vocal Performance.[73] Usher won aNRJ Music Award for International Male Artist of the Year.[74]
Usher appeared on severalBillboard year-end charts in 2010; he was ranked as the third top USBillboard Hot 100 artist.[75] He was placed as the top R&B/Hip Hop Artist,[76] the sixth top overall artist,[77] and the ninth top Pop artist.[78] The following year, Usher won threeBillboard Music Awards, receiving honors as Top R&B Artist, Top R&B Album forRaymond v. Raymond, and Top R&B Song for "OMG".[79]
The album debuted at number one on the USBillboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 329,107 copies, becoming Usher's third consecutive US number-one album.[80] Its first week sales, at the time of its release, served as the third-largest one-week sales of 2010 in the US.[80] According toBillboard, the album's first-week sales had been supported by his appearances on the television showsAmerican Idol andThe Ellen DeGeneres Show, both of which featured him performing the single "OMG".[80] The album sold over 92,000 copies in the US in its second week of release.[81] It sold over 64,000 copies in its third week of release.[82] It then sold 52,000 copies in its fourth week of release.[83][84] In its fifth week of release it sold 48,000 copies.[85] In its sixth week of release sales increased with 51,000 copies sold.[86] By March 2012, it has sold over 1.3 million copies in the US.[87] On June 17, 2010,Raymond v. Raymond was certified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[88] The album topped the USTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for seven consecutive weeks.[89] It was placed as one of the ten best selling albums of 2010, ranking at number nine, selling 1.18 million copies that year.[90]
The album debuted at number four in Canada,[91] and has been certified platinum by theCanadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA), for shipments of 80,000 copies.[92]Raymond v. Raymond debuted at number two in the United Kingdom, with English rapperPlan B'sThe Defamation of Strickland Banks debuting at number one.[93] The latter album opened with 41,001 copies sold withRaymond v. Raymond opening with 40,788 units.[93] Its first week figures are lower than Usher's three preceding albums.[93]Raymond v. Raymond reached number-two in Australia and the album has been certified platinum by theAustralian Record Industry Association (ARIA).[94] The album is also certified platinum in the United Kingdom by theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI). It also entered within the top-ten of charts in several other countries.[18] The album's tracks and ring tones have sold more than seven million combined units, and by December 1, 2010, the album itself had sold over 2 million copies worldwide.[95]
Web publicationRated R&B celebratedRaymond v. Raymond's tenth anniversary by ranking the six singles from the album. The editor, Danielle Brissett, wrote about the state of Usher's career at the time and howRaymond v. Raymond was seen as a major comeback, after his previous studio album,Here I Stand, was seen as an "unexpected fall from grace" after the blockbuster success ofConfessions. WithRaymond v. Raymond Usher returned to form, as he "gave fans what they wanted and returned to his ladies’ man persona but with a seasoned approach". The album was the ninth best-selling album of 2010 in the US with 1.18 million copies sold, and the Hot 100 number 1 smash "OMG" featuring will.i.am. became the fifth best-selling digital single of the year and ranked 60th on Billboard's Hot 100 Songs of the Decade list.[96][97] The editor goes on, saying that while Usher had been in the industry with a career spanning three decades, "[he] made it clear that he hadn't lost his sly, yet irresistible euphonic charm" as "he led Billboard's year-end tally in 2010 as the top R&B male performer".[98]
Not only wasRaymond v. Raymond a commercial comeback for the singer in 2010 - with each single peaking within the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the OMG Tour becoming his highest grossing concert tour to date - but it extended his reign as "the biggest male pop star in the world".[99]
Raymond v. Raymond was ranked 113th on the Decade-End Billboard 200 chart.[100] "OMG" became the only song by a male R&B artist to reach the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" madeRaymond v. Raymond the only R&B album with multiple singles to reach the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 that decade. The album also had one of the highest first week sales for any male R&B album of the 2010s decade at 329,000 in the US, and is one of the best-selling albums of the decade by any black artist at 5 million sold worldwide.Raymond v. Raymond was not only Usher's most successful album in the 2010s, but one of the most successful R&B albums that decade.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Monstar" | Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis | 5:01 | |
| 2. | "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" |
| 3:44 | |
| 3. | "There Goes My Baby" |
|
| 4:41 |
| 4. | "Lil Freak" (featuringNicki Minaj) | Polow da Don | 3:54 | |
| 5. | "She Don't Know" (featuringLudacris) |
| 4:03 | |
| 6. | "OMG" (featuringwill.i.am) | William Adams | will.i.am | 4:29 |
| 7. | "Mars vs. Venus" |
| Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis | 4:22 |
| 8. | "Pro Lover" |
| Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis | 5:02 |
| 9. | "Foolin' Around" |
| 4:11 | |
| 10. | "Papers" |
|
| 4:21 |
| 11. | "So Many Girls" |
| Danja | 4:36 |
| 12. | "Guilty" (featuringT.I.) |
| Prettyboifresh | 3:44 |
| 13. | "Okay" |
| Lackey | 3:15 |
| 14. | "Making Love (Into the Night)" |
|
| 3:36 |
| Total length: | 58:59 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "More" | RedOne | 3:49 | |
| Total length: | 62:49 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home) (Remix)" (featuringPlies) |
|
| 4:16 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Love 'Em All" |
| Prettyboifresh | 3:48 |
| 16. | "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" (featuringPitbull) | Max Martin | 3:40 | |
| 17. | "Hot Tottie" (featuringJay-Z) |
| Polow da Don | 4:59 |
| 18. | "Lay You Down" |
| Tha Cornaboyz | 4:03 |
| 19. | "Lingerie" |
| Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis | 4:13 |
| 20. | "Get in My Car" (featuringBun B) |
| Polow da Don | 4:09 |
| 21. | "Somebody to Love (Remix)" (Justin Bieber featuring Usher) | The Stereotypes | 3:28 | |
| 22. | "Stranger" |
| Drumma Boy | 4:47 |
| Total length: | 96:10 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23. | "Dirty Dancer" (withEnrique Iglesias featuringLil Wayne) |
| RedOne | 3:35 |
| 24. | "More" |
| RedOne | 3:49 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23. | "Dirty Dancer" (with Enrique Iglesias featuringLil Wayne) |
| RedOne | 3:35 |
| 24. | "OMG" (Disco Fries Radio Mix) | William Adams | will.i.am | 4:44 |
| Total length: | 104:15 | |||
Credits forRaymond v. Raymond adapted fromAllMusic.[104]
|
|
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
Decade-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[94] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[133] | Platinum | 80,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[134] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[135] | Platinum | 300,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[88] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Label | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany[136] | March 26, 2010 | Arista Records | Standard |
| United States | March 30, 2010[48] | LaFace Records | |
| August 24, 2010[137] | Deluxe | ||
| Canada | March 30, 2010[138] | Standard | |
| August 24, 2010[139] | Sony Music Entertainment | Deluxe | |
| Brazil[140] | April 15, 2010 | Standard | |
| Japan[141] | April 21, 2010 | ||
| United Kingdom | April 26, 2010[49] | RCA Records | |
| September 20, 2010[142] | Deluxe | ||
| Japan[143] | September 22, 2010 | Sony Music Entertainment |
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)| Studio albums | |
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| Related | |
