YOU won’t be finding too many musings on the worldwide economic crisis or the state of things in Syria on the seventh album from R&B raunch-machine Usher.
Song titles such as Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, Scream and Lemme See tell you all you need to know about the territory the serial Grammy-gatherer is continuing to occupy. But while much of the subject matter might be familiar, Usher’s musical horizons have shifted towards the pop and dance end of the scale.
Looking 4 Myself sometimes feels as if Usher is trying to cram in a few too many genres rather than sticking to what he does best. However, tracks such as Lessons For The Lover and Sins Of My Father showcase a supremely assured, charismatic and maturing artist who can put a leash on his attitude when he needs to.
If protégée Justin Bieber is listening, maybe he’ll realise that this is the way you’re supposed to do it.
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