By shelz.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out balancing the public life of husband and father with an iconic sex symbol image is damn near impossible.  Going the full on family man route tends to downscale an R&B impresario’s following quicker than getting caught trolling playgrounds on date night or beating on starlets.  And no one can attest to that more than Usher Raymond.

The reigning king of R&B (no Bobby) watched his career tank as his family grew, obviously finding love more important than platinum plaques.  His listening public scoffed at his wife selection, stopped buying his tunes and was entertained more by his inclusions in the tabloids than by his albums.

Now it appears Usher is attempting to marry (lol@marry) his fame with his infamy as he croons about his marriage and its subsequent fracture on his most recent single “Papers.” This is reportedly the first song released from his upcoming album Raymond vs Raymond and hopefully for him a foray back into the hearts of shrieking, panty throwing female fans world wide. Here is the track for your listening…pleasure.

Usher-”Papers”

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It’s an odd release considering his fan base and the absolute necessity of this album doing well.    This is Usher pouring out his heart, including personal touches “I done damn near lost my moma. I done been through so much drama.” However, this is probably not the type of song that would re-introduce him to the ladies who felt jilted when he said I Do.

The lyrics are pretty much catering to what the fans were thinking. He gave up everything for this woman he loved, did all he could for her but still couldn’t find a way to please her.  She drove him to depression and made him into a man he never thought he would be. He says he’s not going to assign blame near the beginning of the ballad but then spends the next 3 minutes doing just that.  

The hook is probably the worst part of the song, trading moments that are almost silent with other points that have layers of vocals that don’t work well together.  Then there is the repetitive and boring Papers, Papers, Papers…

Then the song takes a strange turn at the mark we normally would find a bridge. There’s an odd interactive sing along moment that takes the song from a Tameka dis to a divorce anthem. Does divorce really need an anthem? I’m just saying. You can’t ask your date to dance to a divorce anthem.  It’s not boudoir material and it’s honestly a bit depressing.  Usher can’t rally his lost troops with this type of sad sack material and I hope Usher’s music handlers take out a few of the OooOOOOoo’s.

The production is a bit open and empty.  Possibly it was structured this way so the listener can focus on the lyrics.  There are some computer generated blips and bleeps that litter the track and an organ that darts in and out, giving the ode to the end of a marriage an out of place gospel tinge.  Bad idea. Can you imagine what a video like this would be like?  Would Judge Lynn Toler from Divorce Court be raising the roof on the hood of a Bentley throwing down the “A?”

All in all it isn’t horrible.  Usher’s voice is full and beautiful as usual,  and the song will find an audience in those who are in similar sad circumstances.  However, this song also will manage to remind a good deal of Ushers lost fans why they stopped listening to him in the first place. 

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