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Confessions (Usher album)

April 05, 2024

"Superstar (Usher song)" redirects here. Not to be confused with Superstar, which was also recorded by Usher.

Confessions is the fourth studio album by American singer Usher. It was released on March 23, 2004, by Arista Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2003 to 2004, with its production handled by his longtime collaborator Jermaine Dupri, along with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Lil Jon, among others. Primarily an R&B album, Confessions showcases Usher as a crooner through a mixture of ballads and up-tempos, incorporating musical genres of dance-pop, hip hop and crunk. The album's themes generated controversy about Usher's personal relationships; however, the album's primary producer Jermaine Dupri claimed the album reflects Dupri's own personal story.

Confessions
Studio album by
Usher
ReleasedMarch 23, 2004
Recorded2003–2004
Genre
Length
  • 60:30
  • 77:22 (special edition)
LabelArista
Producer
Usher chronology
8701
(2001) 		Confessions
(2004) 		Here I Stand
(2008)
Special edition cover
Singles from Confessions
  1. "Yeah!"
    Released: January 10, 2004[1]
  2. "Burn"
    Released: March 21, 2004
  3. "Confessions Part II"
    Released: June 1, 2004
  4. "My Boo"
    Released: August 29, 2004[2]
  5. "Caught Up"
    Released: January 3, 2005[3]

In the United States, the album sold 1.1 million copies in its first week. To boost sales amid threats of bootlegging, the special edition for the album was issued, which includes the single, "My Boo"; a duet with Alicia Keys. Confessions earned Usher several awards, including the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album.

According to Billboard, it is the second-best selling album of the 2000s decade in the United States, behind NSYNC's No Strings Attached. With over eight million copies sold in 2004, the album was viewed as a sign of recovering album sales in the US, following three years of decline. It was also exemplary of urban music's commercial peak and dominance of the Billboard charts in 2004. Confessions has been certified fourteen-times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and, as of 2006, has sold over 10.3 million copies in the US and over 15 million copies worldwide;[4] making it the best-selling R&B album of the 21st century by a male artist.

Confessions' concept, production and Usher's vocal delivery received acclaim since upon its release, and in 2020 the album was ranked number 432 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.[5]

Background and recording edit

When he began recording Confessions in 2003, Usher claimed he did not want to work with any new producers.[6] Production began between Usher and Jermaine Dupri, who produced his last two albums, My Way (1997) and 8701 (2001).[6] In spite of his vision, Usher stated, "With this album I chose some new producers who I figured would definitely allow me to really articulate myself in a different way ... Every album you gotta grow. You gotta look for something different."[7] Dupri also invited his frequent collaborator Bryan-Michael Cox. The album features productions by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Just Blaze, Usher's brother James Lackey, Dre and Vidal, among others.[8]

When Usher felt that the album was completed,[8] with forty recorded songs, he submitted the album to his record label, Arista.[9] However, he and the company's then-president, L. A. Reid, who listened to the record, thought something was missing in it. "You know what, there's like one or two more records that we just gotta get."[8] Usher was displeased with the decision; he felt returning to the studio was the hardest part and needed to re-motivate himself.[9] He went on recording a few more tracks with help from fellow Atlantans Lil Jon and Ludacris. Eventually, the team was able to produce songs like "Red Light" and "Yeah!". He also recorded songs with P. Diddy and The Neptunes during one of those sessions, but those songs were not released.[9]

Composition edit

One of Usher's first steps in recording Confessions was deciding to reveal "his own little secrets".[6] Friend and former A&R rep named Kawan "KP" Prather thought the album would let the public know Usher personally. Prather said, "The music has never been the question, but people tend to buy into the artist. The more they know about you, the more they feel like they're there with you."[6] Primarily because of the album's personal content, Usher said that this is his chance to be real.[10] He named the album Confessions because he felt it is his most personal record to date: "All of us have our Pandora's boxes or skeletons in our closets. I let a few of them out, you know. I've got a lot to say. I've got a lot of things and stuff built in me that I just want to let go of."[11] He wrote more songs than he contributed to his previous album.

Several of the songs in this album were conceptually based on a situation. For instance, "Burn" was built around the winding down of Usher's two-year relationship with Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas from American R&B-Hip hop girl group TLC.[12] Dupri and Cox were talking and felt that there was a song in it, and started writing.[6] Similarly, with the title track "Confessions Part II", they were conversing about an impregnated mistress, and its concept was written down.[6] Usher recorded "Confessions Part II" during July 2003 recording sessions in New York City. When Usher sang the song's lyrics, the theme of cheating inspired him and Dupri to create two parts; "Confessions Part I" and "Confessions Part II". "Confessions Part I" can be heard at the beginning of the video for "Confessions Part II".[10]

Music and style edit

 
"Confessions Part II"
The song is set in common time and has a moderate groove.[13] Its lyrics centers on the narrator's confession about impregnating his mistress.[9]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Confessions falls mainly in the R&B genre.[7][8] Usher commented that he chose to work with collaborators who know "... how to interpret R&B from a jazz standpoint, an old school throwback standpoint, a new school point, a traditional classic standpoint ..."[14] With producers and Usher set to produce such an album, however, other musical genres including hip hop were incorporated. While he wanted to do R&B,[6] Usher also wanted his fans to experience hip hop at the same time: "I try to think outside the box."[14] When Lil Jon came on the scene, crunk was introduced to the R&B-centered album, specifically on the Sean Garrett-penned song "Yeah!". Usher said, "'Yeah!' could be called the first consciously styled "crunk R&B" record."[11] The album also includes various slow jams.[10]

This record also introduces a new style for Usher, focusing on his voice and technique. Andre "Dre" Harris and Vidal Davis listened to 8701 and felt that "Usher really needs to sing hard and let people know his vocal ability".[6] With efforts focused on the record to demonstrate his vocal ability to listeners, songs such as "Superstar" and "Follow Me" exhibited Usher in a type of "crooner mode".[6] The ballad-oriented "Burn" also showcases his vocal aptitude.[15]

Usher credits Eminem with the album's reputation of being transparent, and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony with the hip-hop sound of the album, stating in an interview with Sway:

I have Eminem to thank for that...well, in a time where I felt like music was in transition, and R&B specifically was in a place where it could go older, or it could kind of be what it was. Right? You had all these great, you know, artists that were either performers, dancers, singers, whatever...but I felt like there, the honesty. The honesty of hip-hop, and what Eminem was saying on his records, it motivated me. Like, yo if he could be that honest, you know through hip-hop - and there've been other stories, storytellers, but never quite as vivid as his. So I was like, we need to keep it real like Em. I wanna go all the way in, so lemme talk about the unspoken, the shit that people don't want to talk about and don't want to have to deal with. So, that's what Confessions kinda kicked in. And I got that Cleveland, because, you know with the Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, you know what I'm saying is to just understanding that the rhythm and the flip of it to make it be able to make it be at least, you know, hip-hop appropriate. You know what I'm saying? That's what it was. And that kinda recreated what I felt R&B was and what it is to day, in some ways.[16]

Release edit

 
Usher on April 23, 2004.

Confessions was slated to be released on November 6, 2003. However, due to marketing issues, the scheduled date was moved to March 23 of the following year.[6][8] With several songs recorded, Usher faced the challenge of determining the final track listing. Usher, Dupri, Reid, and then-A&R rep Mark Pitts each had their favorites among the forty, but decided to choose those which "came up consistently more".[6] The collective was able to settle on fifteen of them, with two interludes completing the seventeen track list. Many songs were set aside for future use, including "Red Light" and a remix of "Yeah!". Usher and Arista held advance listenings for the album, a few months before its actual release; he also appeared on TV guestings to promote Confessions.[9]

With strategies to boost the album's sales albeit threats of stealing music in the internet, Usher and his management readied a follow-up release of Confessions with an additional marketing blitz.[17] The idea was considered "musically driven" after Zomba, who absorbed Arista, management was excited about "My Boo", a song that was recorded for the original version of the album but failed to meet deadline.[17] However, it actually began when American R&B and soul singer Alicia Keys, who is featured on the track, "brought in that the talk of repackaging started".[17] With the inclusion of "My Boo", they thought of the album as complete.[18] While they knew of other artists releasing special editions of their albums, the label felt that Confessions had the edge because of its previous success and its physical changes, including new cover art, an expanded CD booklet, a pullout poster and a letter to fans from Usher.[17] The new version includes "My Boo" and "Red Light", which were leaked alongside other songs that did not appear in the album,[19] and a remix of "Confessions Part II", and "Seduction"; original tracks were also improved like the extended version of "Confessions Part I" and a rap added by American rapper Jadakiss in "Throwback". The label itself treated the version a new album, with full media advertisements.[17] The album was re-issued in October 2004,[20] seven months after its initial release.[21]

Marketing edit

In selecting which single to release first, Usher and the label considered various marketing strategies. With many potential lead singles that could fare well in music markets, they were choosing between "Yeah!" and "Burn".[6] Even though "Burn" was just what the label was looking for, they believed that "Yeah!" would be a blockbuster.[6][8] Meanwhile, they felt "Burn" also failed to meet their expectations: "'Burn' being a great song is one thing, but it's one of them things where people said, 'It's strong, but can we make history with that?' At the end of the day, you want an event."[6]

Usher was skeptical about whether "Yeah!"—which is largely composed around crunk—would be a good choice, given his mindset envisioning "Confessions" as an R&B record.[6][11] KP recalled, "Everybody was scared to make that first step."[6]

With much debate between two songs, "Burn" was originally chosen as the lead single, with plans of filming its music video in late 2003.[7] Meanwhile, Lil Jon leaked "Yeah!" to DJs across the United States in November 2003.[6][9] Originally, the label did not intend "Yeah!" as a proper single. Released to street DJs and mixtapes, it was meant to cultivate fans who waited for three years since the release of 8701.[11] While record labels stayed idle during the Christmas season, "Yeah!" was getting favorable and quick response from radio stations though nobody was promoting; it was finally released as the lead single.[6][11]

To keep the album atop the chart, "My Boo" was targeted for release after "Confessions Part II" was diminishing on the Hot 100.[18] The B-side of the UK release includes "Red Light" and "Sweet Lies". The single again topped the Hot 100, giving the album its fourth consecutive number-one. "Caught Up" was released as the album's fifth and final single, and reached number eight in the United States.[22]

Tour edit

Usher supported the album with a two-month concert tour called "The Truth Tour". The tour set featured a small stage up on top of the main stage, where the band played with Usher and his supporting dancers left with enough room to perform. The smaller stage had a mini platform attached to it—which lowered to the main stage—and had two big staircases on both sides of it. To the left, a group of circular staircases climbed to the top, and to the right, there was a fire escape replete with steps and an elevator. Kanye West, who had finished his own headlining tour for his 2004 album The College Dropout, was the opening act for "The Truth Tour".[23]

Preceding Usher's entrance was a short movie showing him getting dressed, following on with him performing the opening song "Caught Up", with Usher dressed in all white.[24] The second song performed was "You Make Me Wanna...", where two dancers stayed on the top stage with Usher while two male dancers came out to the lower level with two chairs each in their hands. Each dancer threw one chair up to the top, with Usher already in hand with his own chair, with everyone following a set dance routine.[24] Following this, Usher performed "U Remind Me", where he danced by himself during a breakdown of the track.[24] He then sang "That's What It's Made For", following on with the song "Bad Girl", where Usher was dressed up in a lavender suit and came out in a chrome chair.[24] During the song, Usher picked out a female from the crowd, transitioning to "Superstar", singing to the fan.[24] Usher continued singing to the fan, performing "Can U Handle It?", closing the song by kissing the fan who then left the stage.[24] Usher closed his performance with Confessions' lead single "Yeah!".[24]

The American leg of the tour commenced on August 5, 2004, in Hampton, Virginia and concluded on October 7, 2004, in New York.[23] It was ranked as one of the highest-grossing tours of 2004, grossing $29.1 million.[25]

Public reaction edit

After Usher and his label held a few listening parties for the album,[26] controversies spread about the mistress-impregnating concept of "Confessions Part II".[9] Although Usher did not foresee such a reaction to the album,[26] Dupri already guessed, while making the album, what the public's reaction would be: "People are gonna question [Usher] on a couple of little lyrics ..."[10] Coincidentally, Usher ended his relationship with Chilli early in 2004.[27] People speculated about their breakup given the content of the album and Usher's early interviews about its themes. With lyrics Usher admitted to have written because of his guilty conscience, people assumed that he and Chilli broke up because he was unfaithful.[27] In a February 2004 radio interview, Chilli claimed that Usher "cheated" on her, and that caused their relationship to split.[28]

Amidst widespread rumors, Usher stated, "People assume things, because as I said, I pull from my personal experiences to make my music."[10] He added that he loved Chilli, however, "... it just didn't work out. But cheating is not what caused the relationship to collide and crash ..."[27] Although "Burn" is a reference to his dying relationship with Chilli[12]—hence the title—Usher answered the press that the impregnating issue was not taken from a specific situation in his life.[11] He also revealed that his friends who went through similar situations inspired him to write those songs: "... it's just something that I collectively got energy from everybody around me that had been through it."[26] In early 2006, Dupri revealed that the story behind the album is his: "... me cheating on my steady girlfriend, having a baby with that other woman and having to confess to everything that happened to my main girl."[12]

Critical reception edit

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic71/100[29]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [30]
Blender     [31]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[32]
The Guardian     [33]
Los Angeles Times    [34]
The New Zealand Herald     [35]
Pitchfork9.0/10[36]
Q     [37]
Rolling Stone     [38]
USA Today    [39]
Vibe3.5/5[40]

Confessions was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 71, based on 13 reviews.[29]

Matt Cibula of PopMatters wrote that it "might be the best English-language pop album of the year".[41] Entertainment Weekly's Jem Aswad said that Usher "reveals his new-found maturity by opening with the grittiest song he's ever done."[32] Laura Checkoway of Vibe said that, "Though Confessions doesn't bring Usher all the way to the artistic maturity one might hope for, tracking this star's progression definitely has its satisfactions."[40] Q magazine observed "addictive R&B hooks and all-dancin', all-lovin' subject matter boosted with hot production tweaks."[37] Amy Linden of The Village Voice commented that "Usher's (alleged) character flaws are easily forgiven, though, because he can sing his cheating ass off," and concluded, "Like 2002's big-selling but underrated 8701, Confessions is a top-of-the-line pop-soul showcase that ... manages to be commercially savvy without coming off as too desperate. Sorta like Usher himself."[42] Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times said that near the end, the songwriting "fails" Usher on a "heavily front-loaded" R&B album, but felt that his performance is solid throughout:

The pleasure of listening to Usher is the pleasure of listening to a singer who knows exactly what he's doing. 'Truth Hurts,' a seemingly innocent (if plaintive) 1970s throwback, turns nasty when the narrator suddenly reveals that the first two verses were full of lies. Which raises the question: are these supposed 'confessions' true? He loves toying with his audience this way, loves telling us exactly how bad he is, then daring us to believe him.[43]

In a mixed review, Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian criticized its "production gloss" and said that, although Usher's "fluid delivery" redeems weak tracks, there are only two "great songs"—"Yeah!" and the title track—and "17 less so."[33] Rolling Stone writer Laura Sinagra said that he "is coming of age, again", but "still doesn't quite cut it as a horny roughneck".[38] Jon Caramanica of Blender viewed that Usher's songwriting "isn't a strength, and his ballads often drown in their own inanity".[31] The Washington Post's Elizabeth Mendez Berry called Confessions "Usher's strongest recording to date" but found the more sexual songs mundane.[44] Robert Christgau from The Village Voice cited "Confessions Part II" and "Bad Girl" as "choice cuts",[45] indicating "a good song on an album that isn't worth your time or money".[46]

Accolades edit

 
Usher at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards before winning his first two awards.

The album earned Usher numerous accolades. At the 47th Grammy Awards, he was nominated for eight categories and won three: Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (for "My Boo") and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (for "Yeah!"). Usher won awards at the 2005 Soul Train Music Awards: R&B/Soul Album, Male (for Confessions); R&B/Soul Single, Male for ("Confessions Part II"); R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo (for "My Boo"); and R&B/Soul or Rap Dance Cut (for "Yeah!").[47] At the 2004 American Music Awards, he won four, including Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist. At the 2004 Billboard Music Awards, Usher racked up eleven awards, more than any other artist in one night at the time. These include Artist of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, and Hot 100 Song of the Year for "Yeah!". In December 2009 it was ranked as the best solo album and second best overall album of the 2000–2009 decade.[48] Its singles "Yeah!", "Burn, and "My Boo" were all ranked as some of the best songs of the 2000–2009 decade, respectively placing in order at number two, number 21, and number 36.[49][50][51]

Commercial performance edit

Confessions was commercially successful, selling 1.096 million copies in the United States in its first week of release.[52] It became the highest-ever first week sales by an R&B artist,[52] the second-highest first week sales for a male artist, and the seventh-highest first week sales of the recorded album charts history by SoundScan at the time of its release.[9] It also equates the combined first-week sales of his four previous album releases, including his live album called Live.[53] The feat also carved history in Arista records having the first in any of their released albums to reach such sales. The success of the thirty-year-old record label, however, was attributed to its merging with Zomba Records.[53] As of March 2013 it has the tenth highest first week album sales in history.[54]

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, becoming Usher's first number-one album.[53] Confessions also hit number-one on the Canadian Albums Chart and the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[55] Its early, and successive, progress on the chart was said to be partly sustained by its strong single releases and plenty of press appearances and promotions.[53] With "Yeah!" propelling the album's debut atop the chart,[53] "Burn", the second single off the album, facilitated Confessions's continuing dominance as well.[56] The first two released singles were competing on the Billboard Hot 100; the latter ended the twelve-week number-one chart run of the former.[57] As the album's third single, "Confessions Part II", was about to top the chart and Usher to join with English pop and rock group The Beatles as the only acts to achieve three consecutive number-one singles, American R&B singer Fantasia Barrino's debut single "I Believe" prevented it from happening.[58] Despite this, Usher became the first artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay with three consecutive number-one singles.[58] "Burn" achieved only eight non-consecutive weeks on the Hot 100 after "Confessions Part II" topped the chart; it became Usher's second time to replace his own single at the top.[58] "Yeah!" and "Burn" were 2004's top best-selling singles in the United States, placing at number one and two respectively on the Billboard Chart Year-Ender. Again, it honored Usher being the first act to achieve the feat since 1964 with the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You".[59]

The album continued its dominance on the chart. D12 World by D12 ended its five consecutive weeks run at the top spot;[60] however, Confessions reclaimed the position the following week.[61] The album spent a total 9 non-consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the longest-running number one album of the millennium until 2009, when country singer Taylor Swift spent 11 weeks atop the charts with Fearless.[62] Over one month after its release, Confessions was certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for three million US shipments.[63] Confessions topped the list of the most-shipped albums of 2004 in the United States and was the best selling album of the year with 7,978,594 copies sold.[64][65]Confessions was the sixth best-selling album of the 2000s decade in the US.[48] In February 2024, it reached 14 million shipments in the US, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.[66]Confessions sold over 15 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling album by a Black artist in the 21st century.[4]

Impact and legacy edit

Music industry edit

See also: Album era

With sales of nearly eight million in 2004,[67] Confessions was the most-shipped album of the year in the US.[68] Along with the success of the American singer Norah Jones's second album, Feels like Home (2004), as well as breakthroughs albums by many new and old artists, it was seen as a sign that US record sales were slowly recovering after three straight years of decline due to competing DVDs and video games and the prevalent music piracy. By the end of 2004, the industry had sold 667 million albums, an increase of about 1.6 percent, as recorded by Nielsen SoundScan. Compared with sales records in 2003, the figures showed eight percent increase.[67] The album's success also exemplified urban music's commercial dominance during the early 2000s, which featured massive crossover success on the Billboard charts by R&B and hip hop artists.[69] In 2004, all 12 songs that topped the Billboard Hot 100 were by African-American recording artists and accounted for 80% of the number-one R&B hits that year.[69] Along with Usher's streak of singles, Top 40 radio and both pop and R&B charts were topped by OutKast's "Hey Ya!", Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot", Terror Squad's "Lean Back", and Ciara's "Goodies".[69] Chris Molanphy of The Village Voice later remarked that "by the early 2000s, urban music was pop music."[69]

In a year-end article for The New York Times, writer Ben Sisario dubbed 2004 "the year of Usher".[20] The success of the album put Usher in the mainstream, becoming the biggest artist of 2004.[68] Others also said that Usher might be the successor of Michael Jackson.[70] Uproxx says Confessions "has gone on to establish itself as one of the landmark albums in pop culture", describing it as "an irreplaceable pillar in R&B lore".[71] According to Vibe magazine, the album is credited for having "birthed" many contemporary albums such as Adele's 21,[72] Miguel's Kaleidoscope Dream,[73] Drake's So Far Gone,[74] Omarion's O,[75] Jason Derulo's self-titled debut[76] and others.[77]

Bryan-Michael Cox, who co-wrote and co-produced "Burn", earned credibility in the music industry for his role in the album.[78] Cox had been producing records for several notable American artists, including Alicia Keys, B2K, Mariah Carey and Destiny's Child, among others, but he considered "Burn" as his crowning moment, which earned him two Grammy Award nominations. With 2004 deemed to be his introduction to a larger, more mainstream audience, Cox stated in an interview for MTV that many people were starting to recount what he had done.[79] A songwriter was awarded $44 million in a lawsuit involving a song from Usher's diamond-certified album Confessions after a jury sided with Daniel Marino in a claim that his "Club Girl" became Usher's hit "Bad Girl"[80]

Confessions ranked 2nd best album of the 2000s on the Billboard Top 200 Albums of the Decade 2000s list, higher than any other solo album. The album is also ranked as the 16th best album on the Billboard Top 200 Albums of All Time.[81] In 2020, the album was ranked number 432 on the Top 500 Albums of All-Time by Rolling Stone.[5] With global sales exceeding 15 million, Confessions is the best-selling album by a black artist in the 21st century. Confessions makes Usher the only male solo R&B artist to sell 10 million copies of a single album in the United States during the Soundscan era and the first of only two black artists to reach this mark since the year 2000. (The other black artist being American rapper Nelly with his debut album Country Grammar.) After Confessions was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of 10 million copies in the US, no new album was certified diamond until Adele's 2011 album 21 reached diamond-status, the longest between any two new diamond albums since the inception of the association.[82]

Pop culture edit

In 2020, music industry magazine Billboard' ranked Usher the "Greatest Pop Star of 2004". Referring to a 2008 article from MTV, writer Shaheem Reid declared that "with Confessions, Usher has made the Big Connection [...]. That connection our parents felt when Marvin Gaye sang on the Here, My Dear album."[83] Billboard pointed out how most of the secrets revealed and storytelling in the album was inspired by Jermaine Dupri's situation, but they also noted Usher's marketing and "dalliances outside of his public relationship with TLC's Chilli that provided the material for Confessions". The writer praised Usher's commercial power during the Confessions era, as he would influence future pop stars: "Even if you didn't listen to R&B, you knew this album. And if you did listen to R&B, this was the blueprint for all your favorite stars to come: Drake, Justin Bieber, Miguel, Chris Brown and Omarion have all cited Usher's influence. And though Beyoncé spoke about Thriller as the touchstone for her career-defining self-titled release in 2013, the way the lyrics tease revelations about her personal life with her husband, both good and bad, feels more indebted to Confessions than anything Michael Jackson wrote."[84]

According to an editor of web publication Bustle in an article on March 22, 2019 to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of Confessions, the album was a "catalyst that propelled him to superstardom" and "forever changed the landscape of music". The editor noted the album's impact on R&B and pop music with the success of "Yeah!" leading "countless R&B stars, from Ciara to T-Pain, to launch careers on the foundation of Crunk&B". The writer also noted the album's influence on trap music and future generations of R&B and hip-hop artists.

Think of trap soul as Crunk&B's mellowed, more subdued successor. Like crunk, it's punchy and heavily steeped in hip-hop influences. But like Usher's take on songs like "Yeah!" and "Follow Me," trap soul has contoured edges and smoother textures. From 6LACK's acerbic laments on love to H.E.R.'s dark, smoky vocals, current trends in R&B can be traced back to Usher's techniques. In this regard, Usher's mark on R&B is indelible; he not only inspired countless artists in the early 2000s, but also charted a course for today's stars.

The editor also pointed out the album's influence on the music industry and pop culture as a whole, as Confessions changed how albums are marketed and "proved that gossip can sell records". Later albums such as Beyoncé's Lemonade, which was fueled by infidelity and divorce rumors with her rapper husband Jay-Z, relationship rumors around Janelle Monáe's Dirty Computer, and Ariana Grande's Thank U, Next coming off the heels of her public break up with comedian Pete Davidson were used as examples of how Usher's Confessions brought "the relationship between the gossip pages and the album charts... stronger than before".[85]

Track listing edit

Confessions track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro" 
  • James Lackey
  • Usher Raymond
0:46
2."Yeah!" (featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris)
  • Lil Jon
  • Garrett[a]
4:10
3."Throwback"
Just Blaze4:01
4."Confessions (Interlude)" 
1:15
5."Confessions Part II"
3:49
6."Burn"
  • Dupri
  • Cox
  • Raymond
4:16
7."Caught Up"
Dre & Vidal3:44
8."Superstar (Interlude)" 
  • Raymond
  • Brantley
  • Najera
  • Spears
  • Strong
1:04
9."Superstar"
  • Harris
  • Davis
  • Boyd
  • Toby
  • Nyticka Hemingway
Dre & Vidal3:29
10."Truth Hurts"
3:51
11."Simple Things"
  • Harris III
  • Lewis
  • Raymond
  • B. Avila
  • I. Avila
  • Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
  • Bobby Ross Avila & IZ[b]
4:58
12."Bad Girl"
  • Harris III
  • Lewis
  • Raymond
  • Danté Barton
  • Wil Guice
  • B. Avila
  • I. Avila
  • Dante "Destro Music" Barton
  • Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
  • Bobby Ross Avila & IZ[b]
4:21
13."That's What It's Made For"
  • Harris III
  • Lewis
  • Raymond
  • B. Avila
  • I. Avila
  • James Q. Wright
  • Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
  • Bobby Ross Avila & IZ[b]
  • Wright[b]
4:37
14."Can U Handle It?"
  • Thicke
  • Pro J
5:45
15."Do It to Me"
  • Dupri
  • Cox
  • Raymond
3:53
16."Take Your Hand"
Harrison3:03
17."Follow Me"
  • Harris
  • Davis
  • Boyd
  • Toby
3:30
UK edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
18."Whatever I Want"
Harrison3:11
19."Confessions Part I"
  • Dupri
  • Cox
  • Raymond
4:21
Special edition Version
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
3."Throwback" (featuring Jadakiss)
Just Blaze4:46
4."Confessions Part I"
  • Dupri
  • Cox
  • Raymond
4:21
5."Confessions Part II" (Confessions Special Edit Version)
  • Dupri
  • Cox
  • Raymond
3:30
6."Burn" (Confessions Special Edit Version)
  • Dupri
  • Cox
  • Raymond
3:51
9."Superstar" (Confessions Special Edit Version)
  • Harris
  • Davis
  • Boyd
  • Toby
  • Hemingway
Dre & Vidal3:10
18."My Boo" (Duet with Alicia Keys)
3:43
19."Red Light"
  • Lil Jon
  • Garrett[a]
4:48
20."Seduction"
  • Harris III
  • Lewis
  • Raymond
  • B. Avila
  • I. Avila
  • James Q. Wright
  • Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
  • Bobby Ross Avila & IZ[b]
  • Wright[b]
4:33
21."Confessions Part II" (Remix) (featuring Shyne, Kanye West and Twista)
4:28

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a vocal producer.
  • ^[b] signifies a co-producer.

Sample credits

  • "Throwback" contains a sample of Dionne Warwick's song "You're Gonna Need Me" (1973)
  • "Superstar" contains a sample of Willie Hutch's song "Mack's Stroll/The Getaway (Chase Scene)" (1973).
  • "Take Your Hand" contains a sample of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes's song "Is There a Place for Me?" (1973).
  • "Whatever I Want" contains excerpts from Preston Love's "Chili Mac".

Personnel edit

Credits for Confessions adapted from AllMusic and album's liner notes.[86][87]

  • Darcy Aldridge – backing vocals (track 11)
  • Bobby Ross Avila – co-producer (tracks 10–13, 20); guitar (tracks 10–12); keyboards (tracks 11–13); piano (tracks 11, 20); backing vocals (track 11); additional drum programming (track 12); Moog Taurus (track 13); flute (track 20); Wurlitzer, scratches, and strings (track 10)
  • Dante "Destro" Barton – producer and additional engineering (track 12)
  • Jason Boyd – vocal producer (tracks 7, 9, 17)
  • Valdez Brantley – producer (track 8)
  • Bryan-Michael Cox – co-producer (tracks 4–6, 15, 21)
  • Larry Cox – additional keyboards (track 14)
  • Vincent Creusot – additional recording assistant (track 18)
  • Ian Cross – engineer (track 10), additional engineering (track 21)
  • Kevin "KD" Davis – engineer (track 16)
  • Vidal Davis – producer (tracks 7, 9, 17), mixing (tracks 7, 9)
  • Vince DiLorenzo – engineer (track 7, 9, 17)
  • Jermaine Dupri – producer (tracks 4–6, 15, 18, 21), mixing (tracks 4–6, 18, 21)
  • E Bass – guitar (track 3)
  • Blake Eisman – engineer (track 3, 19)
  • Faith Evans – additional backing vocals (track 9)
  • Brian Frye – engineer (tracks 4–6, 15, 18, 21)
  • John Frye – mixing (tracks 2, 19)
  • Richard Furch – mixing
  • Sean Garrett – vocal producer (tracks 2, 10), backing vocals (track 2)
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing (tracks 10–13, 17, 20)
  • John Hanes – additional Pro Tools engineer (tracks 10–13, 17, 20)
  • Andre Harris – producer (tracks 7, 9, 17), mixing (tracks 7, 9)
  • Rich Harrison – producer and instrumentation (track 16)
  • Delicia Hassan – production coordination (track 2)
  • John Horesco IV – engineer (tracks 4, 5, 21), mixing assistant (tracks 4–6, 15, 18, 21)
  • Jun Ishizeki – additional engineering (track 21)
  • IZ – co-producer and percussion (tracks 10–13, 20), drums (tracks 10, 11, 13, 20), bass (tracks 10, 13), guitar (tracks 10, 20), scratches (tracks 10, 12), Moog Taurus (track 10), keyboards (track 13)
  • Jadakiss – rap (track 3)
  • Jimmy Jam – producer (tracks 10–13, 20), Fender Rhodes (track 11)
  • LaMarquis Jefferson – bass (tracks 2, 9)
  • Just Blaze – producer (track 3)
  • Alicia Keys – vocals (track 18)
  • L-Roc – additional keyboards (track 2)
  • James Lackey – producer (track 1)
  • Ken Lewis – engineer, mixing, and guitar (track 3)
  • Terry Lewis – producer (tracks 10–13, 20)
  • Kelly "Dread" Liebelt – additional engineering (track 9)
  • Craig Love – guitar (track 19)
  • Ludacris – rap (track 2)
  • Kevin Mahoney – additional engineering (track 21)
  • Anthony Mandler – photography
  • Daniel Marino – guitar (track 12)
  • Matt Marrin – engineer (tracks 10–13, 20)
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing (track 14)
  • Tony Maserati – mixing (track 16)
  • Ann Mincieli – additional engineering (track 18)
  • Tadd Mingo – assistant engineer (tracks 4–6, 15, 18, 21)
  • Johnny "Natural" Najera – producer (track 8)
  • Paula Patton – backing vocals (track 14)
  • Herb Powers – mastering
  • Pro J – producer and instrumentation (track 14)
  • Edward Quesada – assistant engineer (track 4)
  • Mickael Rangeard – additional engineering (track 18)
  • Usher Raymond – executive producer, producer (tracks 1, 4, 8), lead vocals (all tracks), backing vocals (tracks 2, 10–14, 19, 20)
  • Tim Roberts – mixing assistant (tracks 10–13, 17, 20)
  • Donnie Scantz – engineer (track 2)
  • Manuel Seal – co-producer (track 18)
  • Shyne – rap (track 21)
  • Jon Smeltz – mixing (tracks 7, 9)
  • Jan Smith – vocal producer, vocal coach
  • Jonathan "Lil Jon" Smith – producer and mixing (track 2, 19), additional backing vocals (track 2)
  • Aaron Spears – producer (track 8)
  • Chris Steinmetz – additional engineering (track 21)
  • Patrice "ButtaPhly" Stewart – backing vocals (track 13)
  • Arthur "Buddy" Strong – producer (track 8)
  • Sean Tallman – assistant engineer (track 2)
  • Phil Tan – mixing (tracks 4–6, 15, 18, 21)
  • Robin Thicke – producer and instrumentation (track 14)
  • Ryan Toby – vocal producer (tracks 7, 9, 17)
  • Tony "Proof" Tolbert – backing vocals (tracks 10, 12, 20)
  • Twista – rap (track 21)
  • Mark Vinten – engineer (tracks 2, 19)
  • D.L. Warfield – layout design
  • Kanye West – rap (track 21)
  • Ryan West – engineer (track 3)
  • Doug Wilson – (track 21)
  • Stevie Wonder – harmonica (track 4)
  • Ghian Wright – assistant engineer (track 10)
  • James "Big Jim" Wright – co-producer (tracks 13, 20), bass (tracks 11, 20), Wurlitzer (track 13), keyboards (track 20)

Charts edit

Certifications edit

Certifications for Confessions
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[141] 5× Platinum 350,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[142] 6× Platinum 600,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[143] 2× Platinum 40,000‡
France (SNEP)[144] Gold 100,000*
Germany (BVMI)[145] Gold 100,000^
Hungary (MAHASZ)[146] Platinum 20,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[147] Platinum 250,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[148] Gold 40,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[149] 3× Platinum 45,000^
Russia (NFPF)[150] 2× Platinum 40,000*
Singapore (RIAS)[151] Gold 5,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[152] Platinum 40,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[154] 5× Platinum 1,536,714[153]
United States (RIAA)[155] 14× Platinum 14,000,000‡
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[156] 2× Platinum 2,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also edit

References edit

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External links edit

  • Confessions at Discogs (list of releases)

April 05, 2024
confessions, usher, album, superstar, usher, song, redirects, here, confused, with, superstar, which, also, recorded, usher, confessions, fourth, studio, album, american, singer, usher, released, march, 2004, arista, records, recording, sessions, album, took, . Superstar Usher song redirects here Not to be confused with Superstar which was also recorded by Usher Confessions is the fourth studio album by American singer Usher It was released on March 23 2004 by Arista Records Recording sessions for the album took place during 2003 to 2004 with its production handled by his longtime collaborator Jermaine Dupri along with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Lil Jon among others Primarily an R amp B album Confessions showcases Usher as a crooner through a mixture of ballads and up tempos incorporating musical genres of dance pop hip hop and crunk The album s themes generated controversy about Usher s personal relationships however the album s primary producer Jermaine Dupri claimed the album reflects Dupri s own personal story ConfessionsStudio album by UsherReleasedMarch 23 2004Recorded2003 2004GenreR amp BLength60 3077 22 special edition LabelAristaProducerJermaine DupriDestro MusicLil JonRich HarrisonJimmy Jam and Terry LewisRobin ThickeBryan Michael CoxJust BlazeDre amp VidalBobby Ross AvilaJames Big Jim WrightUsher chronology8701 2001 Confessions 2004 Here I Stand 2008 Special edition coverSingles from Confessions Yeah Released January 10 2004 1 Burn Released March 21 2004 Confessions Part II Released June 1 2004 My Boo Released August 29 2004 2 Caught Up Released January 3 2005 3 In the United States the album sold 1 1 million copies in its first week To boost sales amid threats of bootlegging the special edition for the album was issued which includes the single My Boo a duet with Alicia Keys Confessions earned Usher several awards including the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R amp B Album According to Billboard it is the second best selling album of the 2000s decade in the United States behind NSYNC s No Strings Attached With over eight million copies sold in 2004 the album was viewed as a sign of recovering album sales in the US following three years of decline It was also exemplary of urban music s commercial peak and dominance of the Billboard charts in 2004 Confessions has been certified fourteen times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America RIAA and as of 2006 has sold over 10 3 million copies in the US and over 15 million copies worldwide 4 making it the best selling R amp B album of the 21st century by a male artist Confessions concept production and Usher s vocal delivery received acclaim since upon its release and in 2020 the album was ranked number 432 on Rolling Stone s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list 5 Contents 1 Background and recording 2 Composition 2 1 Music and style 3 Release 3 1 Marketing 3 2 Tour 4 Public reaction 5 Critical reception 5 1 Accolades 6 Commercial performance 7 Impact and legacy 7 1 Music industry 7 2 Pop culture 8 Track listing 9 Personnel 10 Charts 10 1 Weekly charts 10 2 Year end charts 10 3 Decade end charts 11 Certifications 12 See also 13 References 14 External linksBackground and recording editWhen he began recording Confessions in 2003 Usher claimed he did not want to work with any new producers 6 Production began between Usher and Jermaine Dupri who produced his last two albums My Way 1997 and 8701 2001 6 In spite of his vision Usher stated With this album I chose some new producers who I figured would definitely allow me to really articulate myself in a different way Every album you gotta grow You gotta look for something different 7 Dupri also invited his frequent collaborator Bryan Michael Cox The album features productions by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis Just Blaze Usher s brother James Lackey Dre and Vidal among others 8 When Usher felt that the album was completed 8 with forty recorded songs he submitted the album to his record label Arista 9 However he and the company s then president L A Reid who listened to the record thought something was missing in it You know what there s like one or two more records that we just gotta get 8 Usher was displeased with the decision he felt returning to the studio was the hardest part and needed to re motivate himself 9 He went on recording a few more tracks with help from fellow Atlantans Lil Jon and Ludacris Eventually the team was able to produce songs like Red Light and Yeah He also recorded songs with P Diddy and The Neptunes during one of those sessions but those songs were not released 9 Composition editOne of Usher s first steps in recording Confessions was deciding to reveal his own little secrets 6 Friend and former A amp R rep named Kawan KP Prather thought the album would let the public know Usher personally Prather said The music has never been the question but people tend to buy into the artist The more they know about you the more they feel like they re there with you 6 Primarily because of the album s personal content Usher said that this is his chance to be real 10 He named the album Confessions because he felt it is his most personal record to date All of us have our Pandora s boxes or skeletons in our closets I let a few of them out you know I ve got a lot to say I ve got a lot of things and stuff built in me that I just want to let go of 11 He wrote more songs than he contributed to his previous album Several of the songs in this album were conceptually based on a situation For instance Burn was built around the winding down of Usher s two year relationship with Rozonda Chilli Thomas from American R amp B Hip hop girl group TLC 12 Dupri and Cox were talking and felt that there was a song in it and started writing 6 Similarly with the title track Confessions Part II they were conversing about an impregnated mistress and its concept was written down 6 Usher recorded Confessions Part II during July 2003 recording sessions in New York City When Usher sang the song s lyrics the theme of cheating inspired him and Dupri to create two parts Confessions Part I and Confessions Part II Confessions Part I can be heard at the beginning of the video for Confessions Part II 10 Music and style edit nbsp Confessions Part II source source The song is set in common time and has a moderate groove 13 Its lyrics centers on the narrator s confession about impregnating his mistress 9 Problems playing this file See media help Confessions falls mainly in the R amp B genre 7 8 Usher commented that he chose to work with collaborators who know how to interpret R amp B from a jazz standpoint an old school throwback standpoint a new school point a traditional classic standpoint 14 With producers and Usher set to produce such an album however other musical genres including hip hop were incorporated While he wanted to do R amp B 6 Usher also wanted his fans to experience hip hop at the same time I try to think outside the box 14 When Lil Jon came on the scene crunk was introduced to the R amp B centered album specifically on the Sean Garrett penned song Yeah Usher said Yeah could be called the first consciously styled crunk R amp B record 11 The album also includes various slow jams 10 This record also introduces a new style for Usher focusing on his voice and technique Andre Dre Harris and Vidal Davis listened to 8701 and felt that Usher really needs to sing hard and let people know his vocal ability 6 With efforts focused on the record to demonstrate his vocal ability to listeners songs such as Superstar and Follow Me exhibited Usher in a type of crooner mode 6 The ballad oriented Burn also showcases his vocal aptitude 15 Usher credits Eminem with the album s reputation of being transparent and Bone Thugs n Harmony with the hip hop sound of the album stating in an interview with Sway I have Eminem to thank for that well in a time where I felt like music was in transition and R amp B specifically was in a place where it could go older or it could kind of be what it was Right You had all these great you know artists that were either performers dancers singers whatever but I felt like there the honesty The honesty of hip hop and what Eminem was saying on his records it motivated me Like yo if he could be that honest you know through hip hop and there ve been other stories storytellers but never quite as vivid as his So I was like we need to keep it real like Em I wanna go all the way in so lemme talk about the unspoken the shit that people don t want to talk about and don t want to have to deal with So that s what Confessions kinda kicked in And I got that Cleveland because you know with the Bone Thugs n Harmony you know what I m saying is to just understanding that the rhythm and the flip of it to make it be able to make it be at least you know hip hop appropriate You know what I m saying That s what it was And that kinda recreated what I felt R amp B was and what it is to day in some ways 16 Release edit nbsp Usher on April 23 2004 Confessions was slated to be released on November 6 2003 However due to marketing issues the scheduled date was moved to March 23 of the following year 6 8 With several songs recorded Usher faced the challenge of determining the final track listing Usher Dupri Reid and then A amp R rep Mark Pitts each had their favorites among the forty but decided to choose those which came up consistently more 6 The collective was able to settle on fifteen of them with two interludes completing the seventeen track list Many songs were set aside for future use including Red Light and a remix of Yeah Usher and Arista held advance listenings for the album a few months before its actual release he also appeared on TV guestings to promote Confessions 9 With strategies to boost the album s sales albeit threats of stealing music in the internet Usher and his management readied a follow up release of Confessions with an additional marketing blitz 17 The idea was considered musically driven after Zomba who absorbed Arista management was excited about My Boo a song that was recorded for the original version of the album but failed to meet deadline 17 However it actually began when American R amp B and soul singer Alicia Keys who is featured on the track brought in that the talk of repackaging started 17 With the inclusion of My Boo they thought of the album as complete 18 While they knew of other artists releasing special editions of their albums the label felt that Confessions had the edge because of its previous success and its physical changes including new cover art an expanded CD booklet a pullout poster and a letter to fans from Usher 17 The new version includes My Boo and Red Light which were leaked alongside other songs that did not appear in the album 19 and a remix of Confessions Part II and Seduction original tracks were also improved like the extended version of Confessions Part I and a rap added by American rapper Jadakiss in Throwback The label itself treated the version a new album with full media advertisements 17 The album was re issued in October 2004 20 seven months after its initial release 21 Marketing edit In selecting which single to release first Usher and the label considered various marketing strategies With many potential lead singles that could fare well in music markets they were choosing between Yeah and Burn 6 Even though Burn was just what the label was looking for they believed that Yeah would be a blockbuster 6 8 Meanwhile they felt Burn also failed to meet their expectations Burn being a great song is one thing but it s one of them things where people said It s strong but can we make history with that At the end of the day you want an event 6 Usher was skeptical about whether Yeah which is largely composed around crunk would be a good choice given his mindset envisioning Confessions as an R amp B record 6 11 KP recalled Everybody was scared to make that first step 6 With much debate between two songs Burn was originally chosen as the lead single with plans of filming its music video in late 2003 7 Meanwhile Lil Jon leaked Yeah to DJs across the United States in November 2003 6 9 Originally the label did not intend Yeah as a proper single Released to street DJs and mixtapes it was meant to cultivate fans who waited for three years since the release of 8701 11 While record labels stayed idle during the Christmas season Yeah was getting favorable and quick response from radio stations though nobody was promoting it was finally released as the lead single 6 11 To keep the album atop the chart My Boo was targeted for release after Confessions Part II was diminishing on the Hot 100 18 The B side of the UK release includes Red Light and Sweet Lies The single again topped the Hot 100 giving the album its fourth consecutive number one Caught Up was released as the album s fifth and final single and reached number eight in the United States 22 Tour edit Usher supported the album with a two month concert tour called The Truth Tour The tour set featured a small stage up on top of the main stage where the band played with Usher and his supporting dancers left with enough room to perform The smaller stage had a mini platform attached to it which lowered to the main stage and had two big staircases on both sides of it To the left a group of circular staircases climbed to the top and to the right there was a fire escape replete with steps and an elevator Kanye West who had finished his own headlining tour for his 2004 album The College Dropout was the opening act for The Truth Tour 23 Preceding Usher s entrance was a short movie showing him getting dressed following on with him performing the opening song Caught Up with Usher dressed in all white 24 The second song performed was You Make Me Wanna where two dancers stayed on the top stage with Usher while two male dancers came out to the lower level with two chairs each in their hands Each dancer threw one chair up to the top with Usher already in hand with his own chair with everyone following a set dance routine 24 Following this Usher performed U Remind Me where he danced by himself during a breakdown of the track 24 He then sang That s What It s Made For following on with the song Bad Girl where Usher was dressed up in a lavender suit and came out in a chrome chair 24 During the song Usher picked out a female from the crowd transitioning to Superstar singing to the fan 24 Usher continued singing to the fan performing Can U Handle It closing the song by kissing the fan who then left the stage 24 Usher closed his performance with Confessions lead single Yeah 24 The American leg of the tour commenced on August 5 2004 in Hampton Virginia and concluded on October 7 2004 in New York 23 It was ranked as one of the highest grossing tours of 2004 grossing 29 1 million 25 Public reaction editAfter Usher and his label held a few listening parties for the album 26 controversies spread about the mistress impregnating concept of Confessions Part II 9 Although Usher did not foresee such a reaction to the album 26 Dupri already guessed while making the album what the public s reaction would be People are gonna question Usher on a couple of little lyrics 10 Coincidentally Usher ended his relationship with Chilli early in 2004 27 People speculated about their breakup given the content of the album and Usher s early interviews about its themes With lyrics Usher admitted to have written because of his guilty conscience people assumed that he and Chilli broke up because he was unfaithful 27 In a February 2004 radio interview Chilli claimed that Usher cheated on her and that caused their relationship to split 28 Amidst widespread rumors Usher stated People assume things because as I said I pull from my personal experiences to make my music 10 He added that he loved Chilli however it just didn t work out But cheating is not what caused the relationship to collide and crash 27 Although Burn is a reference to his dying relationship with Chilli 12 hence the title Usher answered the press that the impregnating issue was not taken from a specific situation in his life 11 He also revealed that his friends who went through similar situations inspired him to write those songs it s just something that I collectively got energy from everybody around me that had been through it 26 In early 2006 Dupri revealed that the story behind the album is his me cheating on my steady girlfriend having a baby with that other woman and having to confess to everything that happened to my main girl 12 Critical reception editProfessional ratingsAggregate scoresSourceRatingMetacritic71 100 29 Review scoresSourceRatingAllMusic nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 30 Blender nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 31 Entertainment WeeklyB 32 The Guardian nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 33 Los Angeles Times nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 34 The New Zealand Herald nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 35 Pitchfork9 0 10 36 Q nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 37 Rolling Stone nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 38 USA Today nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 39 Vibe3 5 5 40 Confessions was met with generally positive reviews At Metacritic which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications the album received an average score of 71 based on 13 reviews 29 Matt Cibula of PopMatters wrote that it might be the best English language pop album of the year 41 Entertainment Weekly s Jem Aswad said that Usher reveals his new found maturity by opening with the grittiest song he s ever done 32 Laura Checkoway of Vibe said that Though Confessions doesn t bring Usher all the way to the artistic maturity one might hope for tracking this star s progression definitely has its satisfactions 40 Q magazine observed addictive R amp B hooks and all dancin all lovin subject matter boosted with hot production tweaks 37 Amy Linden of The Village Voice commented that Usher s alleged character flaws are easily forgiven though because he can sing his cheating ass off and concluded Like 2002 s big selling but underrated 8701 Confessions is a top of the line pop soul showcase that manages to be commercially savvy without coming off as too desperate Sorta like Usher himself 42 Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times said that near the end the songwriting fails Usher on a heavily front loaded R amp B album but felt that his performance is solid throughout The pleasure of listening to Usher is the pleasure of listening to a singer who knows exactly what he s doing Truth Hurts a seemingly innocent if plaintive 1970s throwback turns nasty when the narrator suddenly reveals that the first two verses were full of lies Which raises the question are these supposed confessions true He loves toying with his audience this way loves telling us exactly how bad he is then daring us to believe him 43 In a mixed review Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian criticized its production gloss and said that although Usher s fluid delivery redeems weak tracks there are only two great songs Yeah and the title track and 17 less so 33 Rolling Stone writer Laura Sinagra said that he is coming of age again but still doesn t quite cut it as a horny roughneck 38 Jon Caramanica of Blender viewed that Usher s songwriting isn t a strength and his ballads often drown in their own inanity 31 The Washington Post s Elizabeth Mendez Berry called Confessions Usher s strongest recording to date but found the more sexual songs mundane 44 Robert Christgau from The Village Voice cited Confessions Part II and Bad Girl as choice cuts 45 indicating a good song on an album that isn t worth your time or money 46 Accolades edit nbsp Usher at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards before winning his first two awards The album earned Usher numerous accolades At the 47th Grammy Awards he was nominated for eight categories and won three Best Contemporary R amp B Album Best R amp B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for My Boo and Best Rap Sung Collaboration for Yeah Usher won awards at the 2005 Soul Train Music Awards R amp B Soul Album Male for Confessions R amp B Soul Single Male for Confessions Part II R amp B Soul Single Group Band or Duo for My Boo and R amp B Soul or Rap Dance Cut for Yeah 47 At the 2004 American Music Awards he won four including Favorite Soul R amp B Album and Favorite Male Soul R amp B Artist At the 2004 Billboard Music Awards Usher racked up eleven awards more than any other artist in one night at the time These include Artist of the Year Male Artist of the Year and Hot 100 Song of the Year for Yeah In December 2009 it was ranked as the best solo album and second best overall album of the 2000 2009 decade 48 Its singles Yeah Burn and My Boo were all ranked as some of the best songs of the 2000 2009 decade respectively placing in order at number two number 21 and number 36 49 50 51 Commercial performance editConfessions was commercially successful selling 1 096 million copies in the United States in its first week of release 52 It became the highest ever first week sales by an R amp B artist 52 the second highest first week sales for a male artist and the seventh highest first week sales of the recorded album charts history by SoundScan at the time of its release 9 It also equates the combined first week sales of his four previous album releases including his live album called Live 53 The feat also carved history in Arista records having the first in any of their released albums to reach such sales The success of the thirty year old record label however was attributed to its merging with Zomba Records 53 As of March 2013 it has the tenth highest first week album sales in history 54 The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 becoming Usher s first number one album 53 Confessions also hit number one on the Canadian Albums Chart and the US Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums 55 Its early and successive progress on the chart was said to be partly sustained by its strong single releases and plenty of press appearances and promotions 53 With Yeah propelling the album s debut atop the chart 53 Burn the second single off the album facilitated Confessions s continuing dominance as well 56 The first two released singles were competing on the Billboard Hot 100 the latter ended the twelve week number one chart run of the former 57 As the album s third single Confessions Part II was about to top the chart and Usher to join with English pop and rock group The Beatles as the only acts to achieve three consecutive number one singles American R amp B singer Fantasia Barrino s debut single I Believe prevented it from happening 58 Despite this Usher became the first artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay with three consecutive number one singles 58 Burn achieved only eight non consecutive weeks on the Hot 100 after Confessions Part II topped the chart it became Usher s second time to replace his own single at the top 58 Yeah and Burn were 2004 s top best selling singles in the United States placing at number one and two respectively on the Billboard Chart Year Ender Again it honored Usher being the first act to achieve the feat since 1964 with the Beatles I Want to Hold Your Hand and She Loves You 59 The album continued its dominance on the chart D12 World by D12 ended its five consecutive weeks run at the top spot 60 however Confessions reclaimed the position the following week 61 The album spent a total 9 non consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 becoming the longest running number one album of the millennium until 2009 when country singer Taylor Swift spent 11 weeks atop the charts with Fearless 62 Over one month after its release Confessions was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for three million US shipments 63 Confessions topped the list of the most shipped albums of 2004 in the United States and was the best selling album of the year with 7 978 594 copies sold 64 65 Confessions was the sixth best selling album of the 2000s decade in the US 48 In February 2024 it reached 14 million shipments in the US according to the Recording Industry Association of America 66 Confessions sold over 15 million copies worldwide making it the best selling album by a Black artist in the 21st century 4 Impact and legacy editMusic industry edit See also Album era With sales of nearly eight million in 2004 67 Confessions was the most shipped album of the year in the US 68 Along with the success of the American singer Norah Jones s second album Feels like Home 2004 as well as breakthroughs albums by many new and old artists it was seen as a sign that US record sales were slowly recovering after three straight years of decline due to competing DVDs and video games and the prevalent music piracy By the end of 2004 the industry had sold 667 million albums an increase of about 1 6 percent as recorded by Nielsen SoundScan Compared with sales records in 2003 the figures showed eight percent increase 67 The album s success also exemplified urban music s commercial dominance during the early 2000s which featured massive crossover success on the Billboard charts by R amp B and hip hop artists 69 In 2004 all 12 songs that topped the Billboard Hot 100 were by African American recording artists and accounted for 80 of the number one R amp B hits that year 69 Along with Usher s streak of singles Top 40 radio and both pop and R amp B charts were topped by OutKast s Hey Ya Snoop Dogg s Drop It Like It s Hot Terror Squad s Lean Back and Ciara s Goodies 69 Chris Molanphy of The Village Voice later remarked that by the early 2000s urban music was pop music 69 In a year end article for The New York Times writer Ben Sisario dubbed 2004 the year of Usher 20 The success of the album put Usher in the mainstream becoming the biggest artist of 2004 68 Others also said that Usher might be the successor of Michael Jackson 70 Uproxx says Confessions has gone on to establish itself as one of the landmark albums in pop culture describing it as an irreplaceable pillar in R amp B lore 71 According to Vibe magazine the album is credited for having birthed many contemporary albums such as Adele s 21 72 Miguel s Kaleidoscope Dream 73 Drake s So Far Gone 74 Omarion s O 75 Jason Derulo s self titled debut 76 and others 77 Bryan Michael Cox who co wrote and co produced Burn earned credibility in the music industry for his role in the album 78 Cox had been producing records for several notable American artists including Alicia Keys B2K Mariah Carey and Destiny s Child among others but he considered Burn as his crowning moment which earned him two Grammy Award nominations With 2004 deemed to be his introduction to a larger more mainstream audience Cox stated in an interview for MTV that many people were starting to recount what he had done 79 A songwriter was awarded 44 million in a lawsuit involving a song from Usher s diamond certified album Confessions after a jury sided with Daniel Marino in a claim that his Club Girl became Usher s hit Bad Girl 80 Confessions ranked 2nd best album of the 2000s on the Billboard Top 200 Albums of the Decade 2000s list higher than any other solo album The album is also ranked as the 16th best album on the Billboard Top 200 Albums of All Time 81 In 2020 the album was ranked number 432 on the Top 500 Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone 5 With global sales exceeding 15 million Confessions is the best selling album by a black artist in the 21st century Confessions makes Usher the only male solo R amp B artist to sell 10 million copies of a single album in the United States during the Soundscan era and the first of only two black artists to reach this mark since the year 2000 The other black artist being American rapper Nelly with his debut album Country Grammar After Confessions was certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipments of 10 million copies in the US no new album was certified diamond until Adele s 2011 album 21 reached diamond status the longest between any two new diamond albums since the inception of the association 82 Pop culture edit In 2020 music industry magazine Billboard ranked Usher the Greatest Pop Star of 2004 Referring to a 2008 article from MTV writer Shaheem Reid declared that with Confessions Usher has made the Big Connection That connection our parents felt when Marvin Gaye sang on the Here My Dear album 83 Billboard pointed out how most of the secrets revealed and storytelling in the album was inspired by Jermaine Dupri s situation but they also noted Usher s marketing and dalliances outside of his public relationship with TLC s Chilli that provided the material for Confessions The writer praised Usher s commercial power during the Confessions era as he would influence future pop stars Even if you didn t listen to R amp B you knew this album And if you did listen to R amp B this was the blueprint for all your favorite stars to come Drake Justin Bieber Miguel Chris Brown and Omarion have all cited Usher s influence And though Beyonce spoke about Thriller as the touchstone for her career defining self titled release in 2013 the way the lyrics tease revelations about her personal life with her husband both good and bad feels more indebted to Confessions than anything Michael Jackson wrote 84 According to an editor of web publication Bustle in an article on March 22 2019 to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of Confessions the album was a catalyst that propelled him to superstardom and forever changed the landscape of music The editor noted the album s impact on R amp B and pop music with the success of Yeah leading countless R amp B stars from Ciara to T Pain to launch careers on the foundation of Crunk amp B The writer also noted the album s influence on trap music and future generations of R amp B and hip hop artists Think of trap soul as Crunk amp B s mellowed more subdued successor Like crunk it s punchy and heavily steeped in hip hop influences But like Usher s take on songs like Yeah and Follow Me trap soul has contoured edges and smoother textures From 6LACK s acerbic laments on love to H E R s dark smoky vocals current trends in R amp B can be traced back to Usher s techniques In this regard Usher s mark on R amp B is indelible he not only inspired countless artists in the early 2000s but also charted a course for today s stars The editor also pointed out the album s influence on the music industry and pop culture as a whole as Confessions changed how albums are marketed and proved that gossip can sell records Later albums such as Beyonce s Lemonade which was fueled by infidelity and divorce rumors with her rapper husband Jay Z relationship rumors around Janelle Monae s Dirty Computer and Ariana Grande s Thank U Next coming off the heels of her public break up with comedian Pete Davidson were used as examples of how Usher s Confessions brought the relationship between the gossip pages and the album charts stronger than before 85 Track listing editConfessions track listingNo TitleWriter s Producer s Length1 Intro James LackeyUsher Raymond0 462 Yeah featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris Jonathan SmithSean GarrettPatrick J Que SmithChristopher BridgesRobert McDowellJames PhillipsLaMarquis JeffersonLil JonGarrett a 4 103 Throwback Richard P Butler Jr Justin SmithQue SmithLamont DozierBrian HollandEdward HollandRichard WylieJust Blaze4 014 Confessions Interlude RaymondValdez BrantleyJuan Johnny NajeraAaron SpearsArthur Strong1 155 Confessions Part II Jermaine DupriBryan Michael CoxRaymondDupriCox b 3 496 Burn DupriCoxRaymondDupriCox b 4 167 Caught Up Andre HarrisVidal DavisJason Poo Bear BoydRyan TobyDre amp Vidal3 448 Superstar Interlude RaymondBrantleyNajeraSpearsStrong1 049 Superstar HarrisDavisBoydTobyNyticka HemingwayDre amp Vidal3 2910 Truth Hurts James Harris IIITerry LewisRaymondBobby Ross AvilaIssiah J AvilaJimmy Jam amp Terry LewisBobby Ross Avila amp IZ b 3 5111 Simple Things Harris IIILewisRaymondB AvilaI AvilaJimmy Jam amp Terry LewisBobby Ross Avila amp IZ b 4 5812 Bad Girl Harris IIILewisRaymondDante BartonWil GuiceB AvilaI AvilaDante Destro Music BartonJimmy Jam amp Terry LewisBobby Ross Avila amp IZ b 4 2113 That s What It s Made For Harris IIILewisRaymondB AvilaI AvilaJames Q WrightJimmy Jam amp Terry LewisBobby Ross Avila amp IZ b Wright b 4 3714 Can U Handle It Robin ThickeJames GassRobert DanielsRaymondThickePro J5 4515 Do It to Me DupriCoxRaymondDupriCox b 3 5316 Take Your Hand Rich HarrisonRaymondLeon HuffGene McFaddenJohn WhiteheadHarrison3 0317 Follow Me HarrisDavisBoydTobyDre amp VidalToby a Boyd a 3 30 UK edition bonus tracksNo TitleWriter s Producer s Length18 Whatever I Want HarrisonRaymondJohnny OtisMaxwell DavisShuggie OtisHarrison3 1119 Confessions Part I DupriCoxRaymondDupriCox b 4 21 Special edition VersionNo TitleWriter s Producer s Length3 Throwback featuring Jadakiss ButlerJ SmithP SmithDozierB HollandE HollandWylieJason PhillipsJust Blaze4 464 Confessions Part I DupriCoxRaymondDupriCox b 4 215 Confessions Part II Confessions Special Edit Version DupriCoxRaymondDupriCox b 3 306 Burn Confessions Special Edit Version DupriCoxRaymondDupriCox b 3 519 Superstar Confessions Special Edit Version HarrisDavisBoydTobyHemingwayDre amp Vidal3 1018 My Boo Duet with Alicia Keys DupriManuel SealAdonis ShropshireRaymondKeysDupriSeal b 3 4319 Red Light J SmithGarrettP SmithKeri HilsonRobert McDowellLil JonGarrett a 4 4820 Seduction Harris IIILewisRaymondB AvilaI AvilaJames Q WrightJimmy Jam amp Terry LewisBobby Ross Avila amp IZ b Wright b 4 3321 Confessions Part II Remix featuring Shyne Kanye West and Twista DupriCoxRaymondMoses BarrowWestCarl MitchellDupriCox b 4 28 Notes a signifies a vocal producer b signifies a co producer Sample credits Throwback contains a sample of Dionne Warwick s song You re Gonna Need Me 1973 Superstar contains a sample of Willie Hutch s song Mack s Stroll The Getaway Chase Scene 1973 Take Your Hand contains a sample of Harold Melvin amp The Blue Notes s song Is There a Place for Me 1973 Whatever I Want contains excerpts from Preston Love s Chili Mac Personnel editCredits for Confessions adapted from AllMusic and album s liner notes 86 87 Darcy Aldridge backing vocals track 11 Bobby Ross Avila co producer tracks 10 13 20 guitar tracks 10 12 keyboards tracks 11 13 piano tracks 11 20 backing vocals track 11 additional drum programming track 12 Moog Taurus track 13 flute track 20 Wurlitzer scratches and strings track 10 Dante Destro Barton producer and additional engineering track 12 Jason Boyd vocal producer tracks 7 9 17 Valdez Brantley producer track 8 Bryan Michael Cox co producer tracks 4 6 15 21 Larry Cox additional keyboards track 14 Vincent Creusot additional recording assistant track 18 Ian Cross engineer track 10 additional engineering track 21 Kevin KD Davis engineer track 16 Vidal Davis producer tracks 7 9 17 mixing tracks 7 9 Vince DiLorenzo engineer track 7 9 17 Jermaine Dupri producer tracks 4 6 15 18 21 mixing tracks 4 6 18 21 E Bass guitar track 3 Blake Eisman engineer track 3 19 Faith Evans additional backing vocals track 9 Brian Frye engineer tracks 4 6 15 18 21 John Frye mixing tracks 2 19 Richard Furch mixing Sean Garrett vocal producer tracks 2 10 backing vocals track 2 Serban Ghenea mixing tracks 10 13 17 20 John Hanes additional Pro Tools engineer tracks 10 13 17 20 Andre Harris producer tracks 7 9 17 mixing tracks 7 9 Rich Harrison producer and instrumentation track 16 Delicia Hassan production coordination track 2 John Horesco IV engineer tracks 4 5 21 mixing assistant tracks 4 6 15 18 21 Jun Ishizeki additional engineering track 21 IZ co producer and percussion tracks 10 13 20 drums tracks 10 11 13 20 bass tracks 10 13 guitar tracks 10 20 scratches tracks 10 12 Moog Taurus track 10 keyboards track 13 Jadakiss rap track 3 Jimmy Jam producer tracks 10 13 20 Fender Rhodes track 11 LaMarquis Jefferson bass tracks 2 9 Just Blaze producer track 3 Alicia Keys vocals track 18 L Roc additional keyboards track 2 James Lackey producer track 1 Ken Lewis engineer mixing and guitar track 3 Terry Lewis producer tracks 10 13 20 Kelly Dread Liebelt additional engineering track 9 Craig Love guitar track 19 Ludacris rap track 2 Kevin Mahoney additional engineering track 21 Anthony Mandler photography Daniel Marino guitar track 12 Matt Marrin engineer tracks 10 13 20 Manny Marroquin mixing track 14 Tony Maserati mixing track 16 Ann Mincieli additional engineering track 18 Tadd Mingo assistant engineer tracks 4 6 15 18 21 Johnny Natural Najera producer track 8 Paula Patton backing vocals track 14 Herb Powers mastering Pro J producer and instrumentation track 14 Edward Quesada assistant engineer track 4 Mickael Rangeard additional engineering track 18 Usher Raymond executive producer producer tracks 1 4 8 lead vocals all tracks backing vocals tracks 2 10 14 19 20 Tim Roberts mixing assistant tracks 10 13 17 20 Donnie Scantz engineer track 2 Manuel Seal co producer track 18 Shyne rap track 21 Jon Smeltz mixing tracks 7 9 Jan Smith vocal producer vocal coach Jonathan Lil Jon Smith producer and mixing track 2 19 additional backing vocals track 2 Aaron Spears producer track 8 Chris Steinmetz additional engineering track 21 Patrice ButtaPhly Stewart backing vocals track 13 Arthur Buddy Strong producer track 8 Sean Tallman assistant engineer track 2 Phil Tan mixing tracks 4 6 15 18 21 Robin Thicke producer and instrumentation track 14 Ryan Toby vocal producer tracks 7 9 17 Tony Proof Tolbert backing vocals tracks 10 12 20 Twista rap track 21 Mark Vinten engineer tracks 2 19 D L Warfield layout design Kanye West rap track 21 Ryan West engineer track 3 Doug Wilson track 21 Stevie Wonder harmonica track 4 Ghian Wright assistant engineer track 10 James Big Jim Wright co producer tracks 13 20 bass tracks 11 20 Wurlitzer track 13 keyboards track 20 Charts editWeekly charts edit Weekly chart performance for Confessions Chart 2004 2005 PeakpositionAustralian Albums ARIA 88 2Australian Urban Albums ARIA 89 1Austrian Albums O3 Austria 90 25Belgian Albums Ultratop Flanders 91 10Belgian Albums Ultratop Wallonia 92 7Canadian Albums Billboard 93 1Canadian R amp B Albums Nielsen SoundScan 94 1Danish Albums Hitlisten 95 10Dutch Albums Album Top 100 96 3European Albums Billboard 97 4Finnish Albums Suomen virallinen lista 98 20French Albums SNEP 99 4German Albums Offizielle Top 100 100 2Greek Albums IFPI 101 10Hungarian Albums MAHASZ 102 40Irish Albums IRMA 103 1Italian Albums FIMI 104 34Japanese Albums Oricon 105 10Malaysian International Albums RIM 106 14New Zealand Albums RMNZ 107 1Norwegian Albums VG lista 108 2Polish Albums ZPAV 109 35Scottish Albums OCC 110 5Spanish Albums PROMUSICAE 111 60Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 112 11Swiss Albums Schweizer Hitparade 113 3UK Albums OCC 114 1UK R amp B Albums OCC 115 1US Billboard 200 116 1US Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Billboard 117 1 Year end charts edit Annual chart performance for Confessions Chart 2004 PositionAustralian Albums ARIA 118 11Belgian Albums Ultratop Flanders 119 29Belgian Albums Ultratop Wallonia 120 59Dutch Albums Album Top 100 121 8French Albums SNEP 122 40German Albums Offizielle Top 100 123 17New Zealand Albums RMNZ 124 5Swedish Albums Sverigetopplistan 125 63Swiss Albums Schweizer Hitparade 126 14UK Albums OCC 127 7US Billboard 200 128 1US Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Billboard 129 1Worldwide Albums IFPI 130 1Chart 2005 PositionAustralian Albums ARIA 131 56Dutch Albums Album Top 100 132 55French Albums SNEP 133 84UK Albums OCC 134 90US Billboard 200 135 11US Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Billboard 136 13Chart 2023 PositionUS Billboard 200 137 181Decade end charts edit Decade end chart performance for Confessions Chart 2000 2009 PositionAustralian Albums ARIA 138 91UK Albums OCC 139 72US Billboard 200 140 2Certifications editCertifications for Confessions Region Certification Certified units salesAustralia ARIA 141 5 Platinum 350 000 Canada Music Canada 142 6 Platinum 600 000 Denmark IFPI Danmark 143 2 Platinum 40 000 France SNEP 144 Gold 100 000 Germany BVMI 145 Gold 100 000 Hungary MAHASZ 146 Platinum 20 000 Japan RIAJ 147 Platinum 250 000 Netherlands NVPI 148 Gold 40 000 New Zealand RMNZ 149 3 Platinum 45 000 Russia NFPF 150 2 Platinum 40 000 Singapore RIAS 151 Gold 5 000 Switzerland IFPI Switzerland 152 Platinum 40 000 United Kingdom BPI 154 5 Platinum 1 536 714 153 United States RIAA 155 14 Platinum 14 000 000 SummariesEurope IFPI 156 2 Platinum 2 000 000 Sales figures based on certification alone Shipments figures based on certification alone Sales streaming figures based on certification alone See also editList of best selling albums List of best selling albums in the United States Truth TourReferences edit Lil Jon Reveals the Original Yeah Beat Went to Petey Pablo s Freek a Leek Instead February 15 2024 CHR Top 40 Week Of August 29 2004 R amp R Going for Adds Archived October 22 2013 at the Wayback Machine Going for Adds Radio amp Records No 1587 December 31 2004 p 13 a b Brantley Ben September 8 2006 A Genial Pop Idol Plays a Legal Shark Without Teeth The New York Times Retrieved June 23 2012 a b The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone September 22 2020 Retrieved November 2 2020 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Reid Shaheem February 7 2005 Road to the Grammys The Making of Usher s Confessions MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved May 18 2008 a b c Reid Shaheem December 19 2003 Usher To Share His Confessions in March MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved May 18 2008 a b c d e f Reid Shaheem Usher King Me MTV News Viacom Media Networks Archived from the original on October 24 2012 Retrieved May 18 2008 a b c d e f g h Reid Shaheem March 31 2004 The Road To Confessions How Usher Shook A Million MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved May 18 2008 a b c d e Reid Shaheem Usher King Me Part II MTV News Viacom Media Networks Archived from the original on November 6 2008 Retrieved May 18 2008 a b c d e f Usher Lets Skeletons Out of the Closet on Confessions MTV News Viacom Media Networks February 17 2004 Retrieved May 18 2008 a b c Vineyard Jennifer January 25 2006 In Book Proposal Dupri Calls Em A Hater Says Usher s Confessions Are Really His MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved May 20 2008 Usher Confessions Part II EMI Music Publishing Musicnotes com a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty url help a b Ives Brian et al April 11 2008 Usher s Confession It Ain t Soft To Be R amp B Part 3 Vh1 Archived from the original on December 24 2008 Retrieved May 18 2008 Reid Shaheem Usher Souled Out MTV News Viacom Media Networks Archived from the original on May 1 2008 Retrieved May 18 2008 Usher Tells All Career Ups And Downs Eminem Ex Wife amp Tour Secrets Sway s Universe Retrieved February 14 2024 a b c d e Jones Steve September 12 2004 Usher amends his Confessions to boost CD sales USA Today Gannett Company Retrieved May 20 2008 a b Reid Shaheem June 14 2004 Usher Alicia Keys Record Duet MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved May 20 2008 Reid Shaheem July 29 2004 Usher Alicia Keys Video To Accompany Confessions Re Release MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved May 20 2008 a b Sisario Ben December 21 2004 Arts Briefly The Year of Usher The New York Times Retrieved May 20 2008 Kellman Andy Confessions Bonus Tracks AllMusic Rovi Corporation Retrieved on 2009 02 22 Usher Billboard Singles Allmusic Rovi Corporation Retrieved November 22 2008 a b Patel Joseph June 7 2004 Usher Kanye To Bring The Truth Nationwide MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved March 29 2013 a b c d e f g Reid Shaheem August 6 2004 Usher Proves He s The Truth At Tour Kickoff MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved May 18 2013 Jet Jet 107 6 Johnson Publishing Company 58 2005 ISSN 0021 5996 Retrieved April 22 2013 a b c Reid Shaheem March 24 2004 Usher Says He s Not A Baby s Daddy MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved May 20 2008 a b c Reid Shaheem Usher King Me MTV News Viacom Media Networks Archived from the original on January 19 2008 Retrieved May 20 2008 Peterson Todd February 20 2004 TLC s Chilli Dishes on Ex Beau Usher People Retrieved May 20 2008 a b Reviews for Confessions by Usher Metacritic Retrieved January 18 2017 Kellman Andy Confessions Usher AllMusic Rovi Corporation Retrieved September 13 2009 a b Caramanica Jon April 2004 Usher Confessions Blender 25 132 Archived from the original on June 14 2004 Retrieved November 25 2017 a b Aswad Jem March 26 2004 Confessions Entertainment Weekly No 757 Time Warner p 72 Archived from the original on August 13 2012 Retrieved May 7 2012 a b Sullivan Caroline March 11 2004 CD Usher Confessions The Guardian Friday Review p 18 Retrieved March 29 2013 Hilburn Robert March 21 2004 A bolder Usher is in the house Los Angeles Times Retrieved September 13 2009 Barry Rebecca May 21 2004 Usher Confessions The New Zealand Herald Retrieved July 24 2019 Hope Clover November 20 2020 Usher Confessions Album Review Pitchfork Retrieved February 21 2021 a b Usher Confessions Q 215 107 June 2004 a b Sinagra Laura March 24 2004 Usher Confessions Rolling Stone Archived from the original on October 2 2007 Retrieved May 7 2012 Jones Steve March 22 2004 Confessions time Usher continues his ascendancy USA Today Archived from the original on February 9 2018 Retrieved September 13 2009 a b Checkoway Laura May 2004 Usher Confessions Vibe 12 5 160 Retrieved May 7 2012 Cibula Matt Review Confessions PopMatters Retrieved on 2009 09 13 Linden Amy Review Confessions Archived May 24 2011 at the Wayback Machine The Village Voice Retrieved on 2009 09 13 Sanneh Kelefa Review Confessions The New York Times The New York Times Company Retrieved on 2009 09 13 Berry Elizabeth Mendez Review Confessions Archived July 24 2012 at the Wayback Machine The Washington Post C 05 April 14 2004 Transcription of original review at talk page Christgau Robert July 6 2004 Consumer Guide Squirt You The Village Voice New York Retrieved March 29 2013 Key to Icons Robert Christgau 2000 Retrieved March 29 2013 Usher Keys Top Soul Train Awards Billboard Prometheus Global Media Retrieved August 13 2011 a b The Decade in Music Charts SoundScan Top Albums of Decade PDF Billboard December 19 2009 p 175 Retrieved August 31 2021 via World Radio History Digit page 179 on the PDF archive Best of the 2000s Hot 100 Songs Billboard Prometheus Global Media p 1 Retrieved August 13 2011 Best of the 2000s Hot 100 Songs Billboard Prometheus Global Media p 3 Retrieved August 13 2011 Best of the 2000s Hot 100 Songs Billboard Prometheus Global Media p 4 Retrieved August 13 2011 a b D Angelo Joe March 31 2004 Usher Makes Record Breaking Debut Atop Albums Chart MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved June 7 2008 a b c d e D Angelo Joe March 31 2004 Usher Makes Record Breaking Debut Atop Albums Chart MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved May 20 2008 The 25 Biggest First Week Album Sales in Music HistoryUsher Confessions 1 096 000 Complex Networks Usher Billboard Albums Allmusic Rovi Corporation Retrieved November 22 2008 D Angelo Joe May 19 2004 Burn Keeps Usher Hot And on Top MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved May 20 2008 Usher s Burn Reclaims Hot 100 No 1 Billboard Prometheus Global Media July 8 2004 Retrieved May 20 2008 a b c Whitmire Margo July 15 2004 Usher Notches Another No 1 Single Billboard Prometheus Global Media Retrieved May 20 2008 Sisario Ben December 21 2004 Arts Briefly The Year of Usher The New York Times Retrieved May 20 2008 Whitmire Margo May 5 2004 D12 Ends Usher s Album Chart Reign Billboard Prometheus Global Media Retrieved May 20 2008 D Angelo Joe May 12 2004 Usher Sends D12 Packing MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved May 18 2013 Kreps Daniel April 2 2009 Usher Looks Back Five Years After Confessions Rolling Stone Retrieved January 16 2009 Usher Album Tips Triple Platinum Yahoo Yahoo Music Archived from the original on May 18 2013 Retrieved May 18 2013 Kaufman Gil December 28 2004 Usher s Confessions The Most Shipped Album Of 2004 MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved December 23 2008 Nielsen Soundscan Report Music Sales Up In 2004 celebrityaccess com January 21 2005 Retrieved November 18 2020 Gold amp Platinum RIAA Retrieved July 14 2020 a b The New York Times editors January 5 2005 Album Sales Expected to Show 1 6 Rise The New York Times Retrieved May 20 2008 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a author has generic name help a b Vineyard Jennifer January 5 2005 Usher s Yeah Was Most Played Song Of 2004 MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved May 20 2008 a b c d Molanphy Chris July 16 2012 100 amp Single The R amp B Hip Hop Factor in the Music Business s Endless Slump The Village Voice Blogs Village Voice Media Archived from the original on July 20 2012 Retrieved July 16 2012 Ives Brian et al April 11 2008 Usher s Confession It Ain t Soft To Be R amp B Part 1 Vh1 Archived from the original on May 18 2008 Retrieved May 20 2008 Ten Years Later Revisiting Usher s Confessions And Its All Time Great Song Sequencing Uproxx Retrieved October 13 2016 10 Albums That Usher s Confessions Birthed Vibe March 24 2014 Retrieved October 13 2016 10 Albums That Usher s Confessions Birthed Vibe March 24 2014 Retrieved October 13 2016 10 Albums That Usher s Confessions Birthed Vibe March 24 2014 Retrieved October 13 2016 10 Albums That Usher s Confessions Birthed Vibe March 24 2014 Retrieved October 13 2016 10 Albums That Usher s Confessions Birthed Vibe March 24 2014 Retrieved October 13 2016 10 Albums That Usher s Confessions Birthed Vibe March 24 2014 Retrieved October 13 2016 Bryan Michael Cox AllMusic Retrieved October 13 2016 Hall Rashaun January 12 2005 Usher s Success Lifts Songwriter Producer Bryan Michael Cox MTV News Viacom Media Networks Retrieved May 20 2008 Kaplan Ilana October 20 2018 Songwriter Awarded 44 Million in Lawsuit Over Uncredited 2004 Usher Song Rolling Stone Greatest of All Time Billboard 200 Albums Billboard Archived from the original on October 1 2016 Retrieved November 12 2015 Cashmere Paul November 28 2012 Adele 21 Sells 10 Million Noise11 com Retrieved November 18 2020 MTVNews com Usher King Me MTV November 6 2008 Archived from the original on November 6 2008 Retrieved November 18 2020 The Greatest Pop Star By Year 1981 2019 Staff Picks Billboard Retrieved November 18 2020 How Usher s Confessions Still Massively Influences Music 15 Years After Its Release Bustle Retrieved November 18 2020 Confessions Usher Allmusic Rovi Corporation Retrieved December 8 2011 Confessions booklet Arista 2004 Australiancharts com Usher Confessions Hung Medien Retrieved July 7 2020 ARIA Urban Albums Chart Week Commencing 27th June 2005 PDF The ARIA Report 800 June 27 2003 Archived from the original PDF on February 22 2008 Retrieved April 15 2023 via National Library of Australia Austriancharts at Usher Confessions in German Hung Medien Retrieved July 7 2020 Ultratop be Usher Confessions in Dutch Hung Medien Retrieved July 7 2020 Ultratop be Usher Confessions in French Hung Medien Retrieved July 7 2020 Usher Chart History Canadian Albums Billboard Retrieved July 7 2020 R amp B Top 50 Jam July 29 2004 Archived from the original on August 3 2004 Retrieved January 27 2023 Danishcharts dk Usher Confessions Hung Medien Retrieved July 7 2020 Dutchcharts nl Usher Confessions in Dutch Hung Medien Retrieved July 7 2020 Hits of the World Eurochart Albums Billboard April 10 2004 p 43 Retrieved July 10 2022 Usher Confessions in Finnish Musiikkituottajat IFPI Finland Retrieved July 7 2020 Lescharts com Usher Confessions Hung Medien Retrieved July 7 2020 Offiziellecharts de Usher Confessions in German GfK Entertainment Charts Retrieved January 29 2021 Ellhniko Chart Top 50 3enwn Almpoym in Greek IFPI Greece Archived from the original on June 5 2004 Retrieved March 16 2022 Album Top 40 slagerlista 2004 21 het in Hungarian MAHASZ Retrieved March 16 2022 GFK Chart Track TOP 75 ARTIST ALBUM WEEK ENDING July 8 2004 GFK Chart Track Irish Recorded Music Association Retrieved on 2010 04 02 Italiancharts com Usher Confessions Hung Medien Retrieved July 7 2020 コンフェッションズ アッシャー Confessions Usher in Japanese Oricon Archived from the original on January 17 2023 Retrieved March 19 2022 Malaysia Retail Sales Chart International Chart Weekending 28th December 2004 Archived from the original on March 3 2005 Retrieved November 14 2023 Charts nz Usher Confessions Hung Medien Retrieved July 7 2020 Norwegiancharts com Usher Confessions Hung Medien Retrieved July 7 2020 Oficjalna lista sprzedazy OLiS Official Retail Sales Chart OLiS Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry Retrieved July 7 2020 28 2004 40 Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Retrieved June 18 2013 Spanishcharts com Usher Confessions Hung Medien Retrieved July 7 2020 Swedishcharts com Usher Confessions Hung Medien Retrieved July 7 2020 Swisscharts com Usher Confessions Hung Medien Retrieved July 7 2020 Usher Artist Official Charts UK Albums Chart Retrieved July 7 2020 Official R amp B Albums Chart Top 40 Official Charts Company Retrieved October 14 2020 Usher Chart History Billboard 200 Billboard Retrieved July 7 2020 Usher Chart History Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Billboard Retrieved July 7 2020 ARIA Charts End Of Year Charts Top 100 Albums 2004 Australian Recording Industry Association Retrieved July 7 2020 Jaaroverzichten 2004 Albums Ultratop Retrieved July 7 2020 Jaaroverzichten 2004 Albums Ultratop Retrieved July 7 2020 Jaaroverzichten Album 2004 dutchcharts nl in Dutch Retrieved July 7 2020 Top de l annee Top Albums 2004 in French SNEP Retrieved September 17 2020 Top 100 Album Jahrescharts 2004 in German Offizielle Deutsche Charts Retrieved July 7 2020 Top Selling Albums of 2004 Recorded Music NZ Retrieved March 17 2022 Arslista Album Ar 2001 in Swedish Sverigetopplistan Archived from the original on February 21 2014 Retrieved July 7 2020 Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2004 hitparade ch in German Retrieved July 7 2020 UK Year End Charts 2004 PDF UKChartsPlus Retrieved July 7 2020 Billboard 200 Albums Year End 2004 Billboard Retrieved June 21 2017 Billboard Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Year End 2004 Billboard Retrieved July 7 2020 Top 50 Global Best Selling Albums for 2004 PDF International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Archived from the original PDF on November 17 2008 Retrieved February 2 2023 ARIA Charts End Of Year Charts Top 100 Albums 2005 Australian Recording Industry Association Retrieved July 7 2020 Jaaroverzichten Album 2005 dutchcharts nl in Dutch Retrieved July 7 2020 Top de l annee Top Albums 2005 in French SNEP Retrieved September 17 2020 UK Year End Charts 2005 PDF UKChartsPlus Retrieved July 7 2020 Billboard 200 Albums Year End 2005 Billboard Retrieved July 7 2020 Billboard Top R amp B Hip Hop Albums Year End 2005 Billboard Retrieved July 7 2020 Billboard 200 Albums Year End 2023 Billboard Retrieved November 23 2023 ARIA Top 100 Albums of the 00 s ARIA Retrieved January 16 2020 The Noughties Official UK Albums Chart Top 100 Music Week London England United Business Media 19 January 30 2010 The Decade in Music Charts Top Billboard 200 Albums PDF Billboard December 19 2009 p 162 Retrieved August 31 2021 via World Radio History Digit page 166 on the PDF archive ARIA Charts Accreditations 2018 Albums PDF Australian Recording Industry Association Retrieved November 12 2018 Canadian album certifications Usher Confessions Music Canada Danish album certifications Usher Confessions IFPI Danmark Retrieved February 18 2020 French album certifications Usher Confessions in French Syndicat National de l Edition Phonographique Gold Platin Datenbank Usher Confessions in German Bundesverband Musikindustrie Adatbazis Arany es platinalemezek 2004 in Hungarian MAHASZ Japanese album certifications アッシャー コンフェッションズ in Japanese Recording Industry Association of Japan Select 2004年10月 on the drop down menu Dutch album certifications Usher Confessions in Dutch Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld en geluidsdragers EnterConfessions in the Artiest of titel box Certifications radioscope co nz Archived from the original on February 8 2005 Retrieved August 12 2023 Russian album certifications Usher Confessions in Russian National Federation of Phonogram Producers NFPF Retrieved May 20 2019 Singapore album certifications Usher Confessions Recording Industry Association Singapore Retrieved November 24 2021 The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community Awards Confession IFPI Switzerland Hung Medien Jones Alan September 23 2016 Official Charts Analysis Bastille hold on to albums chart top spot Music Week Intent Media Retrieved September 26 2016 British album certifications Usher Confessions British Phonographic Industry American album certifications Usher Confessions Recording Industry Association of America IFPI Platinum Europe Awards 2005 International Federation of the Phonographic Industry External links editConfessions at Discogs list of releases Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Confessions Usher album amp oldid 1209208801 Track listing, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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