For a musician like Usher, there is a lot of glory in creating a timeless catalogue of records that fans never tire of. But the reality of the music industry is that the praise ebbs and flows, and the R&B veteran recently got real about his hits and misses in conversation with Vulture.
The 43-year-old tells the outlet that the main takeaway he’s learned throughout his career is that “artists need to build strong catalogues around the hits and audiences must give the music the time and respect it deserves.” “Don’t just make singles, make an experience,” the artist says.
Despite Confessions being a well-loved album among his fans, Usher admits that the lukewarm response from critics disappointed him.
The 2004 album received generally positive reviews, but the singer noted that the more mixed responses could be attributed to critics having to get “acclimated” to his still-evolving sound. “I feel it was partially on the story that we were telling and people getting acclimated to this new artist and having respect for or understanding of what it was for the guys who grew up with the Princes, the Michael Jacksons, the Whispers, the Isley Brothers, and the Luther Vandrosses,” he tells Vulture. “They were looking at a new frontier… I do wish critics celebrated what I was working on in that time.
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