Following on from 1997's My Way , 8701 crowns Usher's position as R&B man of the moment. Never mind the hype about Michael Jackson, Wacko is going to have some serious competition in years to come. Usher is a rap singer and dance man with a twist. Rather than being R&B record designed by committee, every track on 8701 pulsates with the sense of a life lived, a strongly personal point of view--from the street slang of "Pop Ya Collar", to the nostalgic groove "U-Turn" ("I had a hot flat top/...the sound was Bobby Brown"), to the song "If U Want To", where Usher sings: "I can take you from your man", with vulnerability rather than braggadocio. Though cowritten and produced with a variety of names, including She'kspere and The Neptunes, the solid hip-hop undertow comes courtesy of Jermaine Dupri. Mixing slow jams with edgy beats and sweet melody, Usher has pulled off a triumph. -- Lucy O'Brien
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