Hmmm...I wouldn't really class Usher as some chart pioneer. I think all the songs you mentioned are more examples of Usher jumping on the bandwagon. Yeah! was probably the first big crunk&B song but crunk had already got pretty big from Lil Jon. I think Timbaland and The Way I Are was more the precursor to the europop craze and DJ Got Us Fallin In Love was just him keeping up with the trend. And I think Climax is just him adapting to the current trend. It's old territory for him but I honestly don't think he'd be back here if it wasn't for the Weeknd and Beyoncé.

 

Yeah, some other artists had crunk in their songs before Yeah! (notably Ludacris) but Yeah! was the massive hit of that genre, internationally aswell, and it definitely changed a lot. It had a similar effect on RnB that Crazy in Love did with its brass sample. Producers and artists were openly saying things like "After the success of Yeah!, we decided to do it too".

 

For example, Goodies by Ciara is probably the 2nd biggest hit of the crunk movement, and there's this article about it's making. Ciara's boss contacted the guy who wrote Yeah! to get her a song similar to it:

 

http://youknowigotsoul.com/?p=17243

Around 2003/2004 we saw the birth of the genre “Crunk&B” thanks to the mega success of “Yeah!” by Usher along with this track, which introduced the world to a young Ciara who is now known all over the world. The infectious hook in this song immediately grabbed everyone’s attention and eventually shot it up to #1 on the charts. In an interview we did with Sean Garrett, the writer of the song, he explained how the song was originally created:

 

Sean Garrett: It was a very good time. I actually wrote that record the same week I did “Yeah!” for Usher. L.A. Reid, who is a humongous mentor of mine, called me and said to me, “I need a smash record on my young female artist Ciara”. Ciara’s from Atlanta which I am from as well and I just wanted to give her a record that didn’t sound like anything else. I’m very much so one of those type of producers who hate monotony. I couldn’t stand to give her a record that sounded like anything else, so I was really trying to be as difficult as possible with the whole process of giving her another record that sounded like someone else. I came up with “Goodies” in the perspective of a young girl who had her virginity and still being a little bit grown but at the same time still protecting the interest of what her mom taught her. She jokes with the idea of “Yeah you might think I’m cute and you talk a heavy game, but you can’t have my goodies because I’m saving it for the right one”. It was definitely tongue and cheek. It was something that was relatable to people who were 18 years old, but also a woman that was like 25 years old as well.

 

With regards to dance, you could even trace its beginnings back to the crunk phase itself. But I certainly agree that Timbaland played a MAJOR role in it all. Even before The Way I Are. My Love by Justin Timberlake and T.I. got to #1 in 2006, and it's like purely synths:

 

Edited February 17, 201213 yr by Eric_Blob

Brilliant song & if "Burn" can become a big hit in the uk then so can this song.

You know Burn came out like 8 years ago right? A lot has changed since then... genuine R&B in the UK has probably never been less popular. Everything is tied in with electronica and pop nowadays. Not saying this won't be a hit but it's hardly a given.

 

Motivation peaked at the dizzying heights of 169, granted low airplay was to blame but radio/TV just don't play this kind of thing anymore, and the public don't take to it.

 

Amazing as the song is, it won't do much. I'd love to eat my words when the release comes but I can't see it happening. Tbh I'd not be shocked if this was US only anyway and he has a generic surefire number 1 club banger ready for the rest of the world.

Motivation peaked at the dizzying heights of 169, granted low airplay was to blame but radio/TV just don't play this kind of thing anymore, and the public don't take to it.

 

Amazing as the song is, it won't do much. I'd love to eat my words when the release comes but I can't see it happening. Tbh I'd not be shocked if this was US only anyway and he has a generic surefire number 1 club banger ready for the rest of the world.

 

Hard to tell with these things. This sound is popular at the moment. Lots of buzz with The Wkend. Diplo produced aswell, could be a very big year for him. I think it will be a hit personally. It would hard for radio to ignore him, he is Usher after all. The success of Without You will lead to the UK not snubbing it.

 

Dunno if this has been posted but it's down for release on 16th April on the release schedule, I guess we'll be able to tell closer to the time.

On first listen it just sounds so..dull

This is f***ing fantastic. One of the best songs I've heard in a long while!

Yeah, some other artists had crunk in their songs before Yeah! (notably Ludacris) but Yeah! was the massive hit of that genre, internationally aswell, and it definitely changed a lot. It had a similar effect on RnB that Crazy in Love did with its brass sample. Producers and artists were openly saying things like "After the success of Yeah!, we decided to do it too".

 

For example, Goodies by Ciara is probably the 2nd biggest hit of the crunk movement, and there's this article about it's making. Ciara's boss contacted the guy who wrote Yeah! to get her a song similar to it:

 

http://youknowigotsoul.com/?p=17243

With regards to dance, you could even trace its beginnings back to the crunk phase itself. But I certainly agree that Timbaland played a MAJOR role in it all. Even before The Way I Are. My Love by Justin Timberlake and T.I. got to #1 in 2006, and it's like purely synths:

 

 

But the mainstream breakthrough of a genre isn't usually as influential as its inception within the music industry itself. Producers and writers have their fingers on the pulse of the underground scene and are ready to take advantage of any new scenes developing. Hell, most of these bandwagons aren't even particularly underground. The Weeknd is hardly unknown, neither were David Guetta or Timbaland when they were helping pioneer the whole electrohop scene, neither was Lil Jon with crunk. The mainstream acceptance of stuff like that only usually comes very late on in its shelf life, so I'd hardly say Usher was that influential especially since he's largely peddled watered down substitutes for those I already mentioned.

On first listen it just sounds so..dull

thank god I'm not the only one who isn't getting the buzz with this whatsoever.

 

I've listened to it three times now at different times and it still sounds so nothingy. I don't get it... maybe I have to be high to find it amazing?

I don't think people would be gushing over this as much as they are if it wasn't for the Weeknd. I know I certainly wouldn't.

maybe I have to be high to find it amazing?[/i]

 

:blink:

Different!!Whens it out on itunes?Hope its a OA/OS style release like his last lead single!!

I really like this on first listen :D Nice comeback from Usher

I don't think people would be gushing over this as much as they are if it wasn't for the Weeknd. I know I certainly wouldn't.

You're making it sound like The Weeknd is somewhat POPULAR around here, which he's clearly (and sadly) not.

Edited February 20, 201213 yr by Ljósið

You're making it sound like The Weeknd is somewhat POPULAR around here, which he's clearly (and sadly) not.

 

If by "around here" you mean buzzjack, I think the 5 pages of thread he's got in this forum show he's pretty popular. And if you mean the UK, I think the amount of top 10 of 2011 lists the Weeknd showed up on again shows he does have a presence in the UK.

 

All I'm saying is that in 2010, there's no way I would have given any time to slow jams like this. But then after House of Balloons and 4, I find myself with an ipod full of Drake, The Weeknd and Frank Ocean. That's just how trends work and it's why I think this will be a hit. Radio 1 have shown that they're on the ball with this latest RnB trend by having Frank Ocean on their Sound Of list, so I expect them to be giving this some heavy airplay.

I don't even know who The Weeknd is so that isn't my reason for loving the new single.

The only reason I even bothered listening to this was because of Diplo. I'm not that keen on The Weeknd.

 

A good song is a good song.

This is fantastic, easily his best since the Confessions era.

 

Amazing as the song is, it won't do much. I'd love to eat my words when the release comes but I can't see it happening. Tbh I'd not be shocked if this was US only anyway and he has a generic surefire number 1 club banger ready for the rest of the world.

 

I think you are spot on here, as much as I'd love him to go in this direction for his whole album, I imagine there will be bangers-a-plenty on it :(

So so good :wub: