In 2004, something befell American pop, something that merely five year earlier seemed like a distant dream: All top ten spots in the Billboard weekly pop chart were taken by black artists. And the record to top them all, as if by invitation, celebrated the event with a gleeful YEAH!
Usher is the closest thing to Michael Jackson to come out of black pop in the last two decades, a polished entertainer who combines song and dance to create an electrifying experience. He rose to fame in the R'n'B world as a teenager back in the nineties, and after the revolution of the turn of the millennium, he was in the position to take over the pop world. A little after Justin Timberlake turned the spotlight towards the new R'n'B, Usher came along to show everyone how it's really done. Every record he put out that year was a smash hit, a concentrated attack on the charts that was not seen since the days of the Beatles. This is the record that started the onslaught, and it is a showcase to the power of contemporary black music. The production is by Lil' Jon, one of the hottest producers of the time, whose style (known as crunk) combines hip-hop with synth-driven dance; the vocal and moves are by Usher, and he is indomitable; and the rap is by Ludacris, who provides his flow and humor, which always make you feel good. Together, they make your booty go:
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