Usher "Raymond Vs. Raymond"

Ever feel like a monster? Remember "Space Jam" with Michael Jordan? Great Movie! Anyway it starts with him saying there are three sides to every story (on side, truth, and other) and robotic vocals that introduce Usher, and talk in a call and response manner, as they unleash the "Monstar" inside who does display his wonderful vocals alongside a nice beat and nice strings. The opening line is a refernce to his ex, as well as the full album. "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)"  is basically saying, guess who's back? U-S_H-E-R _R-A_Y-M _O-N-D, and how he's also back in the dating game as well as music biz in his first great record since his huge multi-platinum 2004 record Confessions;"Here I Stand" was okay. I love the vocals and the light piano of "There Goes My Baby" which places the focus on the heartfelt vocals, and has one slowly hovering into the clouds.I first thought that it was of a lost love, but it is a feeling of so much joy that he floats because he cannot believe she is "his." The first few listens I just thought it was okay,but then really stated to like it after a few times, as the beauty is in the simplicity. Lil' K..I mean Nicki Minaj is a "Lil' Freak," and works her freaky flow in this eastern-flavored track with a sample of Stevie Wonder's "Livin For The City." "She Don't Know" she makes me crazy; featuring Ludacris has this awesome horn in the song, which is about this girl that has know idea how infatuated Usher is with this girl. "OMG" is a really catchy song about this beautiful woman who is so unbelieveably sexy from her head to her toes, and is a much better callabo between Ursher and will.i.am, then the callabo featured on the last record. Men are from mars, and Women are from Venus, and this saying helps me understand why the next song is entitled "Mars Vs. Venus" as it describes the struggle between the inhabitants of both planets in this battlefield of love. "Pro Lover" is a song about his sexual prowess with this drum-machine beat and funky guitar dedicating it to his Triple Gs with DDs. Ok, now he's just "Foolin' Around" with this beat and occasional rap-style delivery. "Papers" is the most explicit about the divorce in the record as he sings of losing his mama, and turning his back against the world, giving his heart to this girl that only changed him for the worse. It has this slowbeat and nice funky keys playing high notes. "So Many Girls" starts epic with an orchestra preparing the auditorium for all these women coming into the room, and a real short key that bridges to the beat and sparse spacey keys. It is a celebratory, pump up to mac song. Did I just say that? It is a swag starter; we'll leave it at that. I feel "Guilty," in liking this song so much with the sorrowful sentiments, keys, nice beat and verse dropped by T.I. "Okay" that's enough; this song is just okay. Who would not like to be "Making Love (Into The Night)," and have it never end? The remake is very nice, and remains strong as it's own seperate entity. If there werecseven rounds of this mnatch the best songs to serve as the soundtrack for each round would be: Monstar, Lil' Freak, She Don't Know, Mars Vs Venus, So Many Girls, Guilty, and Making Love (Into The Night).