Songoftheday 10/13/22 - See the thing about you that caught my eye, is the same thing that makes me change my mind...
"U Remind Me" - Usher
from the album 8701 (2001)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (four weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 22
Today's song comes from R&B singer Usher, who had broken big into the mainstream with his 1997 album My Way, which spun off three huge crossover hits with "You Make Me Wanna...", "My Way", and the #1 pop/R&B smash "Nice & Slow". After only two albums, Usher released a Live set, this went to #73 on the Billboard 200 sales tally and sold over a half million copies.
In 2000, he was recording his third album, to be named All About U, when he became the first big victim of tracks being leaked to the file-sharing website Napster. The news covered it big at the time, and it had an impact on its release, as what was meant to be the first single from the set, "Pop Ya Collar", one of the leaked songs, ended up stiffing in sales (as many of his fans already downloaded it). It ended up stalling at #60 on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart, and only got to #25 on their R&B list. Internationally, where Napster wasn't as prevalent as yet, it did better, peaking at #2 in the United Kingdom. In response of these unfinished leaks getting such wide exposure, that Usher canned the project to start completely anew, the first notable time this had happened.
A year later, Usher re-emerged with 8701, which didn't even include "Pop Ya Collar" on the American version. Instead, the lead single for the set was "U Remind Me", written by producer Eddie Clement with Anita McCloud. In the song Usher declined a prospective love because she is too much like his ex who cheated on him. He explains that he knows it's unfair to her, but he can't separate his trauma from the past with his heart, and nips it in the bud. It's quite a noble premise, in a way, not leading someone on to dump them later about it. But the music video is less convincing, making Usher seems to be more of a player, ending with then-real-life-girlfriend Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas of the group TLC...
"U Remind Me" became Usher's second #1 pop hit in America in July of 2001, spending a month at the top. It also took four weeks at #1 on Billboard's R&B Singles chart, while the club remixes of the track, done by Illicit and Pete + Vincent, helped it become the singer's first hit on the Dance Club Play chart at #41. On the radio, the song rose to #6 on the Mainstream Top-40 chart, #3 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay list, #25 on the older-skewing Adult R&B format, and #2 on dance-oriented Rhythmic stations. Internationally, the single reached the top ten in the United Kingdom (#3), France (#3), Canada (#3), Belgium (#3W/#16F), New Zealand (#3), the Netherlands (#4), Australia (#4), Denmark (#6), and Norway (#6). It also made the top-40 in Sweden (#12), Germany (#21), Switzerland (#22), and Ireland (#25). The 8701 album, appropriately released August 7, 2001, peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 sales tally, and #3 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums list, going on to sell over four million copies. At the Grammy Awards in 2002, "U Remind Me" was Usher's third nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, and his first win in the category. Usher and the album will return to the series.
(6/10)
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This performance from the Teen Choice Awards in 2001 is off the hook. I mean, he does a perfect backflip, and stays on key...
Now it's the singer in concert on tour behind the album...
And lastly, from a show in 2015 from Paris...
Up tomorrow: This punk gone pop band is coming to conclusions.
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