Hard II Love
Hard II Love | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 16, 2016 | |||
Recorded | 2013–2016 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 57:30 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Producer |
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Usher chronology | ||||
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Singles from Hard II Love | ||||
Hard II Love is the eighth studio album by American singer
The album was available for online streaming on September 13, 2016 exclusively through the streaming service Tidal, which Usher co-owns.[1] It would later be released for paid purchase on other digital download and online streaming services on September 16, 2016. The album debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200, earning 38,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, while the lead single "No Limit" reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2]
Background
In an interview with Rap-Up, singer-songwriter Eric Bellinger explained that he, along with Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, and Brian Alexander Morgan, were working on Usher's next album. Bellinger compared the album's music to Usher's Confessions, saying that it is "more urban" than Looking 4 Myself.[3] The latter declared that his next album would show that he is "still Usher". In an interview with Billboard, Bellinger explained that Usher created music for his previous albums based on what people wanted to hear. For his follow-up project, he chose to do music based on "what he wants to do in his heart", placing R&B as the album's main focus.
On January 6, 2014,
On September 8, 2014, Usher told Billboard, that the album would be indefinitely delayed, though he wouldn't divulge further details due to the album not being finished; it was to be originally released in September 2014. On January 14, 2016, after continual delays of his eighth album, Usher announced via Instagram that the official title of the album would be titled Flawed. In August 2016, an iTunes New Zealand link popped up with a new Usher album, along with the title and cover art of the album being called Hard II Love. He then confirmed the title on the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[4]
Cover artwork
The album's cover art is a portrait sculpture of Usher that was done by Daniel Arsham. The cracks and erosions in the sculpture represent flaws and that things and people are not always as perfect or beautiful as they appear on the outside, relating to some of the themes in the album.[5]
Promotion
On August 26, 2016, Usher released the instant-grats from these tracks, such as "
Singles
On June 9, 2016, Usher released the album's first single, titled "
The album's second single, titled "Crash" was released for all digital platforms on June 10, 2016. Its music video was uploaded to Vevo on June 16, 2016. The song was produced by f a l l e n, and Carlos St. John.
On August 26, 2016, "
On August 30, 2016, Usher released "
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Idolator | [17] |
The Independent | [18] |
The National | |
Pitchfork | 6.6/10[19] |
PopMatters | [20] |
Rolling Stone | [21] |
USA Today | [22] |
Hard II Love received generally positive reviews from critics. At
Commercial performance
Hard II Love debuted at number five on the US
Track listing
| Saadiq | 5:17 | ||
Total length: | 57:30 |
---|
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
16. | "Good Kisser" |
|
| 4:09 |
17. | "She Came to Give It to You" (featuring Nicki Minaj) |
| Pharrell Williams | 4:02 |
Total length: | 65:41 |
- Sample credits
- ".
- "Bump" contains a sample of "I Wanna Rock" performed by Luther Campbell.
- "Let Me" contains a sample of "Love You Down" performed by Ready for the World, written by Melvin C. Riley.
Personnel
Credits for Hard II Love adapted from AllMusic.[37]
Managerial
|
|
- Nico Raat – Security director
Visuals and imagery
|
|
Performance credits
|
|
Production
- Dernst Emile II – producer
- Metro Boomin – producer
- PartyNextDoor – producer
- Brandon "B.A.M." Hodge – producer
- Pop & Oak – producer
- R!O – producer
- Kamo – producer
- Tre Drumz – producer
- Carlos St. John – producer
- f a l l e n – producer
- Fisticuffs – producer
- Geniuz League – producer
- xSDTRK – producer
- K-Major – producer
- Raphael Saadiq – producer
- Mario Jefferson – producer
- David "Prep" Hughes – producer
- Joseph Hill – producer
- Track King Cole – producer
- Yonatan "xSDTRK" Ayal – producer, programming
- Paul Epworth – producer, programming
- Taura Stinson – vocal arrangement
- Kory Aaron – engineer, vocal engineer
- Matt Wiggins – engineer
- Sam Thomas – engineer
- John "J-Banga" Kercy – engineer
- Joseph Hartwell Jones – engineer
- Seth Firkins – engineer
- Jeff Edwards – engineer
- Donnie Meadows – production coordination
- Manny Marroquin – mixing
- Tom Coyne – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[34] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
See also
- 2016 in hip hop music
- List of UK R&B Albums Chart number ones of 2016
- List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 2016
- PBR&B
References
- ^ "Listen to Usher's New Album Hard II Love | Pitchfork". Pitchfork Media. September 13, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ^ a b c Caulfield, Keith (September 25, 2016). "Drake's 'Views' Returns to No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart for 13th Week". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
- ^ "Rap-Up TV: Eric Bellinger Talks New Usher and Keri Hilson Albums". Rap-Up. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
- ^ "Everything We Know About Usher's Forthcoming Album 'Hard II Love'". Billboard.
- ^ "Usher's Highly Anticipated Portrait Sculpture and 'Hard II Love' Album Set to be Released Next Week : Memoirs of an Urban Gentleman". Archived from the original on March 24, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
- ^ "Usher Performs "Crash" in Super Slow Motion on 'The Tonight Show'". Complex. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
- ^ "Usher Performs 'Crash' on 'Ellen'". Rap-Up. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
- ^ "Usher Hosts Listening Party for 'Hard II Love'". Musiccitynotes.net. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
- ^ "Usher Delivers Sensuous 'Hard II Love' Secret Show Listening Party in NYC". Billboard.
- ^ "Usher to Release New Album 'Hard II Love' in September". Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- ^ "No Limit / Usher TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
- ^ a b "Urban/UAC Future Releases – R&B, Hip Hop, Release Schedule and Street Dates – ..." September 13, 2016. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - Any Decent Music. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
- ^ "Hard II Love – Usher". Metacritic. Retrieved September 29, 2016.
- ^ "Usher – Hard II Love". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
- ^ Walters, Barry (September 16, 2016). "Hard II Love (2016)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
- Idolator. Jon Reyes. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
- Independent.co.uk. September 29, 2016. Archivedfrom the original on May 9, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- ^ "Pitchfork review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- ^ "PopMatters review". Retrieved November 2, 2016.
- ^ "HardIILove". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
- ^ McDermott, Maeve. Review: Hard II Love. USA Today. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
- ^ "Hard II Love by Usher". Metacritic.com. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ^ "Review: Usher Comes Clean on Brooding, Adventurous 'Hard II Love'". Rolling Stone.
- ^ "Usher Is A Huge Star, So Why Isn't There More Hype For His Great New Album?". September 15, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ^ "Album Review: Usher, Coming Home". February 9, 2024.
- ^ "Review: Usher's 'Hard II Love' Uses Regret as a Selling Point". The New York Times. September 15, 2016.
- ^ "Surprise! Usher Dropped Hard II Love Ahead of Release Date on Tidal". September 13, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ^ "Usher Wants To Make R&B Great Again". MTV.
- ^ "Usher's 'Hard II Love': Review | Idolator". September 16, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ^ Hope, Clover (September 15, 2016). "Usher Still Has It, Kind Of".
- ^ "Hard II Love – Usher | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
- ^ "Hip Hop Album Sales: Drake, Mac Miller & Usher". September 26, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- ^ a b "American album certifications – Usher – Hard II Love". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ "Hard II Love by Usher on Apple Music". iTunes. September 16, 2016.
- ^ "Hard II Love (Japan Version) by Usher on Apple Music". Itun.es. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
- ^ "Hard II Love – Usher – Credits – AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Usher – Hard II Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Usher – Hard II Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Usher – Hard II Love" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- ^ "Usher Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Usher – Hard II Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Usher – Hard II Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- ^ "NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. September 26, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- ^ 23, 2016/40/ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
- ^ "Gaon chart". Archived from the original on October 2, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Usher – Hard II Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
- ^ "Usher | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
- ^ 23, 2016/115/ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 24, 2016.
- ^ "Usher Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
- ^ "Usher Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
- ^ "Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-end Chart 2016". Billboard. Retrieved December 17, 2016.