Usher has released another great album. It’s hard to believe he is on his twelfth studio album. At this point Usher’s career should be studied, he continues to be relevant and releases good music people care about. Hard II Love starts out fun but quickly gets sad and broody after a while. There’s nothing wrong with being sad and broody but it’s not what I expected.

A majority of the album talks about relationships and the common interactions that take place. My favorite songs were “Missin U”, “No Limit”, “Crash”, “FWM” and “Rivals”. There’s so much more though so here’s quick rundown track by track and you decide where you want to drop that digital needle.

1. “Need U”

The albums opener “Need U” opens with a soft sultry voice “I know I F#@ked up, I’m man enough to admit it” says Usher before leading into some beautiful harmonies. Interestingly “Need U” leaves out the drums, so nothing gets in the way of Ushers’ voice.

Have you ever messed up in a relationship? and then you tried your best to make it right. Usher addresses the angst of pleading with them that you’re going to change, but they don’t believe a word of it. This song creates a great build-up for what’s to come on the rest of the album.

2. “Missin U”

We have officially been chopped and screwed on this one. Parts of “Missin U” reminds me of the chopped and screwed sound pioneered out of Houston a few years ago.  The beat is not tacky but it is definitely tactful as it switches between a lounge-like sound with a blend of horns on the chorus. An entertaining mix of soft and sweet that never gets boring because it changes so much.

A great follow-up to the opening song. Creates the new expression sprung at first sight as opposed to love at first sight lyrically and breaks the rules with its charming but clingy lyrics.

3. “No Limit” Ft. Young Thug

“No Limit” featuring Young Thug was our first glimpse at Hard II Love paying homage to No Limit Records using Master P‘s “Make ‘Em Say Uhh” (who makes an appearance on the “No Limit (G-Mix)”) phrase on the hook. The song has a heavy southern hip-hop influence and its one of the most popular songs out right now.

4. “Bump”

“Bump” is smooth and hype at the same time. Usher raps on the verse of this song and it throws me off a bit. Is it good you ask? It’s not bad. Maybe I’m just not used to Usher rapping – the last time I remember Usher dropping bars was on “Nice & Slow”. In the background, you hear what sounds like a sample of Lil Jon deep throughout the track.

Fellas this is one of the tracks you want on your playlists if you’re entertaining some nice breezies.

5. “Let Me”

The beat is crazy and the vocals ride hard over a sample of Ready For The Worlds “Love You Down”. This is yet another track you need on your playlist if you’re entertaining some ladies. Just a good song in general and fills in on the album – I can see this song translating well live in concert for Usher.

6. “Downtime”

Sneaking around and doing what you do in your downtime is nobody else’s business. This song speaks to a private arrangement between two lovers sneaking around and having a fling. Usher sings “Say you got a good thing, but he don’t have to know – everything you and I do, only I know it”.  This song is all about temptation and may be a guilty pleasure for some of you out there in more ways than one.

7. “Crash”

The vibe on this song brings a sense of desperation. The desperation to hold onto someone you love after a breakup. One of my favorite lines from this one is “we really had something special, it’s hard tryna let it go – I’m just being honest, I’m still in the moment”. As Usher sings in his falsetto, his vocals take you away making this one of the best songs on the album.

8. “Make U A Believer”

At some point this will be a single or at least they should consider making this one a single in the future.  This song goes hard and might be about commitment in an odd way. I had to go back a few times just to make sure I understood this one and it’s real clever.  Listen to this one you might be surprised.

9. “Mind Of A Man”

A short 54-second interlude that reminds me of something off of Ushers 2004’s Confessions. Usher mentions the double standards between men and women.  Not too much to say here.

10. “FWM”

A nice pop song with a hip-hop edge to it. What does FWM stand for? It stands for F#@k With Me. Usher asks his girl to stay by his side and FWM because he’s trying to change.  FWM got more spins than I care to admit. I did enjoy this track I do question the placement of the song on the album, although, I’m not sure where to place it.

11. “Rivals” Ft. Future

Usher gets a hand from Future on this song – which is a standout track on the album. “Rivals” was the 2nd single released off of Hard II Love and is about being hesitant to enter into another relationship and eventually breaking up and becoming enemies – or in this case rivals.

12. Tell Me

On this song, Usher brings us the classic R&B feel of what some call baby making music – but for the new generation. It’s an 8 min falsetto-driven track where Ushers selling a song all about making love – as if it’s a hard sell to make, thank you, Usher, for helping us out.

13. “Hard II Love”

Mainly a guitar driven track that’s very brooding and the underlining emotion in the vocals brings an air of sadness. Love is a gamble you may or may not win (most times you lose). This is an emotional track and will get you in touch with all of your love scars. It’s yet another beautifully sang song and accomplishes so much more than expected.

14. “Stronger”

The drums have a tribal feel and its very spiritual type of song. The track is also very uplifting and calls to those of us who have been through difficult times. This one is worth listening to at least once or twice. I do like the song but compared to the rest of the gems on the album, this would get the least of my listening time. Maybe this will change but who knows.

15. “Champion” Ft. Rubén Blades (From the motion picture Hands Of Stone)

A great song made to inspire and was written for the motion picture Hands Of Stone. The vocal arrangement is incredible as Usher’s vocals blend well with Rubén Blades who sings in Spanish throughout the entire song on this duet.