My Way (Usher album)

My Way
Studio album by Usher
Released September 16, 1997
Recorded 1997
Genre R&B
Length 40:21
Label
Producer
Usher chronology
Usher
(1994)		 My Way
(1997)		 Live
(1999)
Singles from My Way
  1. "You Make Me Wanna..."
    Released: August 12, 1997
  2. "Nice & Slow"
    Released: February 3, 1998
  3. "My Way"
    Released: June 30, 1998

My Way is the second studio album by American singer Usher. It was released by LaFace Records on September 16, 1997, in North America. The album features guest appearances from Monica, Jermaine Dupri, and Lil' Kim. The album was supported by three singles; including these platinum-selling singles with "Nice & Slow", "My Way", and "You Make Me Wanna...".

With most of the album production by Babyface and Dupri, the album debuted at number 15 on Billboard 200 selling 66,000 units and at number 4 on Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album eventually topped the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for 3 weeks, while it had peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200 and became a commercial success. It earned the record a six-platinum certifications in the United States. My Way earned Usher Grammy-nominations and became his breakthrough album. My Way has sold over 6 million in the United States alone, and over 7 million worldwide.[1]

Commercial performance

My Way sold 66,000 copies in its first week in the United States, to debut at number 15 on the US Billboard 200 chart dated October 4, 1997.[2][3] It entered the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums at number 4 on that same week.[4] The album rose to number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums on January 10, 1998; it topped the chart for three consecutive weeks,[5] and remained on the chart for a total of seventy-five weeks.[6] My Way peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200, and lasted seventy-nine weeks on that chart.[7] My Way has sold 6,000,000 copies in the US,[8] and has been certified six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[9]

Critical reception

In a contemporary review, The Source magazine said with My Way, "Usher proves that he's aiming to become more than just R&B music's best kept secret".[10] Asondra R. Hunter from Vibe said that Usher is sensual through his mild tone gentle tone and tasteful, refined lyrics.[11] Robert Christgau, writing in The Village Voice, cited "Just Like Me" and "You Make We Wanna..." as highlights and quippedly called Usher "the sweetest nonvirgin a mama could ask".[12] He gave My Way a one-star honorable mention,[13] indicating "a worthy effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well like."[14] In a negative review for Rolling Stone, David Fricke felt that the album has too many downtempo songs, and criticised the writing and production quality.[15]

In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave My Way four out of five stars and praised Usher's vocal restraint, but noted inconsistency in quality.[16] In a 2002 review, Q magazine also gave it four stars and wrote that it established Usher's reputation as a young and skillful performer of R&B slow jams.[17] Keith Harris, writing in The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), gave it three-and-a-half stars and said that, although Dupri's combination of hi-hat hits, acoustic-guitar arpeggios, and occasional guest raps from him and Lil Kim can inhibit the album, My Way was the work of a significant, enterprising artist.[18] Yahoo! Music's Billy Johnson Jr. credited the album for Usher's breakthrough into the music industry, and lauded the production of the three singles.[19]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength
1."You Make Me Wanna..."  
  • Jermaine Dupri
  • Manuel Seal
  • Usher
Dupri3:39
2."Just Like Me" (featuring Lil' Kim)
  • Dupri
  • Seal
  • Kimberly Jones
  • Dupri
  • Seal*
3:26
3."Nice & Slow"  
  • Dupri
  • Seal*
3:48
4."Slow Jam" (featuring Monica)
Babyface4:43
5."My Way"  
  • Dupri
  • Seal
  • Usher
  • Dupri
  • Seal*
3:35
6."Come Back" (featuring Jermaine Dupri)
  • Dupri
  • Seal*
3:47
7."I Will"  
Williams3:55
8."Bedtime"  BabyfaceBabyface4:45
9."One Day You'll Be Mine"  
  • Dupri
  • Seal*
3:23
10."You Make Me Wanna..." (Extended Version)
  • Jermaine Dupri
  • Manuel Seal
  • Usher Raymond
Dupri5:19

(*) denotes co-producer.[20]

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits are adapted from Allmusic.[21]

  • Babyface – bass, keyboards, background vocals, producer, executive producer, drum programming, keyboard programming
  • Butch BelAir – photography
  • Michael Benabib – photography
  • Kyle Bess – mixing assistant
  • Paul Boutin – engineer
  • Trina Broussard – background vocals
  • Jermaine Dupri – background vocals, producer, executive producer, mixing, performer
  • Nathan East – bass
  • Brian Frye – mixing assistant
  • John Frye – mixing assistant
  • Jon Gass – mixing
  • Serban Ghenea – engineer
  • John Hanes – engineer, mixing
  • John Hayes – engineer
  • Jermaine Ramsey – vocals
  • Jagged Edge – background vocals
  • Lil' Kim – vocals
  • Trey Lorenz – background vocals
  • Manny Marroquin – engineer
  • George Meyers – engineer
  • Monica – background vocals, performer
  • Greg Phillinganes – piano
  • Herb Powers – mastering
  • L.A. Reid – executive producer
  • Ivy Scoff – production coordination
  • Manuel Seal, Jr. – background vocals, producer, performer
  • Shanice – background vocals
  • LaKimbra Sneed – design
  • Phil Tan – engineer, mixing
  • Usher – vocals, background vocals
  • Randy Walker – MIDI programming
  • D.L. Warfield – art direction
  • Rob Williams – engineer
  • Sprague Williams – producer

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1997) Peak
position
scope="row" Australian Albums (ARIA)[22] 37
Canada Albums[23] 13
scope="row" Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[24] 30
scope="row" French Albums (SNEP)[25] 38
scope="row" German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[26] 41
scope="row" New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[27] 21
scope="row" Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[28] 56
scope="row" Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[29] 20
scope="row" UK Albums (OCC)[30] 16
scope="row" US Billboard 200[7] 4
scope="row" US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[6] 1

Decade-end charts

Chart (1990-1999) Position
US Billboard 200[31] 91

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[32] 2× Platinum 200,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[33] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[9] 6× Platinum 6,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hopwood, Christian (2002). "Usher 8701 Review". BBC Music. BBC. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  2. ↑ Basham, David (December 13, 2001). "Got Charts? Usher's Platinum Mine; A Tolkien Spell; An Ill-Fated Concept". MTV News. Viacom. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Billboard 200". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. October 4, 1997. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. October 4, 1997. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  5. ↑ My Way spent three weeks at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
  6. 1 2 "Usher – Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for Usher. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  7. 1 2 "Usher – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Usher. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  8. ↑ Horn, Geoffrey M. (July 2005). Today's Superstars Entertainment – Usher. Gareth Stevens Publishing. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-8368-4235-7.
  9. 1 2 "American album certifications – Usher – My Way". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
  10. ↑ "Review: My Way". The Source. New York: 174. November 1997.
  11. ↑ Hunter, Asondra R. (October 1997). "Revolutions". Vibe. New York: 170. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  12. ↑ Christgau, Robert (January 27, 1998). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  13. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Album: Usher: My Way". Robert Christgau. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  14. ↑ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Key to Icons". Robert Christgau. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  15. ↑ Fricke, David (December 25, 1997). "Usher: My Way". Rolling Stone. New York. Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  16. ↑ My Way – Usher. Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved on June 24, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Review: My Way". Q. London: 148. August 2002.
  18. ↑ Harris et al. 2004, p. 839.
  19. ↑ Johnson Jr., Billy. "My Way". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  20. ↑ My Way (CD liner). Usher. LaFace Records. 1997.
  21. ↑ My Way – Usher: Credits. Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved on June 24, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Usher – My Way". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Usher – My Way: Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporations. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Usher – My Way" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  25. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Usher – My Way". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  27. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Usher – My Way". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Usher – My Way". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  29. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Usher – My Way". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  30. ↑ "Usher | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  31. ↑ Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  32. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Usher – My Way". Music Canada.
  33. ↑ "Dutch album certifications – Usher – My Way" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers.
  34. ↑ "British album certifications – Usher – My Way". British Phonographic Industry. Enter My Way in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search

Bibliography

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