Confessions
Studio album by Usher
Released	March 23, 2004 (regular edition) October 5, 2004 (special edition) February 17, 2005 (deluxe edition)
Recorded	2003–2004
Genre	R&B, dance-pop, pop rap
Length	60:30 (main edition) 78:22 (special edition) 86:23 (deluxe edition)
Label	Arista, LaFace, Jive, Zomba
Producer	Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon, Rich Harrison, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Thicke, Bryan-Michael Cox, Just Blaze, Dre & Vidal, Bobby Ross Avila, James "Big Jim" Wright
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Blender link Entertainment.ie link Rolling Stone link Slant Magazine link
Usher chronology
8701 (2001) Confessions (2004) Here I Stand (2008)

Confessions is the fourth studio album by American R&B-pop singer Usher, released on March 23, 2004 via Arista Records. The album was an instant commercial success in the United States, selling 1.1 million copies in its debut, the most copies ever sold in a week by an R&B artist. To date, the album has sold over nine million copies, and received a nine-time platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Confessions spawned four US number-one singles that substantially helped it dominate the chart. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... A studio album is a collection of studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978), is an American R&B/pop singer and actor who rose to fame in the mid-late 1990s. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 5th October (Serbia). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Contemporary R&B is a music genre of American popular music, the current iteration of the genre that began in the 1940s as rhythm and blues music. ... Dance-pop is a subgenre of pop music that evolved from disco, circa the early 1980s, that combines dance beats with a pop song structure. ... Pop rap (sometimes referred to as hip pop) is the name given to a style of hip hop that has a strong pop music influences. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Arista redirects here. ... LaFace Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony BMG. LaFace was formed in 1989 as a joint venture between the producing duo Antonio LA Reid & Kenneth Babyface Edmonds and Arista Records. ... Jive Records is an American record label, owned by Sony BMG, and operates as a quarter of the Zomba Label Group. ... Zomba Music Group was started in 1977 by Clive Calder as a book publishing venture and moved into the recording business in 1981 as Zomba Recording Corporation. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Jermaine Dupri also known simply as JD (born Jermaine Dupri Mauldin on September 23, 1972) is an American record producer and rapper. ... Jonathan Smith (born January 27, 1972), better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, hype man, and producer. ... Rich Harrison is a Grammy winning record producer and song writer from Washington, D.C. // A classically trained pianist and trumpet player, from an early age Harrison demonstrated an exceptional ability to play anything he heard on the radio. ... James Jimmy Jam Harris III (born on June 6, 1959 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) and Terry Lewis (born November 21, 1956 in Omaha, Nebraska) are an American R&B and pop songwriting and record production team. ... Robin Thicke, born in Los Angeles, California; is the son of soap-opera actress/vocalist Gloria Loring and Canadian actor, songwriter and game show host, Alan Thicke. ... Bryan-Michael Cox (born December 1, 1977)[1] is an award winning American songwriter and record producer. ... Justin Smith (born in Paterson, New Jersey on January 14, 1978), better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer. ... Dre & Vidal is a songwriting and production duo, consisting of Davis Vidal and Andre Harris, who are best known as the main producers of Jill Scott and Glenn Lewis. ... James Big JIm Wright James Quentin Wright (b. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 4. ... Blender is an American music magazine that bills itself as the ultimate guide to music and more. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... Entertainment. ... Image File history File links 2_stars. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Image File history File links 3_stars. ... Since its inception in 2001, Slant Magazine has grown exponentially in content, exposure, and readership. ... Image File history File links 3_stars. ... Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978), is an American R&B/pop singer and actor who rose to fame in the mid-late 1990s. ... 8701 is the fourth studio album by Usher. ... A studio album is a collection of studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... Contemporary R&B is a music genre of American popular music, the current iteration of the genre that began in the 1940s as rhythm and blues music. ... This article is about the genre of popular music. ... Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978), is an American R&B/pop singer and actor who rose to fame in the mid-late 1990s. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Arista redirects here. ... RIAA redirects here. ...

An R&B album, Confessions showcases the vocals of Usher in a crooner mode. Confessions features songs littered with introspective lyrics. Generating controversies about Usher's personal relationship, however, American hit-maker Jermaine Dupri, the major producer of the album, claimed the record is his story. Although it earned Usher several awards, the album was critically divided. Jermaine Dupri also known simply as JD (born Jermaine Dupri Mauldin on September 23, 1972) is an American record producer and rapper. ...

Production

Background

Usher did not think of collaborating much with new record producers to handle Confessions. ^[1] With production started by 2003, he opted to continue making records with Jermaine Dupri, who produced his last two albums, My Way and 8701.^[1] Subsequently, Dupri contacted his frequent collaborator Bryan-Michael Cox. But for a new record, Usher contacted a few new producers as well: "With this album I choose some new producers who I figured would definitely allow me to really articulate myself in a different way...Every album you gotta grow. You gotta look for something different."^[2] Usher also worked with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, The Neptunes, Just Blaze, R. Kelly, and his brother James Lackey.^[3] In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Jermaine Dupri also known simply as JD (born Jermaine Dupri Mauldin on September 23, 1972) is an American record producer and rapper. ... My Way is an 1997 R&B album by Usher, his second LP. It was released by LaFace Records on September 16, 1997, and featured the hit singles You Make Me Wanna, My Way, and Nice and Slow. Also included is his hit duet with Monica from the Soul Food... 8701 is the fourth studio album by Usher. ... Bryan-Michael Cox (born December 1, 1977)[1] is an award winning American songwriter and record producer. ... James Jimmy Jam Harris III (born on June 6, 1959 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) and Terry Lewis (born November 21, 1956 in Omaha, Nebraska) are an American R&B and pop songwriting and record production team. ... The Neptunes is the name for the record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who created the sound for some very successful Hip Hop, R&B and Pop artists in the late-90s and 2000s. ... Justin Smith (born in Paterson, New Jersey on January 14, 1978), better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer. ... R. Kelly (born Robert Sylvester Kelly on January 8, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American R&B and pop singer, songwriter, record producer, and occasional rapper. ...

With considerably numerous collaborators and song recorded up to forty, Usher felt the album was already done.^[3] Initially, he submitted the album to his record label, Arista.^[4] He and the company's then-president, L.A. Reid, sat down and listened to the record; however, they thought something was missing in it: "You know what, there's like one or two more records that we just gotta get."^[3] Arista redirects here. ... Antonio L.A. Reid is the co-founder of LaFace Records. ...

Usher, who wanted to perfect the album, was displeased with the decision. He deemed the album completed and felt returning to the studio was the hardest part; he needed to be re-motivated.^[4] He went on recording few more tracks with help from fellow Atlantians, Lil Jon and Ludacris; eventually, the team was able to produce songs like "Red Light" and "Yeah!". Usher also stashed songs he recorded with P. Diddy and The Neptunes during one of those sessions.^[4] Atlanta redirects here. ... Jonathan Smith (born January 27, 1972), better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, hype man, and producer. ... -1... P. Diddy Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969 aka P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, Sean Puffy Combs) is an African-American record producer, entrepreneur, and rapper. ...

Composition

One of Usher's first steps in making Confessions was deciding to reveal "his own little secrets".^[1] Friend and former A&R rep Kawan "KP" Prather thought of doing it would let the people knew Usher personally: "The music has never been the question, but people tend to buy into the artist. The more they know about you, the more they feel like they're there with you."^[1] Primarily because of its personal content, Usher said that this is his chance to be real.^[5] He named the album Confessions because he felt it is his most personal record to date: "All of us have our Pandora's boxes or skeletons in our closets. I let a few of them out, you know. I've got a lot to say. I've got a lot of things and stuff built in me that I just want to let go of."^[6] He wrote more songs than he contributed to his previous album. In the music industry, Artists and Repertoire (A&R) is the division of a record label company that is responsible for scouting and artist development. ... For other uses, see Pandoras box (disambiguation). ...

Several of the songs in the album were conceptually based from a situation. For instance, "Burn" was built around a situation where Usher's two-year relationship with Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas of American R&B-hip hop girl group TLC was about to end.^[7] Dupri and Cox were talking and felt that there is a song in it, and started writing.^[1] Same through with the supposedly title track "Confessions Part II"; they were conversing about an impregnated a mistress, and its concept was written down.^[1] Usher was recording "Confessions Part II" on a July 2003 session in New York, United States. With Usher singing the song's lyrics, the theme of cheating inspired him and Dupri; both decided to produce two parts: "Confessions Part I" (which was left off the album) and "Confessions Part II".^[5] Burn is a R&B song written by American singers/rappers and songwriters Usher Raymond, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan Michael Cox for Ushers fourth studio album Confessions (2004). ... Rozonda Ocelean Thomas (born February 27, 1971) is an American R&B singer and actress best known by her stage name, Chilli. ... The Supremes A Go-Go (1966) was the first album by a female group to reach the top position of the Billboard magazine pop albums chart in the United States. ... TLC is an American music group, whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip hop and pop. ... Confessions Part II is a 2004 U.S. number-one hit single by R&B singer Usher. ... This article is about the state. ...

Music

Confessions is a classic R&B record.^[3][2] Usher commented that he chose to work with collaborators who know "...how to interpret R&B from a jazz standpoint, an old school throwback standpoint, a new school point, a traditional classic standpoint..."^[8] With producers and him set to produce such album, however, other types of genres including hip hop are incorporated. While he wanted to do R&B,^[1] Usher also wanted his fans to experience hip hop and at the same time R&B: "I try to think outside the box."^[8] When Lil Jon came in the scene, crunk was introduced to the R&B-centered album, specifically on the song "Yeah!". Usher said, "'Yeah!' could be called the first consciously styled "crunk R&B" record."^[6] The album also houses various slow jams.^[5] R&B redirects here. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Hip hop is a cultural movement that began amongst urban African American youth in New York and has since spread around the world. ... For other uses, see Crunk (disambiguation). ... Look up yes in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Yes can have these meanings: In common speech, the word yes, which functions as an exclamation or as a simple sentence or pro-sentence, denotes agreement or acceptance. ... For other uses, see Slow jam (disambiguation). ...

The album also introduces a new style for Usher, focusing on his voice and music. Andre "Dre" Harris and Vidal Davis listened to 8701 and felt that "Usher really needs to sing hard and let people know his vocal ability".^[1] With efforts focus on the record to show his it to listeners, songs like "Superstar" and "Follow Me" set Usher in more of a "crooner mode".^[1] The ballad-oriented "Burn" also showcases his vocal aptitude.^[9] Dre & Vidal is a songwriting and production duo, consisting of Davis Vidal and Andre Harris, who are best known as the main producers of Jill Scott and Glenn Lewis. ... For other uses, see Ballad (disambiguation). ...

Release and acclaim

Marketing and promotion

When "Yeah!" came in, Usher and the label were plagued by marketing strategies. With potentials to hit music markets as the album's lead single, they were choosing between "Yeah!" and "Burn".^[1] Considering that the former sufficed what the label was looking for, they also believed the latter would be a blockbuster.^[1][3] Usher as well was skeptical that time if "Yeah!"—which is largely composed around crunk—would be a good choice after doing an R&B record was in his mindset.^[1][6] Meanwhile, they felt "Burn" also failed to meet their expectations: "'Burn' being a great song is one thing, but it's one of them things where people said, 'It's strong, but can we make history with that?' At the end of the day, you want an event."^[1] KP recalled, "Everybody was scared to make that first step."^[1]

With much debate between two songs, "Burn" was originally chosen as the lead single, with plans of filming its music video in late 2003.^[2] Meanwhile, Lil Jon leaked "Yeah!" to DJs across the United States in November 2003.^[1][4] Originally, the label did not intend "Yeah!" as a proper single. Released to street DJs and mixtapes, it was meant to cultivate fans who waited for three years since the release of 8701.^[6] While record labels stayed idle to celebrate Christmas, "Yeah!" was getting favorable and quick response from radio stations though nobody was promoting; it was finally released as the lead single.^[1][6] For the album by Los Abandoned, see Mix Tape (album). ...

Confessions was originally slated to be released on November 6, 2003. But because of marketing issues, it was moved to March 23 by the following year.^[1][3] With several songs recorded, Usher was challenged what of these would make the final track listing. Usher, Dupri, Reid, and then-A&R rep Mark Pitts have their favorites among the forty, but decided to choose those which "came up consistently more".^[1] The collective was able to decide fifteen of them with two interludes completing the seventeen track list. Many songs were set aside for future use, including "Red Light" and a remix of "Yeah!". Usher and Arista held advance-listening sessions for the album, few months before its actual release; he also appeared on TV guestings to promote the album.^[4] is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Early reaction and lyrical interpretation

Shortly after Usher and his label held a few listening parties for the album,^[10] controversies spread about the mistress-impregnating concept of "Confessions Part II".^[4] Although Usher did not foresee such reaction of the album,^[10] Dupri already inferred, while making the album, what would be their reaction: "People are gonna question [Usher] on a couple of little lyrics..."^[5] Coincidentally, Usher broke with Chilli early in 2004.^[11] People were speculating about their breakup given the material of the album and his early interviews about the content of the album. With lyrics Usher admitted to have written because of his guilty conscience, people assumed that he and Chilli broke up because he was unfaithful.^[11] In a February 2004 radio interview, Chilli claimed that Usher "cheated" on her that caused their relationship to split.^[12]

Amidst widespread rumors, Usher stated, "People assume things, because as I said, I pull from my personal experiences to make my music."^[5] He added that he loved Chilli, however, "...it just didn't work out. But cheating is not what caused the relationship to collide and crash..."^[11] Although "Burn" is a reference to his dying relationship with Chilli^[7]—hence the title—Usher answered the press that the impregnating issue was not taken from a specific situation in his life.^[6] He also revealed that his friends who went through similar situations inspired him to write those songs: "...it's just something that I collectively got energy from everybody around me that had been through it."^[10] In early 2006, Dupri revealed that the story behind the album is his: "...me cheating on my steady girlfriend, having a baby with that other woman and having to confess to everything that happened to my main girl."^[7]

Commercial performance

Confessions was commercially successful, selling nearly 1.096 million copies in the United States in its first week of release.^[13] It became the highest-ever first week sales by an R&B artist,^[13] the second-highest first week sales for a male artist, and the seventh-highest first week sales of the recorded album charts history by SoundScan.^[4] It also equates the combined first-week sales of his four previous album releases, including his live album called Live.^[14] The feat also carved history in Arista records having the first in any of their released albums to reach such sales. The success of the thirty-year old record label, however, was attributed to its merging with Zomba Records.^[14] A live album – commonly contrasted with a studio album – is a recording consisting of material (usually music) recorded during stage performances. ... Live is an album by Usher. ... Zomba Records was started in 1977 by Clive Calder as a book publishing venture and moved into the recording business in 1981. ...

The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, becoming Usher's first number-one album.^[14] Its early, and successive, success on the chart was said to be partly sustained—with help from plenty of press appearances and promotions—by its strong single releases.^[14] With "Yeah!" propelling the album's debut atop the chart,^[14] "Burn", the second single off the album, facilitated Confessions's continuing dominance as well.^[15] The first two released singles were competing on the Billboard Hot 100; the latter ended the twelve-week number-one chart run of the former, making Usher the second act to achieve such feat.^[16][17] As the album's third single, "Confessions Part II", was about to top the chart and Usher to join with English pop and rock group The Beatles as the only acts to achieve three consecutive number-one singles, American R&B singer Fantasia Barrino's debut single "I Believe" prevented it from happening.^[18] "Burn" achieved only eight non-consecutive weeks on the Hot 100 after "Confessions Part II" topped the chart; it became Usher's second time to replace own single at the top.^[18] With the three singles also, Usher became the first lead artist to simultaneously chart on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart during the Nielsen SoundScan/Broadcast Data Systems (BDS) era.^[17] "Yeah!" and "Burn" were 2004's top best-selling singles in the United States, placing at number one and two respectively on the Billboard Chart Year-Ender. Again, it honored Usher for being the first act to achieve the feat since 1964, when the Beatles had "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You".^[19] The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... This article is about the genre of popular music. ... This article is about the genre. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... Fantasia Monique Barrino (born June 30, 1984), or simply Fantasia, is a multiple Grammy Award-nominated R&B/soul singer and award-winning Broadway actress who rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the television series American Idol in 2004. ... I Believe is an award winning debut single released by the music artist and American Idol season 3 winner, Fantasia Barrino. ... It has been suggested that Billboard be merged into this article or section. ...

The album continued its dominance on the chart. D12 World by D12 ended its five consecutive weeks run at the top spot;^[20] however, Confessions reclaimed the position the following week.^[21] Over one month after its release, Confessions was certified three-time platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for three million US shipments.^[22] To date, the album has sold over nine million copies, and received a nine-time platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.^[23] D12 World is the 2004 album by Detroit rap crew D12 which reached the top of the album charts on both sides of the Atlantic on its release on April 27, 2004. ... D12 (aka The Dirty Dozen) are an American rap group originating from Detroit, Michigan which have had albums reach the top of the US and UK album charts - Devils Night in 2001 and D12 World in 2004. ... RIAA redirects here. ... RIAA redirects here. ...

Chart trajectory

Further releases

The new cover of the special edition of Confessions as part of marketing blitz mainly to boost sales of the album

With strategies to boost the album's sales albeit threats of stealing music in the internet, Usher and his management readied a follow-up release of Confessions with additional marketing blitz.^[24] The idea was considered "musically driven" after Zomba, who absorbed Arista, management was excited about "My Boo", a song recorded for the original version of the album but failed to meet deadline.^[24] However, it actually began when American R&B and soul singer Alicia Keys, who is featured on the track, "brought in that the talk of repackaging started".^[24] With the inclusion of "My Boo", they thought of the album as complete.^[25] While they knew of other artists releasing special editions of their albums, the label felt that Confessions had the edge because of its previous success and its physical changes, including a new cover art, an expanded CD booklet, pullout poster and a letter to fans from Usher.^[24] The new version includes "My Boo" and "Red Light", which were leaked alongside other songs that did not appear in the album,^[26] and a remix of "Confessions Part II", and "Seduction"; original tracks were also improved like the extended version of "Confessions Part I" and a rap added by American rapper Ludacris in "Throwback". The label itself treated the version a new album, with full media advertisements.^[24] The album was re-issued on October 2004.^[19] Image File history File links Usher-Confessions. ... Image File history File links Usher-Confessions. ... My Boo was released in 2004. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... Alicia Keys (born Alicia J. Augello-Cook on January 25, 1981[2][3][4]) is an American R&B, soul, and neo soul singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress who has sold over 25 million albums worldwide as of 2007, and has won numerous awards, including eleven Grammy Awards, eleven Billboard... Example of book cover art. ... -1...

To keep the album atop the chart, "My Boo" was targeted for release after "Confessions Part II" would be diminishing on the Hot 100.^[25] The UK release of the single includes the song "Red Light" and "Sweet Lies". The single again topped the Hot 100, giving Usher his fourth consecutive number-one single. "Caught Up" was released as the fifth and final single from the album, and reached number eight in the US.

Critical response

Confessions received a divided response from critics. From an artistic viewpoint, Confessions is said to be Usher's best album to date, calling expansive and futuristic.^[9] Jem Aswad of American magazine Entertainment Weekly said that Usher reveals his maturity in the album.^[27] Andrew McGregor of the British Broadcasting Corporation questioned, "Is it mere theatre or is he really putting his cards on the table?"^[28] Laura Sinagra said that Usher "is coming of age, again...still doesn't quite cut it as a horny roughneck".^[29] She adds, however, that Usher "insists he has grown up" in this album.^[29] On a May 2004 review in the American magazine Vibe, a statement reads: Though Confessions doesn't bring Usher all the way to the artistic maturity one might hope for, tracking this star's progression definitely has its satisfactions.^[30] Kelefa Sanneh from The New York Times, a daily newspaper, commented: "Like lots of recent R & B albums, this one is heavily front-loaded. Usher's voice never fails him[...], but near the end, the songwriting does."^[31] Jon Caramanica of American music magazine Blender said that Usher's songwriting skills "isn't a strength, and his ballads often drown in their own inanity."^[32] Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated EW) is a magazine published by Time Inc. ... This article is an overview article about the Crown chartered British Broadcasting Corporation formed in 1927. ... Janet Jackson on the cover of Vibe in 1998. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... Blender is an American music magazine that bills itself as the ultimate guide to music and more. ...

The public speculated that 2004 is the year of Usher.^[19] The success of the album put Usher in the mainstream, becoming the biggest artist of 2004.^[33] Others also said that Usher might be the successor of Michael Jackson.^[34]

The album earned Usher numerous accolades. At the 47th Grammy Awards, he was nominated for eight categories and won three: Best Contemporary R&B Album, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "My Boo" and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Yeah!". Usher racked up four wins at the 2005 Soul Train Music Awards: R&B/Soul Album, Male for Confessions; R&B/Soul Single, Male for "Confessions Part II"; R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo for "My Boo"; and R&B/Soul or Rap Dance Cut for "Yeah!".^[35] At the 2004 American Music Awards, he won four, including Favorite Soul/R&B Album and Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist. The 47th Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. ... The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show aired on various television networks in national syndication that honors the best in Black music and entertainment. ... The American Music Awards show is one of four annual major American music awards shows (the others being the Billboard Music Awards, the Grammy Awards, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony). ...

Impact and legacy

With sales of more than eight million in 2004,^[36] Confessions is named in the United States the Most-Shipped Album of the year.^[33] Along with the success of the American singer Norah Jones's second album, Feels like Home, as well as breakthroughs albums by many new and old artists, it was seen as a sign that US record sales were slowly recovering after three straight years of decline due to competing DVDs and video games, and the prevalent music piracy. By the end of 2004, the industry has sold 667 million albums, an increase of about 1.6 percent, as recorded by Nielsen SoundScan. Compared with sales records in 2003, the date showed eight percent of increase.^[36] Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar on March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, keyboardist, guitarist, and occasional actress of Anglo-American and Bengali descent. ... Feels like Home is the second album by singer Norah Jones, released in 2004. ... DVD (also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc - see Etymology) is a popular optical disc storage media format. ... Computer and video games redirects here. ...

The success of the album has facilitated Usher to branch out to non-musical ventures. He has opened a restaurant, starred in a film, launched his record label and recruited artists, and has done philanthropic activities like his efforts in helping 2005 Hurricane Katrina victims.^[37] This article is about the Atlantic hurricane of 2005. ...

Usher was not the only person who benefited much of the album's critical and commercial success. Cox, who co-wrote and co-produce "Burn", earned him credibility in the music industry. Cox has been producing records for American artists Alicia Keys, B2K, Mariah Carey and Destiny's Child, among others, but he considered "Burn" as his crowning moment, earning him two Grammy nominations. With 2004 deemed to be his introduction to a lot people, he said that they were starting to recount what he had done.^[38] This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This article is about the singer. ... This article is about the group. ...

Track listing

* Tracks added on the deluxe edition of Confessions Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978), is an American R&B/pop singer and actor who rose to fame in the mid-late 1990s. ... Yeah! is a R&B/Crunk song written by American songwriters and producers Jonathan Smith, Sean Garrett, Patrick J. Que Smith, Chris Bridges, Robert McDowell and James Phillips for Ushers fourth studio album Confessions (2004). ... Lil Jon This article is about the American rap producer. ... -1... Justin Smith (born in Paterson, New Jersey on January 14, 1978), better known as Just Blaze, is an American hip hop music producer. ... Jayson T. Phillips (born May 27, 1975), also known by his stage name Jadakiss, is an American rapper. ... Confessions Part II is a 2004 U.S. number-one hit single by R&B singer Usher. ... Jermaine Dupri also known simply as JD (born Jermaine Dupri Mauldin on September 23, 1972) is an American record producer and rapper. ... Bryan-Michael Cox (born December 1, 1977)[1] is an award winning American songwriter and record producer. ... Burn is a R&B song written by American singers/rappers and songwriters Usher Raymond, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan Michael Cox for Ushers fourth studio album Confessions (2004). ... Caught Up is the fifth and final single from Ushers 2004 album Confessions. ... Dre & Vidal is a songwriting and production duo, consisting of Davis Vidal and Andre Harris, who are best known as the main producers of Jill Scott and Glenn Lewis. ... Jimmy Jam (born James Harris III in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 6, 1959) and Terry Lewis (born November 21, 1956 in Omaha, Nebraska) are an R&B and pop songwriting and record production team. ... Robin Alan Thicke (born March 10, 1977) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and occasional actor. ... Pro J is a producer who collaborates with Robin Thicke on a number of tracks, most notably Robins R&B hit Lost Without U (co-produced by Thicke). ... Rich Harrison is a Grammy winning record producer and song writer from Washington, D.C. // A classically trained pianist and trumpet player, from an early age Harrison demonstrated an exceptional ability to play anything he heard on the radio. ... My Boo was released in 2004. ... Alicia Keys (born Alicia J. Augello-Cook on January 25, 1981[2][3][4]) is an American R&B, soul, and neo soul singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress who has sold over 25 million albums worldwide as of 2007, and has won numerous awards, including eleven Grammy Awards, eleven Billboard... Kanye Omari West (pronounced /kɑnjɛj/) (born June 8, 1977) is an American record producer and rapper who rose to fame in the mid 2000s. ... Moses Michael Leviy (born Jamal Barrow on November 8, 1978), best known as Shyne, is a Belizean rapper. ... Carl Terrell Mitchell, (born on November 27, 1973 in Chicago, Illinois) better known by his stage name Twista, is an American rapper that held the title of fastest rapper in the world according to the Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to rap 11. ...

References