Jump to content

Versus (EP)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Chelo61 (talk | contribs) at 06:38, 3 April 2011. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Untitled

Versus is the first extended play[3] by American R&B singer Usher, released August 24, 2010, on LaFace Records. Production for the album took place during 2008 to 2010 and was handled by several producers, including Polow da Don, Jim Jonsin, Rico Love, Drumma Boy, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Tha Cornaboyz and Max Martin.[4]

The EP debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 46,000 copies in its first week. It became Usher's sixth top-ten album in the United States, and has produced two singles that achieved chart success, including the US top-thirty hit "Hot Tottie" and international hit "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love". Despite some criticism towards its pop-oriented material, Versus received generally positive reviews from most music critics.

Background

Usher announced on July 8, 2010,[4] a follow-up album to his sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond called Versus.[5][6] Versus, called "the last chapter of Raymond v. Raymond", will explore the subjects of being newly single and a father.[4] The EP contains 8 new tracks, a re-produced remix of "Somebody to Love", and the Billboard number-one R&B hit "There Goes My Baby". The EP's track listing and album cover was revealed on July 21, 2010.[7]

Release and promotion

The album was released on August 24, 2010 in the United States. The set was preceded by the singles "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love", for mainstream audiences, and "Hot Tottie" for urban audiences. Versus' tracks are included on a deluxe edition of Raymond v. Raymond, which was released in the United States conjointly with Versus, and was released in the UK on September 20, 2010.[8]

The international version of Versus was not released as an EP, but instead as a full album on October 1, 2010.[9] It includes the original tracks from Versus, Enrique Iglesias collaboration "Dirty Dancer", and singles from Raymond v. Raymond, including "More", "OMG", "Lil Freak", "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" and "Papers".

Singles

"DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love", featuring Pitbull, produced by Max Martin, is the first single off the album. It was released to iTunes on July 13, 2010 and was officially sent to radio on July 20, 2010.[5][10] Since its release, it has gained international success, peaking in the top 5 and 10 in the UK, Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. The song received positive reviews from critics, who complemented the club vibe and the songs chorus. It became Usher's sixteenth Billboard Hot 100 top-ten hit of his career; it has reached a current peak of number-four on the Billboard Hot 100,[11] and number two on the US Pop Songs Chart.[12]

"Hot Tottie", featuring Jay-Z,[13] produced by Polow Da Don and written by Usher, Shawn Carter, and Ester Dean, is the second single. It was released for urban radio on August 9, 2010.[6] Ciara was originally reported to be on the song, but did not appear on the final track. The song received very positive reviews from critics, being considered one of the two highlights of the EP, the other being "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love". It has currently peaked at number 9 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart,[14] and number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100.[11] "Lay You Down", is the third single[15] and was sent to urban radio on September 28, 2010.[2]

Reception

Commercial performance

The EP debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 46,000 copies,[16] becoming Usher's sixth top-ten album.[17] In its second week of release it sold 22,450 copies, and dropped to number thirteen on the Billboard 200.[18] It then sold over 17,000 copies in its third week of release, and fell two positions to number fifteen.[19] In its fourth week of release the album dropped one position, and sold 18,000 copies crossing the 100,000 sales mark.[20] In its fifth week of release, the EP sold 13,000 copies, and fell to number twenty-five on the charts.[21] This brought its total sales in the United States to approximately 117,000 copies.

The EP gained moderate to high charting positions in other countries, peaking in the top-20 in Canada, the top-40 in Belgium and below the top-40 in other territories.

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[22]
Allmusic[23]
Billboard(favorable)[24]
The Boston Globe(favorable)[25]
Entertainment Weekly(A-)[26]
Los Angeles Times[27]
Slant Magazine[28]
USA Today[29]
The Washington Post(mixed)[30]

Versus received generally positive reviews from most music critics.[31] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 65, based on 6 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[31] Mikael Wood of Entertainment Weekly gave the album an A- rating and commended its sexual themes, stating "'Love 'Em All' describes an egalitarian sexual appetite, while 'Lingerie' offers prime faux-Prince boudoir funk. The Max Martin-produced 'DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love' shows 'OMG' didn't satisfy Usher's dance-pop Jones, but he's hardly gone soft: 'Hot Tottie,' with Jay-Z, is nasty in all the right ways."[26] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe complimented its "compact running time" and stated "Instead of ho-hum filler, 'Versus' offers the strongest arrows in Usher’s quiver".[25] About.com's Mark Edward Nero wrote that Usher has "regained his mojo" and stated "The bottom line is that if you're an Usher fan, this album's worth adding to your collection; nine songs - seven of them new - clocking in at 38 minutes is a good deal for this solid package of music."[22] Steve Jones of USA Today called Versus "an abbreviated batch of fresh songs that can stand alone or as part of a deluxe original", and complimented its "seductive club-ready jams in which [Usher] takes pleasure in the chase and, well, the pleasure".[29] Billboard's Gail Mitchell commended the album's guest artists and wrote that it "alternately bumps and throbs as a reinvigorated Usher further paves his comeback path"[24]

Los Angeles Times writer Jeff Weiss gave Versus a generally positive review, commending the song "Hot Tottie" as "intoxicating as its namesake", but disapproved of some of the EP's generic points and pop efforts.[27] The Washington Post's Sean Fennessey expressed a negative response towards its pop-oriented tracks, stating "Usher works best in emotional hailstorms, not candy rain", and viewed that it "finds him in Peter Pan mode, digging for remnants of a younger self that never existed".[30] Andy Kellman of Allmusic noted its productions as "innocuous Euro-pop, merely passable contemporary R&B" and wrote that the EP "mostly resembles a batch of leftovers from his weakest album, even though it functioned as a momentum maintainer".[23] Slant Magazine's Erich Henderson panned the EP and described it as a "wretched collection of failed club-sex jams".[28]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Love 'Em All"Ester Dean, Usher Raymond, Keith Thomas, Alexander "Prettyboifresh" Parhm, Jr., Aubry Delaine, Jeremy "Jay" StevensonAlexander "Prettyboifresh" Parhm, Jr.3:48
2."DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" (featuring Pitbull)Max Martin, Shellback, Savan Kotecha, Armando C. PérezMax Martin, Shellback3:42
3."Hot Tottie" (featuring Jay-Z)Raymond, Dean, Shawn Carter, Jamal Jones, Paul DawsonPolow da Don4:59
4."Lay You Down"Rico Love, Raymond, Dwayne NesmithRico Love, Dwayne "D-Town" Nesmith4:04
5."Lingerie"Raymond, James Harris III, Terry Lewis, Bobby Ross Avila, Issiah J. AvilaJimmy Jam & Terry Lewis4:15
6."There Goes My Baby"Love, James Scheffer, Frank Romano, Danny MorrisJim Jonsin, Rico Love4:41
7."Get in My Car" (featuring Bun B)Raymond, Dean, Jones, Bernard Freeman, Leon RussellPolow da Don4:10
8."Somebody to Love (Remix)" (featuring Justin Bieber)Justin Bieber, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Romulus, Jonathan Yip, Heather BrightBenny Blanco3:29
9."Stranger"Ryon Lovette, Raymond, Christopher "Drumma Boy" GholsonDrumma Boy4:48
International bonus tracks[32]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
10."Dirty Dancer" (with Enrique Iglesias)Bogart, Iglesias, Nadir Khayat, Nuri, QuinonesRedOne3:39
11."More" RedOne3:49
12."OMG" (featuring will.i.am)William Adams, Raymond IVwill.i.am4:29
13."Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)"Rico Love, The Runners, Raymond IV, Algernod WashingtonThe Runners, Rico Love4:16
14."Papers"Raymond IV, Sean Garrett, Xavier Doton, Alonzo MathisZaytoven, Sean Garrett4:21
15."Lil Freak" (featuring Nicki Minaj)Raymond IV, Onika Maraj, Jamal Jones, Ester Dean, Elvis Williams, Stevie WonderPolow da Don3:54

Personnel

Credits for Versus adapted from Allmusic.[33]

Charts

Chart (2010) Peak
position
Belgium Albums Chart (Flanders)[34] 38
Belgium Albums Chart (Wallonia)[34] 59
Canadian Albums Chart[35] 12
Dutch Albums Chart[36] 58
French Albums Chart[37] 26
German Albums Chart[36] 35
German Downloads Chart[38] 7
Greek Albums Chart[39] 60
Italian Albums Chart[40] 91
Mexican Albums Chart[41] 92
Swiss Albums Chart[42] 61
US Billboard 200[16] 4
US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[35] 3

Year-end charts

Chart (2010) Position
US Billboard 200 186[43]

Release history

Region Date
United States[1] August 24, 2010
Canada[44]
Germany[9] October 1, 2010
France[45] October 25, 2010
Brazil[46] November 15, 2010

References

  1. ^ a b "Versus: Usher: Music". Amazon.com. 2009-09-09. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  2. ^ a b "Future Releases September 28, 2010". allaccess.com. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
  3. ^ "New Usher EP Already?". BET Sound Off. Black Entertainment Television. Retrieved 2010-07-13.
  4. ^ a b c "Usher announces 'Raymond v. Raymond' follow-up for August release - Music, Arts & Entertainment". London: The Independent. 2010-07-11. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
  5. ^ a b Concepcion, Mariel (2010-07-08). "Usher Announces New 'Versus' Album, Deluxe Edition". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2010-07-08. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  6. ^ a b "New Music: Usher f/ Pitbull – 'DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love'". Rap-Up. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
  7. ^ "Usher's 'Versus' Cover and Tracklisting Revealed". Rap-Up. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
  8. ^ "Raymond V Raymond: 2cd: Deluxe Edition". HMV Group. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
  9. ^ a b "Versus: Usher: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
  10. ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases | Mainstream Hit Songs Being Released and Their Release". Allaccess.com. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
  11. ^ a b "Usher Hot 100 Songs Chart History". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  12. ^ "Usher Pop Songs Chart History". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  13. ^ "Usher official website | new track hot tottie featuring jayz". Usherworld.com. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2010-08-09.
  14. ^ "Usher R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart History". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  15. ^ "Usher, 'Lay You Down' -- New Song". AOL. September 29, 2010. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
  16. ^ a b Jacobs, Allen (September 1, 2010). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 8/29/2010 | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  17. ^ Caulfield, Keith (September 1, 2010). "Katy Perry Doubles Up No. 1s on Billboard 200, Digital Songs Charts". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved September 1, 2010.
  18. ^ Jacobs, Allen (September 8, 2010). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 9/5/2010 | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
  19. ^ Jacobs, Allen (September 12, 2010). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 9/12/2010 | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
  20. ^ Jacobs, Allen (September 19, 2010). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 9/19/2010 | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
  21. ^ Jacobs, Allen (September 26, 2010). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 9/26/2010 | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHopDX. Retrieved September 30, 2010.
  22. ^ a b Nero, Mark Edward. "EP Review: Usher - Versus". About.com. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
  23. ^ a b Kellman, Andy. Review: Versus. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-08-24.
  24. ^ a b Mitchell, Gail (August 27, 2010). Review: Versus. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-09-05.
  25. ^ a b Sarah, Rodman (August 30, 2010). "Usher's new deluxe EP, 'Versus,' sounds much better than an afterthought". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  26. ^ a b Wood, Mikael. "Versus - Music". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
  27. ^ a b Weiss, Jeff (August 23, 2010). "Album review: Usher's 'Versus'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
  28. ^ a b Henderson, Eric. "Versus Album Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  29. ^ a b Jones, Steve (August 24, 2010). "Listen Up: Usher is back in the game with 'Versus'". USA Today. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  30. ^ a b Fennessey, Sean (August 24, 2010). "Album review: Usher's 'Versus'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
  31. ^ a b "Versus - Usher". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. August 24, 2010.
  32. ^ "Usher - Versus(EP) Int'l Version". Amazon.com. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
  33. ^ Credits: Versus. Allmusic. Retrieved on September 10, 2010.
  34. ^ a b "Usher - Versus(EP) - Chart Positions - Belgium" (in Belgium). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 1, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  35. ^ a b "Usher > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  36. ^ a b "Usher Versus(ep) Album Performance". aCharts.us. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  37. ^ "Usher - Versus(EP) - Chart Positions - France" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  38. ^ "Rihanna stormed the download charts" (in German). Media control. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  39. ^ "Usher - Versus(EP) - Chart Positions - Greece". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  40. ^ "Fimi Charts" (in Italian). fimi.it. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
  41. ^ "AMPROFON Charts" (PDF) (in Spanish). AMPROFON. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
  42. ^ "Usher - Versus(EP) - Chart Positions - Switzerland" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  43. ^ "Best of 2010 - Billboard Top 200". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 2010-12-31.
  44. ^ "Versus: Usher: Music". Amazon.ca. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
  45. ^ "Versus: Usher: Amazon.fr: Musique" (in French). Amazon.fr. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  46. ^ "Versus - Usher (Brazil release date)" (in Portuguese). Livrariacultura.com.br. Retrieved November 12, 2010.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Versus_(EP)&oldid=422101331"