Looking 4 Myself

Last updated

Looking 4 Myself
Usher - Looking 4 Myself.png
Studio album by
Usher
ReleasedJune 8, 2012 (2012-06-08)
Recorded2011–2012
Genre
Length56:56
Label RCA
Producer
Usher chronology
Versus
(2010)		Looking 4 Myself
(2012)		 Hard II Love
(2016)
Singles from Looking 4 Myself
  1. "Climax"
    Released: February 22, 2012
  2. "Scream"
    Released: April 27, 2012
  3. "Lemme See"
    Released: May 8, 2012
  4. "Numb"
    Released: August 21, 2012
  5. "Dive"
    Released: August 28, 2012

Looking 4 Myself is the seventh studio album by American singer Usher. Released on June 8, 2012, by RCA Records, it is his first album for RCA after the October 2011 merger of the Jive Records group which also included his label, Arista Records, that resulted in both labels being consolidated into the RCA label group. [3] [4] Many producers worked on the songs, and the album features appearances from Luke Steele and ASAP Rocky. Inspired by the electronic duo Empire of the Sun and listening to music originating from several locations, Usher intended the album to contain a more experimental sound, that remained relevant to the music of its time. Defined as "revolutionary pop" by the singer, critics noted that Looking 4 Myself is a dance-pop and R&B album that incorporates the genres pop, hip hop, electronic, Europop, and dubstep. Critic Barry Walters has noted how elements of some of its R&B songs were inspired by the emerging alternative R&B genre. [2]

Contents

The album debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 128,000 copies in its first week, becoming Usher's fourth number one album in the country. As of October 2014, Looking 4 Myself has sold 504,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. [5] Worldwide, it attained top-ten positions in over eight other countries including Australia, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Looking 4 Myself was supported by five singles: "Climax", "Scream", "Lemme See" featuring Rick Ross, "Numb", and "Dive". "Climax" peaked in the top-twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for eleven weeks. "Scream" peaked in the top-ten on the Hot 100 and several other countries. "Numb" obtained moderate international chart success and peaked at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Usher promoted for the Looking 4 Myself by performing in several shows; including the off-broadway show Fuerza Bruta: Look Up, Saturday Night Live and Good Morning America , among others. The tour has further be promoting the album, however, it was cancelled due to the singer's obligation as a coach on The Voice .

Background

In 2010, Usher released his sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond , with a mixed critical response and commercial success; the project went on to earn two Grammy Awards at the 2011 ceremony. [6] [7] His follow-up record was originally rumored to be titled The Shanetance and due for release on March 23, 2012, though Usher later refuted the speculation. [8] [9]

What he wanted to do [on Looking 4 Myself] was explore himself musically. He stepped outside of what was safe and normal. He wanted to make an album that expressed where he was going sonically and not just where he's been for the past 12 to 15 years. He's growing, developing, moving, shaking, and being something that's new, cultural, and that's affecting people sonically. That's kind of forcing the people to grow and elevate.

—Rico Love, Billboard [10]

While on hiatus between the release of his first EP Versus and Looking 4 Myself, Usher told AOL Music that he mainly traveled to various locations to listen to music which he "felt was really significant in terms of energy." [11] Some of these locations included the Coachella Music Festival, Ibiza, Germany, Las Vegas, Miami and Southern France. He described some of the music as a "little bit more electronic, some of it a little bit more dance. Some of it, a bit more world." [11] It was Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun that inspired Usher to produce the album's title track, with producer Rico Love, which led to the singer collaborating with producers he normally would not work with or admired, such as Diplo. [11] Usher's intention for the album was one "that was not genre-specific but just experimental". [11] During an episode of NBC's The Voice , Usher called the album "by far one of my most risky records ... I wanted to challenge myself". [12] Looking 4 Myself was chosen as the album's title as it described Usher's 'musical journey'. [11]

RCA Records CEO Peter Edge spoke to Billboard on which two specific groups they want the album to appeal to, "By the time the album is available, Usher's collective audience will have had a chance to really sample a number of songs from the album [...] the end result will be an Usher album that appeals to his earliest fans, and people who may have never listened to or owned an Usher album before." [13] Prior to the album's release, Usher was put under the management of Grace Miguel—whom he is in a relationship with—replacing Randy Phillips, who managed Usher for a short period after he split with his mother, Jonnetta Patton for a second time, in 2008. [13] The cover art and track listing for both the standard and deluxe edition of the album were revealed on May 3, 2012. [14] On June 4, 2012, 30-second snippets of each track were leaked on the internet. [15]

Production

Usher hoped to initiate a collaboration with David Guetta (pictured) Guetta.jpg
Usher hoped to initiate a collaboration with David Guetta (pictured)

Diplo, Rico Love, Jim Jonsin, Salaam Remi and Max Martin were the first producers confirmed for Looking 4 Myself in March 2012. [8] [16] After Usher had attended the Coachella Music Festival, he worked with electronic music duo Empire of the Sun to produce the album's title track; he described the band's music as an "incredible sound". [17] The collaboration and the band's music inspired Usher to produce more experimental music, and to produce records with producers he normally would not work with or admired. [11] DJ and producer Diplo was one of them, and so both collaborated on the album's lead single, "Climax". They discussed the concept throughout the song's development and how it relates to Usher's life, as Diplo "tried to help realise these lyrics and feelings." [18] After conceiving some melody lines, they wrote the song in about an hour. [18] Usher and Diplo worked on the song's production for two months, recording in studios in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. [18]

Usher wanted to work with Swedish electronic dance music trio Swedish House Mafia since their joint performance at the American Music Awards in 2011. [11] The group later agreed to work with the singer, where they intended to travel to Atlanta to work on track production, writing, and to "move the ball forward." [11] Steve Angello, a member of Swedish House Mafia, told MTV News that the group hung out with Usher in Ibiza after the awards ceremony; they worked with him in Atlanta for five days. [19] They produced the final tracks "Numb", "Euphoria" and "Way to Count", with the latter not making the final cut. [11]

Usher contacted several producers and musicians who he endeavoured to, but ended up not collaborating with, including Skrillex, Calvin Harris, Afrojack, Kaskade, Little Dragon, and David Guetta. The latter had revealed to The Hollywood Reporter in May 2012 that he and Usher had worked on a "crazy" record, [11] [20] though it did not appear on the album due to a scheduling conflict; rapper Ludacris was involved in the song's production. [11] English singer-songwriter Labrinth spent two studio sessions with Usher in April 2012 working on Looking 4 Myself. [21]

Composition

Usher on the red carpet in 2011 Anand Bhatt Usher and Romeo Santos Arrive on Red Carpet (cropped).jpg
Usher on the red carpet in 2011

Influence and sound

Usher told Sylelist in November 2011 that he is working on a new genre of music, which he depicted as "revolutionary pop". [22] He explained that it "combines several other music genres to form a new sound". [22] In a later interview, Usher clarified that his latter quote was misinterpreted, in that it is not a specific type of sound, but rather what he found as inspiration behind where he was and what he was working on "was revolutionary". The album incorporates pop styles, which Usher described as being "relevant" to its time and "what [people are] listening to". Randall Roberts of Los Angeles Times summed up the production of the album, writing that it "draws on a world of styles permeating pop culture in 2012", by implementing the genres electronic dance, dubstep, pop and Hip-Hop to create a hybrid pop. [23] AllMusic's Andy Kellman described revolutionary pop as "contemporary pop-oriented R&B, or european dance-pop, or some combination of the two", and that the album is "weighted more heavily toward dance-pop" compared to his previous efforts. [1]

Songs and lyrics

Looking 4 Myself opens with club track "Can't Stop Won't Stop", which contains the melody of Billy Joel's 1983 "Uptown Girl"; [23] [24] it contains a synth heavy hook and incorporates elements of dubstep. [24] [25] "Scream" is another club oriented track, with heavily sexual lyrics. [24] [26] The song makes heavy use of bass—particularly in the chorus—and is noted to be reminiscent of Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" (2010). [24] [26] The third track, "Climax", is a quiet storm-style slow jam, [27] [28] built around a haunting riff, complemented by sparse drum machine and some musical accompaniment. [29] Its lyrics focuses on Usher's anguish over a failed relationship, [24] with its title referring to the turning point of a relationship. [27] Follow-up track "I Care for U" is a mid-tempo R&B song, [25] which fuses 90's R&B and hip-hop with dubstep, [24] produced by American record producer Danja. "Show Me", another Danja produced record, is described by Randall Roberts of Los Angeles Times to feature "driving house synth-claps with a propellant techno rhythm bubbling beneath it." [23] A mid-tempo track, [24] "Lemme See" contains a synth-heavy production with contributed vocals from American rapper Rick Ross. [24] "Twisted", which was produced by and features record producer-rapper "Pharrell", is the seventh track. It is a 60's retro-soul track, with heavy use of percussions and bass throughout. [24] Usher described the track as "nostalgic", and explained that his intent was to also "modernize it", similar to records produced by Cee Lo, Bruno Mars and Andre 3000. [30]

"Dive" discusses a commitment to a relationship, [31] while containing a triple-entendre, according to Matt Cibula of PopMatters, initially singing about diving or oral sex, to discussing a commitment to a relationship. [31] The ninth track is "What Happened to U"; it is a downtempo song, [32] sung by Usher primarily using falsetto. [33] It samples the late The Notorious B.I.G.'s "One More Chance". [34] The album's title track features Empire of the Sun member Luke Steele, and is both new wave and soft rock. [1] The title refers to Usher's "musical journey", and the song was inspired by his travelling and the latter band. [11] The first of the two Swedish House Mafia tracks is "Numb", a euro disco and electronic dance track, [35] [36] its lyrics message was described by Erika Ramirez of Billboard to simply be "Forget your troubles and fist-pump!". [24] The next track is "Lessons for the Lover", a slow-tempo track with heavy production, produced by long-time collaborator Rico Love. [24] Ramirez compared the track to songs from Usher's Confessions era. [24] "Sins of my Father" is a soul song with prominent blues, dub, Motown and reggae influences; [24] [37] it is about being a "tortured soul" in a "volatile" relationship. [37] Looking 4 Myself closes with "Euphoria", the second Swedish House Mafia produced track on the album. It is described as more "tense" and "powerful" compared to "Numb". [24] [38]

Singles

The album's lead single "Climax" was leaked on February 14, 2012, and digitally released on February 22. [39] [40] [29] "Climax" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number eighty-one with 31,000 digital units sold on the week of March 10, 2012 and has since peaked at number 17. [41] [42] The song topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart marking Usher's twelfth number one single on the chart, and overtaking R. Kelly as the ninth artist with the most number one's. "Climax" sustained the number one position for eleven weeks, tying with his 1997 "You Make Me Wanna..." as his longest running number one single on the chart. [43] The accompanying music video was released on March 9, 2012, and was directed by Sam Pilling and filmed in Atlanta. The video shows Usher sitting in his car, contemplating on how to approach his ex-girlfriend inside her home, with numerous scenarios shown being thought out by Usher. [44] The video was nominated for Best Male Video at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, losing to Chris Brown's "Turn Up the Music". [45]

"Scream", the album's second single, premièred on SoundCloud on April 26, 2012. The song was produced by Savan Kotecha and Max Martin, the same duo who produced "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" (2010). "Scream" was made available for purchase as a digital download on April 27, 2012. It officially impacted the Top 40/Mainstream and rhythmic radio on May 1, 2012. [46] The song peaked in the top ten in several charts, including the Billboard Hot 100, [42] Canadian Hot 100, [47] Japan Hot 100, [48] Scottish Singles Chart [49] and UK Singles Chart. [50] An accompanying music video uses footage from Usher's performance in Fuerza Bruta in New York City. [51] In the video, Usher gets intimate with his love interest; his dancing and choreography was compared to Michael Jackson's. [52] The third single, "Lemme See" features rapper Rick Ross, and was made available for purchase as a digital download on May 4, 2012. [53] The song was released to urban radio on May 8, 2012, and reached number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. [54] [55] Internationally, "Lemme See" peaked at number ninety in the United Kingdom, [56] and number eighty-eight in France. [57] The official music video for the song was released on June 14, 2012, and was directed by Philip Andelman. [58]

"Numb" is the album's fourth single, and was released to contemporary hit radio on August 28, 2012. [59] It was produced by Swedish House Mafia, who also co-wrote the song with Usher. The song received generally positive acclaim from contemporary music critics with many of them praising its club-oriented production, labeling it as a potential success as a single. "Numb" was a moderate worldwide success, reaching the top-forty in five countries including Belgium, [60] Germany [61] and Australia. [62] Usher released "Dive" as the fifth single, releasing the song to urban radio on August 28, 2012. [63] [64] The song was well received by critics, who lauded Usher's falsetto and overall vocals. Directed by Chris Applebaum, its music video shows Usher getting intimate with Victoria's Secret Angel model Chanel Iman, who plays as his love interest. [65] "Dive" peaked on the South Korea Gaon International Chart at number fifty, and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 34. [55] [66]

Promotion

Usher held multiple private listening sessions for Looking 4 Myself. [67] On April 27, 2012, he debuted the album in the off-broadway show Fuerza Bruta: Look Up, in Daryl Roth Theater in New York City. [68] When speaking to MTV, he explained his reasoning for performing in the show "It's not often that you're able to give somewhat of a visual or an emotional kind of basis of what your songs mean [...] I felt like, yeah, it would be a physical challenge, yeah it would be a lot for me, but [I want to] at least try it, there are many times I'd seen the show and I'd only hoped that I would make it happen". [69] Steven Horowitz of Rolling Stone commented that Usher "theatrically sequenced the entirety of the project to strobing lights and choreographed moves". [70] Horowitz also praised the singer's performance, concluding that "the veteran entertainer reasserts himself as a master of rapturous dance fodder, capable of turning a room into a thumping rave with ease". [70] Usher appeared on Saturday Night Live —hosted by Will Ferrell—where he performed the singles "Scream" and "Climax". [71] He performed both singles again, in the 2012 Today summer concert, being the opening act of the series. [72] Usher performed "Scream" in the 2012 Billboard Music Awards; during the performance he wore a black suit, bowler hat and bow tie while dancing with a masked female, who later disappeared behind a cape and was replaced by a male dancer who mirrored Usher's dance routines. [73]

Usher performed during E3 2012 to promote both "Scream" and video game Dance Central 3. Los Angeles Convention Center E3 2012.jpg
Usher performed during E3 2012 to promote both "Scream" and video game Dance Central 3.

On June 9, 2012, Usher performed in the UK, appearing in the Capital FM Summer Time Ball, his second appearance in his career. He entered the stage doing the moonwalk and then performed his 2010 single "OMG". Backed-up by female dancers while doing choreographed routines, he then performed several singles from his previous work and Looking 4 Myself, including "Yeah!", "Without You", "Climax" and "Scream". [74] The singer again performed "Scream" in the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles during Microsoft's conference. He performed the dance routines presented in the video game Dance Central 3, via the Kinect to the latter song. [75] Usher promoted the album on its release date in the UK—June 11—by performing in a one-off concert in the HMV Hammersmith Apollo in London. The performance was directed by Hamish Hamilton, and was streamed to Usher's VEVO channel on YouTube. [76] The same week, he appeared on BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, where he covered the song "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People, and performed "Scream". [77] The singer appeared on Good Morning America , where he spoke about Looking 4 Myself, and discussed his legal battle with ex-wife Tameka Foster. [78] He performed "Climax" in the 2012 BET Awards; Kelly Carter of MTV described the performance as "fairly muted", due to Usher's appearance and dancing being minimalistic. [79] He opened the 2012 iTunes Festival, performing songs from his previous studio album efforts and tracks from Looking 4 Myself which he performed for the first time, including "Can't Stop Won't Stop", "Lemme See", "Twisted", "Dive" and "Numb". [80]

Tour

On September 18, 2012, Usher announced that he would embark on a concert tour, the Euphoria Tour, to further promote Looking 4 Myself. [81] [82] Usher planned to perform in countries including France, Germany, Belgium, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In partnership with Live Nation Global Touring, the tour was to commence on January 18, 2013, in Amsterdam, Netherlands and would conclude on March 14 in Nice, France. [82] For the tour leg in the United Kingdom, British singer Rita Ora was scheduled to be an opening act. [82] On September 25, 2012, Live Nation Global Touring announced that the tour will be postponed until the fall of 2013, due to Usher's participation in the reality talent show The Voice , where along with singer Shakira, he was a judge in the show's fourth season. [83] [84] The tour, however, was not rescheduled.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 75/100 [85]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The A.V. Club B− [32]
Entertainment Weekly B [35]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [86]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [23]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [87]
Pitchfork 7.6/10 [33]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [88]
Slant Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [89]
USA Today Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [90]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 75, based on 19 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [91] Alex Macpherson of The Guardian complimented Usher's vocals, saying that they "are in fine fettle", and found the album "most interesting" when it "goes in directions that don't cleave to obvious aesthetics". [86] AllMusic's Andy Kellman felt that, despite Usher's shift to dance music, "he's more of a creative force when he's working with slower, soul-rooted material". [1] Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times described the album as not genre defying, but instead uses the music styles of the [current] era– it's "more pop than it is revolutionary". [23] Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club said that "not all of it works, but none of it is unpleasant, either", and commended Usher for branching out and taking risks. [32] Pitchfork Media's Carrie Battan felt that his strength "lies in R&B, and he's adjusted well to shifting ground", although "not everything on Looking 4 Myself hits the mark". [33] At USA Today , Steve Jones stated that on the release Usher has "chosen to keep growing and moving ahead" on which he "confidently steps out of his sonic comfort zone." [90]

In a mixed review, Now writer Kevin Ritchie said that "Climax" is one of the only few stand-out tracks. [92] Slant Magazine 's Eric Henderson felt that the album lacks structure and found it "unavoidably uneven". [89] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe criticized Usher's use of Auto-Tune: "the unnecessary deployment of Auto-tune on a singer who can actually hold his own vocally". [93] The Observer 's Killian Fox wrote that "for every hit—'Lemme See' is another—there are a couple of misses: 'Can't Stop Won't Stop', the Euro-dance opener produced by will.i.am, is horribly overblown". [87]

On October 9, 2012, Looking 4 Myself earned Usher three nominations at the 2012 American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist, Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Album. [94] On November 18, 2012, Usher won the award for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist for the third consecutive year. [95] At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, "Climax" earned Usher his eighth Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. [96] Billboard ranked Usher twentieth and sixty-second on their Hot 100 and Billboard 200 year-end charts, respectively. [97] [98]

Commercial performance

Looking 4 Myself debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart on the week ending June 17, 2012, selling 128,000 copies in its first week. [99] The album marks Usher's fourth consecutive number one album. [100] In its second week, the album dropped to number six on the chart, selling an additional 48,000 copies. [101] In its third week, the album dropped to number nine on the chart, selling 36,000 more units. [102] In its fourth week, the album dropped to number fifteen, [103] and in its fifth week rose to number fourteen, selling 20,178 copies. [104] As of October 2014, the album has sold 504,000 copies in the United States. [5]

In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart, selling 27,000 units, giving Usher his fifth consecutive top-three album in the country. [105] It sold sixteen units less than Amy MacDonald's third studio album Life in a Beautiful Light which debuted one place ahead at number 2. [105] On August 21, 2015, the album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), for sales of 100,000 copies. [106]

In Australia, the album debuted at number three on the ARIA Albums Chart, giving Usher his fifth consecutive top-five album in the country. [107] The album debuted at number fifteen on the Japanese Albums Chart, selling 6,727 copies, on the week ending June 17, 2012. [108] It debuted at number four on the Dutch Albums Chart, [107] and number five on the Swiss Albums Chart. [107] In New Zealand, the album peaked at number eleven on the New Zealand Albums Chart, while only remaining on the chart for five weeks. [107] In Canada, the album also debuted and peaked at number seven on the Canadian Albums Chart and Taiwan at number seven, [109] [110] in Germany at number eight and South Africa at number ten. [107] [111]

Aftermath

Looking 4 Myself debuted with the smallest first-week figures since Usher's second studio album My Way (1997), which opened with 67,000 copies. [100] The album's debut was a significant decrease relative to his previous effort Raymond v. Raymond (2010), which opened with 329,000 units. [100] Gail Mitchell of Billboard contemplated on whether this was due to the pop material present on the album. [112] Derrick Corbett, operator of urban based radio stations under Clear Channel Communications, credited its underwhelming sales to the "alienation" of Usher's core audience. [112] Neke Howse of WKYS believes it is because of the music industry evolving, saying that both Usher and label mate Chris Brown—who also experienced lower first week sales with his fifth studio album Fortune —will "be fine, and their albums will do OK". [112]

On August 2, 2012, Japanese multinational conglomerate Sony Group Corporation (which owns its American branch's music division and Usher's label, RCA Records) revealed their Q1 earnings for the year, with Looking 4 Myself largely contributing to the company's $92 million in revenue for the music sector. [113] In an interview with singer-songwriter Eric Bellinger by Rap-Up , the former explained that he, along with Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, and Brian Alexander Morgan, were working on Usher's next album. [114] Bellinger compared the album's music to Usher's Confessions (2004), saying that it is "more R&B, more urban" than Usher's Looking 4 Myself. [114] The latter declared that his next album would show that he is "still Usher". [114] The singer's follow-up non-album single—"Good Kisser"—was released on May 5, 2014, through digital download. [115]

Track listing

Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Can't Stop Won't Stop"
3:51
2."Scream"
  • Martin
  • Shellback
3:55
3."Climax"
3:53
4."I Care for U"
4:08
5."Show Me"
  • Hills
  • Cossom
  • Raymond IV
  • Araica
3:43
6."Lemme See" (featuring Rick Ross)
4:13
7."Twisted" (featuring Pharrell Williams)
  • Pharrell
  • Natural [a]
3:43
8."Dive"
  • Jonsin
  • Rico Love
  • Romano
  • Mr. Morris
3:47
9."What Happened to U"
4:22
10."Looking 4 Myself" (featuring Luke Steele)
  • Rico Love
  • Pierre Medor
  • Earl Hood
  • Eric Goudy II
  • Rico Love
  • Medor
  • Earl & E
4:12
11."Numb"
3:46
12."Lessons for the Lover"
  • Rico Love
  • Medor
  • Hood
  • Goudy II
  • Rico Love
  • Medor
  • Earl & E
5:07
13."Sins of My Father"
  • Remi
  • Rico Love [b]
3:56
14."Euphoria"
  • Raymond IV
  • Åhlund
  • Angello
  • Ingrosso
  • Hedfors
  • Lovett
  • Lewis
  • Najera
4:20
Total length:56:56
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."I.F.U."
  • Pop Wansel
  • Rico Love
  • Autorowhit [b]
  • Flippa123 [b]
4:02
16."Say the Words"
  • Raymond IV
  • Steele
  • Surahn "Sid" Sidhu
  • Steele
  • Surahn
  • Natural [a]
4:01
17."2nd Round"
  • Raymond IV
  • Pentz
  • Rechtshaid
  • Najera
  • Diplo
  • Rechtshaid
  • Natural [a]
3:22
18."Hot Thing" (featuring A$AP Rocky)
  • Pharrell
  • Natural [a]
3:27
Total length:71:48

Notes

Personnel

Credits for Looking 4 Myself adapted from AllMusic. [116]

Managerial

Performance credits

Visuals and imagery

Instruments

Technical and production

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [146] Gold40,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [147] Gold100,000*
United States (RIAA) [148] Platinum1,000,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateFormatLabelEdition(s)
Australia [149] [150] June 8, 2012
  • CD
  • digital download
 Sony Music Entertainment
  • Standard
  • deluxe
Germany [151] [152]
Belgium [153] [154] RCA Records
Netherlands [155] [156]
New Zealand [157] [158]
Austria [159] Digital download
Norway [160]
Finland [161] June 11, 2012
Portugal [162]
Sweden [163]
Denmark [164] [165]
  • CD
  • digital download
France [166] [167]
United Kingdom [168] [169]
Italy [170] [171] June 12, 2012
United States [172] [173]
Mexico [174] Digital download
Spain [175]
Canada [176] [177]
  • CD
  • digital download
Sony Music Entertainment
Japan [178] June 13, 2012CDDeluxe

See also

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A Girl Like Me is the second studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on April 10, 2006, by Def Jam Recordings. For the production of the album, Rihanna worked with Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken, Stargate, J. R. Rotem, and label-mate Ne-Yo, who wrote the album's second single. A Girl Like Me is a pop and reggae album influenced by Rihanna's Caribbean roots. The album also incorporates elements of dancehall and rock, as well as ballads, which music critics were ambivalent towards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Usher discography</span>

American singer Usher has released nine studio albums, ten compilation albums, eight extended plays, and 81 singles. His music has been released on the LaFace, Arista, Jive, RCA, and gamma record labels. Usher has sold more than 33 million albums in the United States alone and over 65 million albums worldwide. With over 150 million total records sold worldwide, he is one of the best selling music artists of all time. He has nine number-one singles and 18 Hot 100 top-ten singles on the US Billboard Hot 100. In 1994, Usher released his self-titled debut album in North America, which went onto sell 500,000 copies, and produced the singles "Can U Get wit It", "Think of You", and "The Many Ways". The former two peaked in the lower half of the UK and US charts. His follow-up 1997 album My Way sold over 8 million copies worldwide, becoming his breakthrough album. It is certified seven-times platinum in the US, and spawned three successful singles, including his first UK number-one song, "You Make Me Wanna...", and first US Hot 100 number-one song, "Nice & Slow". Usher's success continued in 2001, with his third studio album, 8701. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. The album produced two number-one singles, such as "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad". In 2002, the album was certified five-times platinum in the US for sales of 5 million copies. As of 2010, its worldwide sales stand at over 8 million.

<i>Here I Stand</i> (Usher album) 2008 studio album by Usher

Here I Stand is the fifth studio album by the American singer Usher, released on May 13, 2008, by LaFace Records. Inspired by love for his then-wife—Tameka Foster—and son, Usher recorded many ballads for the album. Prior to the album's recording, Usher split with his mother, Jonnetta Patton, as manager and hired Benny Medina. Usher's estranged father died months before the release of Here I Stand; this also influenced themes of the album. It was originally to be titled Measure of a Man, but the singer named it Here I Stand to mark "a new chapter in life".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pitbull discography</span>

Cuban-American rapper Pitbull has released twelve studio albums, four compilation albums, one soundtrack album, four official mixtapes, over 300 singles, over 1,000 songs, and over 200 music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love</span> 2010 single by Usher ft. Pitbull

"DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" is a song by American singer Usher featuring American rapper Pitbull, who wrote the song with Savan Kotecha and producers Shellback and Max Martin. It was originally intended for Rihanna 2010 album Loud, but Rihanna's team turned it down. It was released to digital download on July 12, 2010, and sent to radio on August 18, 2010, as the first single from Usher's EP, Versus, which is an extension of his sixth studio album, Raymond v. Raymond. An electronic dance track with a Europop style, the song puts emphasis on its chorus, and follows the chord progression of Gm-F-E♭. It received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who favored its production and Usher's vocals, but criticized the song's lack of originality.

<i>F.A.M.E.</i> (Chris Brown album) 2011 studio album by Chris Brown

F.A.M.E. is the fourth studio album by American singer Chris Brown. It was first released on March 18, 2011, recorded by Jive Records. The album serves as the follow-up to his third album Graffiti (2009). The album also marks his last album with Jive Records.

<i>Who You Are</i> (Jessie J album) 2011 studio album by Jessie J

Who You Are is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Jessie J. It was released on 28 February 2011 by Lava Records, Island Records and Universal Republic Records. In such a high demand and interest from fans, the release was advanced by a month from 28 March, as previously planned. Recording sessions took place between 2005 and 2011, with several other record producers contributing on the album such as Dr. Luke, Toby Gad and K-Gee, among others.

<i>Future History</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Jason Derulo

Future History is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Jason Derulo, released on September 16, 2011. As the executive producer of the album, Derulo collaborated with several record producers, including DJ Frank E, the Fliptones, the Outerlimits, Emanuel Kiriakou, RedOne, Jai Marlon and frequent collaborator J.R. Rotem, among others.

<i>willpower</i> (will.i.am album) 2013 studio album by will.i.am

#willpower is the fourth studio album by American musician will.i.am, released on April 19, 2013. The album was originally titled Black Einstein and scheduled for release at the end of 2011. It was then renamed #willpower and delayed several more times. The album's first single "This Is Love" features Eva Simons, the second single "Scream & Shout" features Britney Spears, and Justin Bieber is featured on the third single "#thatPower". There is a remix of "Scream & Shout" that features Lil Wayne, Hit-Boy, Diddy and Waka Flocka Flame. Other guest appearances on the album include Afrojack, Juicy J, Chris Brown, Miley Cyrus, Skylar Grey, Nicole Scherzinger, Korean pop group 2NE1 and will.i.am's The Black Eyed Peas bandmate apl.de.ap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climax (song)</span> 2012 single by Usher

"Climax" is a song by American singer-songwriter Usher. It was released on February 22, 2012, by RCA Records as the lead single from his 2012 studio album Looking 4 Myself. The song was written by Usher, Ariel Rechtshaid, Redd Stylez, and Diplo, who also produced the song. Usher and Diplo worked on the song for two months as part of their collaboration for the former's album. The song is a quiet storm slow jam with electronic influences, and lyrics about the turning point of a relationship. According to Usher, the song is primarily about the complications of a relationship, despite the lyrics' sexual overtones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scream (Usher song)</span> 2012 single by Usher

"Scream" is a song by American singer-songwriter Usher, released through RCA Records, as the second single from his seventh studio album Looking 4 Myself (2012). It was written by Usher, Savan Kotecha, Max Martin and Shellback, with production handled by the latter two. The song premiered on the internet on April 26, 2012, and was released the following day as a digital download. "Scream" is primarily a synthpop and dance-pop track. Critics compared its musical structure to that of Usher's 2010 single "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love", which was also co-written by Martin, Kotecha, and Shellback. "Scream" was noted to contain heavily sexual overtones within its lyrics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lemme See</span> 2012 single by Usher featuring Rick Ross

"Lemme See" is a song by American singer-songwriter Usher, released through RCA Records, as the third single from his seventh studio album Looking 4 Myself (2012). The track features vocals from rapper Rick Ross. It was written by Usher, Eric Bellinger, Jim Jonsin, Danny Morris, Nickolas Marzouca and Lundon Knighten with its production helmed by Jonsin and Morris. It was digitally released on May 4, 2012 and sent to urban radio on May 8, 2012. "Lemme See" is a mid-tempo R&B song that makes heavy use of synthesizers. Its lyrics depict Usher contemplating on what he is going to do when he "gets a certain female clubgoer into his bedroom".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dive (Usher song)</span> 2012 single by Usher

"Dive" is a song recorded by the American recording artist Usher for his seventh studio album, Looking 4 Myself (2012). It was written and produced by Rico Love, Jim Jonsin, Danny Morris and Frank Romano. "Dive" is a slow-paced R&B ballad with elements of pop music, with Usher making use of his falsetto range. Its lyrics use the metaphor of diving, which was interpreted by critics to discuss a commitment to a relationship. The song was announced by Usher on Twitter as the fifth single from Looking 4 Myself on August 21, 2012. It was released to urban radio on August 28, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Numb (Usher song)</span> 2012 single by Usher

"Numb" is a song recorded by American singer Usher for his seventh studio album Looking 4 Myself (2012). Usher co-wrote it with Ryon Lovett and Terry Lewis, with production and additional writing provided by Swedish House Mafia, Alesso, and Klas Åhlund. After their joint performance at the 2010 American Music Awards, Usher and Swedish House Mafia managed to start working on recording sessions for Usher's seventh studio album in Atlanta. RCA Records solicited "Numb" to contemporary hit radio stations on August 21, 2012 in the US as fourth single from the album.

"Euphoria" is a song recorded by American singer Usher for his seventh studio album Looking 4 Myself (2012). It was written by Axel Hedfors, Juan Najera, Klas Åhlund, Ryon Lovett, Sebastian Ingrosso, Steve Angello, Terry Lewis and Usher himself. The production of the song was done by Axwell, Angello and Ingrosso under their stage name Swedish House Mafia. After their joint performance at the 2010 American Music Awards, Usher and Swedish House Mafia managed to start working on recording sessions for Usher's seventh studio album in Atlanta.

"Sins of My Father" is a song recorded by American recording artist Usher for his seventh studio album Looking 4 Myself (2012). The song, a collaborative effort between Usher, Terry Lewis, Salaam Remi, and Rico Love, tells the story of a "tortured soul" in a "volatile" relationship." Critics noted Usher's relationship with ex-wife Tameka Foster to be the basis of the song, which contains references to their children together. Usher himself added that the song itself is a "kind of testament" for the type of father he is.

<i>Louder</i> (Lea Michele album) 2014 studio album by Lea Michele

Louder is the debut studio album by American singer Lea Michele. It was released on February 28, 2014 by Columbia Records. The album was preceded by the release of the album's lead single, "Cannonball". Michele collaborated with many songwriters and producers on the album, including Stargate and The Monsters and the Strangerz, both of whom have previously worked with recording artists such as Rihanna and Demi Lovato. Musically, the album is set in the genres of pop, power pop and EDM. Lyrically, the album speaks of strength and empowerment, romantic relationships, and loss of love.

<i>5 Seconds of Summer</i> (album) 2014 studio album by 5 Seconds of Summer

5 Seconds of Summer is the debut studio album by Australian pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer. It was released by Capitol Records on 27 June 2014 in Europe and on 22 July 2014 in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The album was supported by four singles: "She Looks So Perfect", "Don't Stop", "Amnesia", and "Good Girls". Musically, the album is rooted in the pop punk, pop rock and power pop genres. Before the album's release, the band was the opening act for One Direction in from 2013-2015 on three of their concert tours. To promote the album, 5 Seconds of Summer embarked on their first global headlining tour, entitled Rock Out with Your Socks Out Tour, between May and September 2015.

<i>Communion</i> (Years & Years album) 2015 studio album by Years & Years

Communion is the debut studio album by English synth-pop trio Years & Years. It was released on 10 July 2015 through Polydor Records for the United Kingdom and other countries and Interscope Records for the United States only. The album garnered a positive reception but critics felt there was derivativeness throughout the songs. Communion debuted at number one in the United Kingdom and spawned six singles: "Real", "Take Shelter", "Desire", "King", "Shine" and "Eyes Shut".

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