On October 14, 2018, Usher celebrated a milestone. He is now 40 years old. In the early 2000s, he was riding high with the runaway success of his most controversial album to date, Confessions. Times have changed though and Usher knows how to roll with the trends. This is evident on his surprise album, simply titled A, that dropped this past Friday. The problem is he’s trying too hard to keep up with those aforementioned current day trends. 

A takes a few steps backwards from his last studio LP, Hard II Love. That album even had its share of immature moments, though it did have some solid songs (check out “Missin U”, “Crash” and “No Limit). However, A exhibits Usher in a college freshman state of mind. This is quite disappointing place for him to be, considering his career has spanned over two decades. The album, which he collaborated with Zaytoven on, is meant to pay homage to Atlanta and its influence on music. Besides the style of production on some tracks, it does nothing of the sort.

The subject matter here is better suited for a younger and much less accomplished artist. The lyrical let down of “Stay At Home” is a song much better matched with its guest artist, Future, than Usher himself. Songs like “ATA” and “She Ain’t Tell Ya” reach too hard for a grasp at relevancy. “Peace Sign” is much more bearable and one of the best songs on the album. “You Decide” is also an enjoyable track, although it wades in waters of familiar territory. We’ve heard it all before, especially from Usher. The “I messed up. Please give me another chance” sob story.

“Birthday” is a bit comical, but also one of the higher points of the album. Unfortunately, the tolerable songs A offers are not enough to save its overall sound. The release of A followed the trend Beyonce made famous: dropping an album without warning or prior promotion. Sadly, one of the best things about A is it’s less than 30 minutes long.