Ushers Raymond V. Raymond is not a breakup album. Its a divorce album. As the lyrics spell out, poor Ushers gigantic fame and good looks resulted in a wealth of pussy shoved in his face night after nightlike, how could he say no, right? Well, now that the (ex)wife wants half, Im guessing that extracurricular poon tang dont look as attractive in hindsight. But damn if Ushers legal and emotional mess didnt make for some his best tunes since Confessions. The buzz track Papers alone is packed with an LPs worth of heart-wrenching goodness. He blames himself, he blames her, he falls to his knees, he gets slapped in the face. Really, he should be thanking his lucky stars he didnt marry a singer like Mariah Carey who could release an album detailing her side of the story. Shit would hit the fan, indeed. With Trey Songz, Miguel. BRIAN J. BARR
Wed., Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m., 2010
