Depending on who you ask, Usher's 2004 album Confessions may be one of the greatest r&b records to ever grace the game. And seeing as today marks the project's seventeenth anniversary, it feels appropriate to highlight one of the many gems to emerge from Usher's fourth studio album. What better song to highlight than the quintessential throwback, "Throwback," the Just Blaze and Jadakiss-assisted single?
So the story goes, Blaze originally intended "Throwback" to be a climactic song on Dr. Dre's Detox, though the Doc's looming "retirement" led him to shift his focus to Usher's camp. And while it might have been nice to hear Doc's take on the soulful track, Usher certainly made it his own in resounding fashion. Though he missed the boat on the initial release, Jadakiss ultimately went on to add a verse to the track for the remix, his raspy cadence an interesting juxtaposition to Usher's tones.
Seventeen years later, "Throwback" feels extremely refreshing, a unique blend of hip-hop and r&b served with convincing credibility. It's no surprise that Confessions resonated on such a deep universal level, to the point where the diamond-certified project is among the best-selling albums of all time. Be sure to revisit this one on the record's birthday, and sound off if you agree with 21 Savage's assessment that Confessions is the greatest r&b album of all time.
QUOTABLE LYRICS
You never miss a good thing till it leaves you
Finally, I realized that I need you
I want you back, baby girl, I need you back
Gotta have you back, babe