Following up Yeah was never going to an easy for job for Mr. Raymond. It was undoubtedly the hip-hop smash of the year as well as the source of infinite annoyance in ringtone ads. Being an R&B artist made the challenge even harder, given that Yeah is a far cry from where Usher is at home.
Admittedly when I first heard Burn my reaction was that it was bog standard drivel. Allowing the track to saturate my ear drums has been my downfall, or an act of enlightenment, because Burn is brilliant. It's slow and sensual with a unique beat, which helps to make it more potent and emotive than any of Usher's peers at the moment.
Co-written by money-spinner Jermaine Dupri, Burn has "commercial hit" stamped all over it. I was easily swayed because of the line "it's been fifty-eleven days, umpteen hours", which I find simply hilarious. Maybe the people who'll make Burn number one will base their purchase on its musical strengths, but any reason for buying it is a good one as far as Arista are concerned.
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