Does Usher hold nothing sacred? I understand that purchasing product is the entertainment business’s bottom line, but with regard to the artistic craft associated to Usher’s profession, I must ask if his songs serve as a musical form of heartache, introspection, and therapeutic exploration, or if he is just a blabber mouth who doesn’t hold his personal life dear enough so as not to exploit it?

We all know his mother committed a fatal flaw in allowing Dancing Diddy to raise her son during his formidable years, but did little Usher not even learn the basic tenant of familial privacy? To be fair, I understand, and greatly respect, the concept of personal experience fueling artistic expression, but between confessing in 2004 and explaining where he stands in 2008, I don’t know if I want to literally join him in the courtroom for the upcoming Raymond vs. Raymond.

Ummmm ok, I’m lying.

In reality I am going to listen to the album and I will probably enjoy the drama that ensues around the not-so-secret innuendos of his lyrics. Despite the latter, the point is, I enjoy ‘Papers’ the same way I enjoy Maury’s show, and my heathen pleasure in strangers’ petty drama could only exist if fodder was being presented to me on a shiny, Usher-approved platter. Plus, does my interest excuse Usher’s provision? If so, watching the news or a car accident in motion, excuses the occurrence of the actual incident, which doesn’t even make any logical sense.

Maybe it’s the presentation of the song. When Mary J. Blidge sings about no more drama, I believe her. When Gwen Stefani was going through her man trouble and hit musical gold I understood her songs as relatable therapy. Their sound and lyrics matched the sadness of their topics. Singing about divorce as if it’s some kind of unifying anthem seems twisted. This is not Ante Up Usher – why are you asking all the ‘fellas’ and ‘ladies’ to say ‘ready, ready, ready’ as if you are talking about a street fight and divorce papers? I mean, is this really heart-felt or just melody-fitting? Usher, though I’m not gonna front like I won’t buy your exploitation, if I were your friend, (which I would not be because you are obviously shady and don’t understand the meaning of love outside of self), I would tell you to stop pimping those who you hold ‘dear’ just to lace your pockets. Please, it’s getting weird.