But in a weird way, the breakup afforded him the world's gaze and that's exactly what his album deserved. I doubt Usher wanted to endure a public breakup for the sake of his career. From strong vocals to meaningful lyrics, great production to smart sequencing-pretty much everything you could ask for in an R&B album is present on Confessions. But thankfully, the album itself saved Usher from being just a tabloid star. Some may see the drama that surrounded Usher's album and think it was all a cheap ploy to sell units. This sentiment remained as Usher and Dupri began the recording process, and it manifested in a song titled 'All Bad.' The singer had to ramp up interest in who he was outside of music. Reid and Usher himself had a solution in mind. But for Usher's team, there was still another level for him to reach. He had Platinum albums, high-charting singles and big TV performances. Usher was already one of R&B’s biggest stars prior to Confessions. But few would dominate a chapter the way Usher did with his breakthrough LP. If R&B was a story, lots of characters would be involved. This understanding helped to shape Confessions, the fourth album by Usher.

Topics that strike a chord, characters that you root for, anticipation of what’s to come-these elements can make us rewind an album or turn the page all the same. Music and novels are decidedly different artforms, but they both demonstrate the power of a good story. Happy 15th Anniversary to Usher’s fourth studio album Confessions, originally released March 23, 2004.

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