Usher ft. Will.I.Am - 'OMG'
Whatever your thoughts on Will.I.Am, and let's face it, he does provide plenty of evidence for the prosecution AND the defense, you have to admit he knows how to produce. He knows that it's great to have an astonishing beat, it's wonderful to have filled a nine-hundred foot jellymould with sumptuous solid strawberry bass, but if you really want people to get off on your song from beginning to end, you need to break it up a bit.
You can't start with the best bits, that would be mad. In this case what Will has done is pinch an idea from the KLF, the grandmasters of what used to be called 'stadium house'. This, with the benefit of hindsight, turns out to have been pretty much your normal house music, only with the sound of a live audience mixed over the top, to make it sound like an enormous event.
So that's what Will's done for Usher's latest. He's turned it into a success before recording has even finished. His crowd are a bit more interactive than the KLF's. They holler and whoop and clap their hands in time, much like you're going to do when this comes on in a club situation. In fact they've been given the main refrain of the song, which is kind of brilliant when you consider that's the bit you'll be singing, and then it'll be stuck in your head all day, and you'll have to go and buy the damn song.
But that's Will all over: he's an interactive kinda guy (so long as he's in charge).
And the dynamics don't stop there. Rather than let Usher purr all over his immaculate backing track, like he normally does, Will's got him stutter-rapping like he was an honourary Black Eyed Pea. He's put in breakdowns where the disco-bass drops out for AGES, he's thrown away the crowd noises, he's gone and fetched them back in again, he's even sprinkled that slowed-down man saying "let the beat rock" as an aural signature, so we all know this is a Mr I.Am production.
Like we couldn't tell just from listening. Like the line "honey got some boobies like wow-oh-wow" isn't a giveaway enough. See what I mean about evidence?
Poor Sabrina Washington though. Hasn't she got a song with this exact title coming out soon?
Download: Out now
91Èȱ¬ Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
Comment number 1.
At 25th Mar 2010, spirit wrote:What's going on ?
There is no video , and no star rating attached to this song .
I don't think it's me , I reckon it could be you .
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Comment number 2.
At 25th Mar 2010, spirit wrote:Come on , Harry and Jonesy won't like it , if they can't argue with the star rating .
And I bet Curtains is absolutely bursting to see the video . . . .
:)
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Comment number 3.
At 25th Mar 2010, Craig wrote:Just about to ask the same...is this a 0 star rating...?
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Comment number 4.
At 25th Mar 2010, spirit wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 5.
At 25th Mar 2010, Craig wrote:Why was that comment removed? didnt think you said anything wrong.
oh wait...there was a reference to some form of illicit tape wasnt there. shameful.
anyhow, about the song. a fairly good effort from usher - not as good as he has done in the past, but a massive step in the right direction after love in this club/moving mountains. Only thing is, where is Usher? is he planning to do any promo for this song/album? if he does, this could be a top 5 hit, it's very catchy and very 'now' - thanks to will.i.am. Maybe he's too busy mentoring little Bieber?
There's other good tracks on the album, so hopefully usher will return to form
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Comment number 6.
At 25th Mar 2010, spirit wrote:Good insight Craig .
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Comment number 7.
At 25th Mar 2010, spirit wrote:Yeah there is no video to see either .
I reckon Curtains has stolen it , and is keeping it in a guarded vault ,with the Fraser , LIAM , Curtains , illicit video that was allegedly filmed in Germany , last Summer .
I don't think human eyes will ever view these videos .
:)
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Comment number 8.
At 25th Mar 2010, jonesybcfc wrote:Damn star rating.
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Comment number 9.
At 25th Mar 2010, OddOne wrote:Ooh, it's now been given four stars. Sehr gut.
I have to admit, I don't like either of these people, Usher's career post-'Yeah' seems to have taken quite a nose-dive... woops.
And God knows my views on will.i.am, and how his 'production' ruined the Peas' last album bar about four tracks in my opinion.
But this song is v good, and verrry catchy. I could see it hitting Top 10, if it got advertised... but midweeks say it's only at #29. Let's hope in bunny-hops it's way into the Top 10 by the Sunday.
Four stars.
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Comment number 10.
At 26th Mar 2010, pinkparadox wrote:I do prefer Sabrina's song...
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Comment number 11.
At 26th Mar 2010, mangsy wrote:Worst piece of football chant I´ve ever heard. Oh Usher, what went wrong?
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Comment number 12.
At 26th Mar 2010, spirit wrote:@9
Odd one , I reckon this Usher track will be between numbers 8 and 15 , by Sunday .
Radio play , video play , promotion etc.
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Comment number 13.
At 27th Mar 2010, OddOne wrote:Stop it! You know you're gunna be right as well! Lol
This is so unfair! I demand chart position guesses should be banned. It just gives SPIRIT a big head. This might be potentially problematic. :L:L ;)
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Comment number 14.
At 28th Mar 2010, spirit wrote:@17.
Usher is at Number 13 .
Congrats please OddOne .
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Comment number 15.
At 28th Mar 2010, OddOne wrote:Don't push it. :P
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Comment number 16.
At 30th Mar 2010, OddOne wrote:Tbh honest, this song isn't all that great anymore. It's a tad too will.i.am in production. 2 stars.
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Comment number 17.
At 15th Apr 2010, spirit wrote:This song sounds great in a club !
Wow !
Momentum for this track is building , and something tells me it could be a number 1 single !
The amount of people that have told me , that they now love this song is phenomenal .
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Comment number 18.
At 15th Apr 2010, Craig wrote:This song def has the catchy sound needed for chart success, however since he didnt promote it much people are still discovering it and is letting it grow on them. so, maybe he'll have a chance at the top spot.
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Comment number 19.
At 15th Apr 2010, BloggingLiam wrote:This song makes me doubt the future of music. I mean. Seriously.
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Comment number 20.
At 16th Apr 2010, kingshleppy wrote:This song is so bad that it upsets me. I like Usher but this is just awful, and I don't care if it goes to number 1, I still hate it!!
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Comment number 21.
At 18th Apr 2010, BloggingLiam wrote:Oh dear.
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Comment number 22.
At 18th Apr 2010, RandomEnigma wrote:Liam, say it isn't true? This isn't....Number 1.
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Comment number 23.
At 18th Apr 2010, BloggingLiam wrote:Oh very very dear.
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Comment number 24.
At 18th Apr 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:I only just listened to the song all the way through and it's really, really bad. You just kind of blank out when you listen to it so I didn't even realise it was nearly 5 minutes long, why can't songs go back to being 3 minutes ball of fun instead of this kind of messy 5 minute ball of rubbish.
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Comment number 25.
At 19th Apr 2010, spirit wrote:Because luckily , music has no rules . . . .
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Comment number 26.
At 19th Apr 2010, U14429597 wrote:this song makes me laugh its that terrible, espically the line 'Honey got some (upper female parts) like WOWOWOW'. Fail. MUCH better songs on his album!
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Comment number 27.
At 19th Apr 2010, RandomEnigma wrote:Yeah, the Usher album is decent enough. It's nothing like his earlier work but its better than the previous one. I think its pretty disappointing that are very few male solo artists making good music these days in pop.
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Comment number 28.
At 19th Apr 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:Yeah, when is Justin Timberlake going to get back on the scene instead of popping up on other people's songs.
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Comment number 29.
At 19th Apr 2010, U14429597 wrote:Lil Freak is the best.
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Comment number 30.
At 19th Apr 2010, RandomEnigma wrote:I really like Lil Freak featuring Nicki Minaj. I really like Nicki Minaj. Anyone heard her first solo single Massive Attack, its really great but not for eveyone maybe?
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Comment number 31.
At 20th Apr 2010, BloggingLiam wrote:How people can buy this over 'Acapell' staggers me.
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Comment number 32.
At 20th Apr 2010, RandomEnigma wrote:True. But its another few weeks before Acapella is released physically, OMG has been around since March 22.
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Comment number 33.
At 21st Apr 2010, Craig wrote:Agreed that lil freak is a great track off the album, I dont know how much commercial appeal it would have, but the urban channels will like it.
As for Nicki Minaj's track Massive Attack. Very good, i think it could be a grower on some people, but more of a track for the fans as opposed to a broader audience who generally buy singles. but still, it has been a great taster for the album. I heard a rumour that lady gaga's manager is now managing Minaj. Does anyone know if this is true? if so, there could be some interesting things happening there.
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Comment number 34.
At 21st Apr 2010, Craig wrote:I have since just read that Diddy has taken on being Minaj's manager??
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Comment number 35.
At 27th Apr 2010, spirit wrote:Usher is striving for the number 1 album.
Also expect a high new entry on Sunday in the album chart for Bullet For My Valentine .
Also Usher will battle Vickers and Roll Deep for the number 1 single .
He's a very busy man , is our Ush !
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Comment number 36.
At 27th Apr 2010, jonesybcfc wrote:After this monstrosity shamed our dear Nation by reaching No.1, surely we cannot let the album reach top spot ahead of the Modfather?
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