In Brief

Weak songwriting notwithstanding, it doesn’t take a Dionne Warwick psychic friend to predict big things for this hip-hop heartthrob. At 18, Usher has star presence to spare on the booty-calling title cut and on the similarly themed “You Make Me Wanna.” The sex emphasis wears thin, but only because Usher’s songs aren’t as interesting as their subject matter.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good), four stars (excellent).

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Hear the Music

* Excerpts from these albums and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: http://ziira.shop/soundclips