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Here I Stand (Usher song)

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"Here I Stand"
Single by Usher
from the album Here I Stand
ReleasedAugust 18, 2008 (2008-08-18)
Recorded
Length4:10
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Dre & Vidal
Usher singles chronology
"What's Your Name"
(2008) 		"Here I Stand"
(2008) 		"Trading Places"
(2008)

"Here I Stand" is a song by American recording artist Usher. It was sent to urban adult contemporary radio on August 18, 2008 by LaFace Records and RCA Records as the fifth single from Usher's fifth studio album of the same name. Penned by the singer with Polow da Don, Adam Blackstone, Gerrell Gaddis, and Dre & Vidal, and produced by Dre & Vidal, "Here I Stand" is a slow soul ballad and contains similarities to Stevie Wonder's music. The record was nominated for the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance award at the 51st Grammy Awards. "Here I Stand" maintained a position on the United States Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for several weeks in 2008 and 2009, reaching the top twenty. It also appeared on the US Radio Songs and Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles charts, peaking at numbers seventy-two and six, respectively.

Background and composition

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"Here I Stand"
The song incorporates soul which led to comparisons with Stevie Wonder.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Here I Stand" was written by Usher, Polow da Don, Adam Blackstone and Gerrell Gaddis, as well as Dre & Vidal, who also produced the track.[1] The song was recorded by Vincent Dilorenzo, with assistance from Geoff Rice, at Sony Music Studios, New York City and Zac Recording, Atlanta.[1] Dilorenzo also mixed the record, with assistance from Matt DeSando, at Studio 609, Philadelphia.[1] According to Josh Eells of Blender, "Here I Stand" was written for Tameka Foster,[2] whom Usher married in August 2007.[3] Composed before their engagement, "Here I Stand" was played at Usher and Foster's wedding, on Foster's request.[4][5] The tune is an assurance of sexual fidelity and commitment.[4][6] In an interview with MTV News, Usher stated, "If you listen to the words [of 'Here I Stand'], it is very heartfelt, simplistic, yet very soulful. ... It's a man's words to his woman: a vow to say that you are the one, and I'll be there for you."[5] A slow jam soul ballad,[2][7] "Here I Stand" has been compared to the work of Stevie Wonder by critics.[7][8] It was included on Usher's fifth studio album of the same name, released on May 13, 2008 by LaFace Records.[9]

Release and promotion

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The song was released to urban adult contemporary radio by LaFace and RCA Records on August 18, 2008,[10] serving as the fifth single from Here I Stand. Usher sang "Here I Stand" along with "Trading Places" and "What's Your Name" at the warmup concert for the 2008 National Football League Kickoff game on September 4.[11] Usher performed "Here I Stand" at Sony's keynote address at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show.[12] The song was performed on his One Night Stand: Ladies Only Tour, with a slower tempo.[13]

Reception

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Stevie Wonder (left) and Usher performing in 2009

Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly called "Here I Stand" a throwback to Stevie Wonder, and was disappointed that it was placed near the end of the parent album.[8] USA Today's Steve Jones noted the track as a highlight of the album.[14] Joshua Alston from The A.V. Club wrote that the song "lyrically and musically sounds more passionate and more adult than Usher ever has," and called it a "syrupy ballad".[15] However, Blender's Josh Eells called the "chivalrous" number "sweet but taxing, like looking at photos from someone else’s wedding,"[2] while Jim Farber of the Daily News wrote that "the [song's] melody fails [Usher]."[7] The song ranked at number one on AOL Radio's list of top Usher songs.[4] At the 51st Grammy Awards, "Here I Stand" was nominated for the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance award, but lost to Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent" from his 2008 album, Year of the Gentleman.[16]

Following its radio release, "Here I Stand" debuted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at number seventy-five on the issue dated September 20, 2008, and peaked at number eighteen on March 14, 2009. On July 18, 2009 it fell off the chart, having spent forty-three weeks on the chart.[17] "Here I Stand" entered the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles at number fourteen on the chart of December 17, 2008.[18] It peaked at number six on January 3, 2009, before it slipped off the chart the following week, having lasted four weeks there.[19] On February 7, 2009, the song appeared on the Hot 100 Airplay (Radio Songs) at number seventy-three,[20] but failed to reappear on the chart the next week. It re-entered one place higher, at number seventy-two, on March 14, 2009,[21] but again did not gain any traction, with no place achieved on the following chart.[22] However, it became his first number one hit on the Adult R&B Songs chart on December 6, 2008.[23]

Credits

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Credits lifted from the liner notes of Here I Stand.[1]

Charts

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Here I Stand (CD liner). Usher. LaFace Records. 2008.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ a b c Eells, Josh. "Review: Usher – Here I Stand". Blender. Alpha Media Group. Archived from the original on September 25, 2009. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  3. ^ Nero, Mark Edward. "Usher - 'Here I Stand'". About.com. Archived from the original on December 27, 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Dickinson, Boonsri. "Top 10 Usher Songs". AOL Radio. AOL. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  5. ^ a b Reid, Shaheem; Dotiwala, Jasmine (May 20, 2008). "Usher Recruits Fellow Newlywed Jay-Z For Marriage-Focused Track: '[At] Some Point In Life, You've Got To Grow Up'". MTV News. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
  6. ^ Pareles, Jon (May 26, 2008). "Critics' Choice – New CDs". The New York Times. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  7. ^ a b c Farber, Jim (May 27, 2008). "Usher's 'Here I Stand' falls short". Daily News. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012.
  8. ^ a b Greenblatt, Leah (May 16, 2008). "Here I Stand". Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  9. ^ "Here I Stand (Deluxe Version)". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2011.
  10. ^ "R&R :: Going For Adds :: Urban AC". Radio & Records. August 18, 2008. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  11. ^ "Usher to kick off NFL season with concert". New York: Today.com. NBCUniversal. Associated Press. August 30, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  12. ^ MacManus, Christopher (January 11, 2009). "Usher Performs 'Here I Stand' Live At Sony's 2009 CES Keynote". Sony Insider. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  13. ^ Hildebrand, Lee (November 20, 2008). "Music review: Usher, the family and ladies' man". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved February 7, 2011.
  14. ^ Jones, Steve (May 27, 2008). "New album 'Here I Stand' is pure, mature Usher". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  15. ^ Alston, Joshua (June 9, 2008). "Here I Stand". The A.V. Club. Onion Inc. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  16. ^ "Grammy 2009 Winners List". MTV News. MTV. February 8, 2009. Archived from the original on March 15, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  17. ^ "Here I Stand - Usher". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  18. ^ "Bubbling Under and Other Charts". Billboard. Vol. 120, no. 50. Nielsen Business Media. December 17, 2008. p. 67. ISSN 0006-2510.
  19. ^ a b "Bubbling Under and Other Charts". Billboard. Vol. 121, no. 52. Nielsen Business Media. January 3, 2009. p. 53. ISSN 0006-2510.
  20. ^ "Hot 100 Airplay". Billboard. Vol. 121, no. 5. Nielsen Business Media. February 7, 2009. p. 43. ISSN 0006-2510.
  21. ^ "Hot 100 Airplay". Billboard. Vol. 121, no. 10. Nielsen Business Media. March 14, 2009. p. 47. ISSN 0006-2510.
  22. ^ a b "Usher – Chart History". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 2024-05-26. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  23. ^ "Usher Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
  24. ^ "Usher Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  25. ^ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-02-06.

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