Usher

Lemme hear you say "Yeah!" From kid-choirboy (spotted, age 14, at a talent contest in Atlanta) to old-school soul upstart to international pop sensation, Usher Raymond IV has grown up to become one of pop music's elite artists, the cream of the crunk crop, and one of R&B's sexiest song men. And that's not all. Usher is, by common consent, the artist most worthy of wearing the crown formerly owned by King of Pop, Michael Jackson; he has generated worldwide album sales in excess of 40 million; and he's currently overseeing the career of young Justin Bieber. Impressed? Of course you are, but don't forget his music: get groovin' with "Burn," and feel the burn of "Love in This Club."

Usher leaves his inner choirboy way behind, in Next Steps.

From the get-go, Usher's hits came with alarming regularity, and he matured before the eyes of the world into one of the contemporary R&B scene's most sensual balladeers, right alongside Babyface, one of his producers. Outrageously seductive storylines, like that of "Bedtime" (live version included here), transformed him from angelic choirboy into something, er, diametrically opposed to that. By the time we got to his fourth album, 2004's Confessions — one of the top ten best-selling albums of the '00s — Usher was in deep with production team Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis on several sizzlers: the syrupy bonus track "Seduction" and the straight-up "That's What It's Made For."

A couple of R&B divas appreciate Usher's attentions, in Deep Cuts.

Usher's ability to play to hip-hop, soul, and pop crowds has brought him a healthy fan base. He's a triple threat — singer, dancer, and actor . . . not to mention a basketball team co-owner (Cleveland Cavaliers). What will he do next? For now, let's just appreciate the man as he provides sterling support for Mary J. Blige ("Shake Down"), and pulls in a slew of stellar collaborators for 2008's Here I Stand: Jay-Z turns up on "Best Thing," a bad-boy-calmed-down cut recorded when both stars were newlyweds; "What's Your Name," a stunning combination of cosmic synths and red-blooded rhythm, features will.i.am; and Beyoncé joins Lil Wayne and the main man on "Love in This Club Part II."

Usher Raymond has had one amazing ride . . . so far. In a relatively short span of time, he's compiled a scroll of accomplishments that stretches from Atlanta to Hollywood and back again — from GRAMMY® statues to movie roles to elite duet partnerships (Ludacris, R. Kelly, Alicia Keys). And you know there are plenty of platinum records on those walls of his, with 2004's Confessions proudly adorned with the unit-movin' ka-ching equivalent of major bling: the coveted RIAA diamond certification for ten million in sales. But Usher is also a soul flame-keeper, intent on seeing that the music of greats, like Stevie Wonder and Barry White, burns brightly in the hearts of a new generation of fans. And surely that's one "confession" the man would be proud to make.