Description
Here I Stand is the fifth studio album by American R&B recording artist Usher, released on May 13, 2008 by LaFace Records. Inspired by love for his new wife—Tameka Foster—and son, Usher recorded many ballads for the album. Prior to the album’s recording, Usher split with his mother, Jonnetta Patton, as manager and hired Benny Medina. Usher’s estranged father died months before the release of Here I Stand; this also influenced themes of the album. It was originally to be titled “Measure of a Man”, but Usher named it Here I Stand to mark “a new chapter in [his] life” Here I Stand received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Some music critics praised Usher’s growth and maturity, while others were unimpressed by the change in style from Confessions (2004). Here I Stand debuted atop the Billboard 200, and sold 433,000 copies in the US in its first week of release, and has since sold 1.5 million copies in that country. The album also reached number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, UK Albums Chart and Australian Albums Chart, and has sold five million units worldwide. This copy has been hand signed in blue ink on the front cover.