On the eve of the 10th anniversary of Confessions Complex spoke to Jermaine Dupri about how the titular song came to be, the genesis of the album’s theme, and why, if he had his way, “Yeah!” wouldn’t have happened. Both were the cornerstones of the Diamond-selling album. Songs like “Burn” and “Confessions Part II,” both written and produced by Jermaine Durpri and Bryan-Michael Cox, fanned the flames. Questions arose: Was Usher planning on breaking up with Chilli? Did Usher really get his sidepiece pregnant? But at the time, with Usher in a very public relationship with Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas of TLC fame, the album became pop culture catnip. When taken by itself, it’s an unremarkable story arc. It boils down to a man taking ownership of the wrongs he’s committed in a relationship one who’s done so much dirt he can’t pull himself out of his grave. Like most R&B records, Confessions is about love and love lost. Hits aside, the true hallmark of the album was its titular theme, as reflected in the title track. 1 hit “U Got It Bad” and moved more than 8 million units worldwide. It’s also worth mentioning that Confessions was the hotly anticipated follow-up to 8701, the album that birthed the No. The second single from the album, “Burn,” a somber guitar-backed meditation on ending a bad relationship, replaced “Yeah!” at the top of the charts and remained there for another eight consecutive weeks. 1 song in the country for twelve consecutive weeks and sold over 4 million copies in the United States.

The success of the album can be attributed to a great number of factors: The first single, the Lil Jon–produced “Yeah!” was the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 for nine consecutive weeks.

It was the second best-selling album of the 2000s. Numbers don’t lie: The album sold over 20 million records worldwide. To say Usher’s Confessions was the most important album of the aughts is neither hyperbole nor unfounded fanboy-ism. The words “classic,” “watershed,” and “most influential” are tossed around without care or clear aim. When our favorite albums hit milestone anniversaries, the hyperbole comes out when describing the art, as well as the impact the project had on its genre. Ten years later, the truth finally comes out.

Usher confessions album songs