Confessions Part II
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"Confessions Part II" is a song by R&B singer
Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** Fiel ...
, produced by
Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Early life Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...
and
Bryan-Michael Cox Bryan-Michael Paul Cox (born December 1, 1977) is an American record producer and songwriter who is notable for his work with artists such as Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Toni Braxton. Among his most notable productions are "Be Wit ...
for Usher's fourth album '' Confessions''. Written by Usher, Dupri and Cox, the song is a confession of a man to his woman about his impregnated mistress. This is a continuation of "Confessions Part I" which relates to a man's infidelity. Its personal content evoked rumors and early responses from the public even before its release, believing that Usher was asserting the truth; however, Dupri divulged that the story behind the album is about himself. "Confessions Part II" received mixed reviews from critics. The song was released as the third single from the album, following the success of "
Burn A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur mainl ...
". The single reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for two weeks, becoming the album's third consecutive number-one single. Internationally, the single had lesser success than the album's previous releases.


Background and release

When he started working on his fourth studio album ''Confessions'' after the release of his 2001 album ''
8701 ''8701'' is the third studio album by American singer Usher, released in the United Kingdom on July 9, 2001, and in the United States on August 7, 2001, by Arista Records. Recording was handled by several producers including The Neptunes, Jerm ...
'', Usher chose not to branch out much with musical collaborators; instead, he chose to continue creating music with his previous producers. He again enlisted producer-songwriter
Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Early life Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...
, who had produced songs for Usher's two previous albums. Dupri approached
Bryan-Michael Cox Bryan-Michael Paul Cox (born December 1, 1977) is an American record producer and songwriter who is notable for his work with artists such as Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, and Toni Braxton. Among his most notable productions are "Be Wit ...
, asking him to become a collaborator. Cox has been a frequent partner of Dupri who had produced hits for Usher as well. Like "Burn", the second single from the album, Dupri and Cox conversed about a situation, creating the idea of the prospective song. However, they were concerned because they needed somebody to write such a song and they never thought Usher would do it. The concept became "Confessions". Usher started recording the song in July 2003 in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. One day, before the night was over, Usher was singing about impregnating a mistress and becoming displeased, having found that she is three months pregnant. The theme of cheating inspired him and Dupri, and they then decided to produce two parts of "Confessions": Part I and Part II. Usher said that the former is a "dramatization where a guy confesses all the stuff he's been doing" against his woman. The latter speaks of impregnating a mistress. While ''Confessions'' was still in production, Usher promised "real talk" in it. He decided "to let it all hang out by singing about some of his own little secrets, as well as a few bones from his homies' skeleton-filled closets." He explained: "All of us have our Pandora's boxes or skeletons in our closets. I let a few of them out, you know. I've got a lot to say. I've got a lot of things and stuff built in me that I just want to let go of." He further noted that, for the most part, the album's subject matter is "very personal". Dupri expected people to question some of the personal lyrics they associated in the song. "Confessions Part II" was released as the third single from the album, following "Burn". The single was released in the United States as a
12-inch single The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12″) is a type of vinyl ( polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a 'single' or a few related sound tracks on each surfac ...
on August 24, 2004. It was released in Germany on October 18, and Australia on October 26, 2004, featuring the album and remix version of the track and a song called "Whatever I Want". In the United Kingdom, it was issued as a double A-side with " My Boo", the fourth single from the album. The single was released in the country on November 1, 2004.


Lyrical interpretation

Usher held few listening parties for the album prior to its release. Shortly after, people came up with different interpretations of "Confessions Part II", among other personal songs in the album. In 2003, Usher's two-year relationship with
TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an As ...
's
Chilli Chili or chilli may refer to: Food * Chili pepper, the spicy fruit of plants in the genus ''Capsicum''; sometimes spelled "chilli" in the UK and "chile" in the southwestern US * Chili powder, the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties ...
was going to "flame-out", which partly contributed to the concept of "Burn". They finally broke up early in 2004 because of "irreconcilable differences and because the two found it almost impossible to make compromises" which partly triggered public speculation that some of the songs in the album are in reference to his personal struggle. They referred to the song speaking about Usher's "infidelity" to Chilli. Alongside the "cheating" rumors, the public inferred from the lyrics that Usher had impregnated a mistress in real life. Usher, however, emphasized that he was not in a relationship or "got another girl pregnant" and he was singing a "character". The similarity of situations he faced before and experiences of his friends collectively inspired him to write the song. In the middle of rumors, Dupri admitted that the stories behind the songs in the album are his. He stated, "me cheating on my steady girlfriend, having a baby with that other woman and having to confess to everything that happened to my main girl." Behind rumors, Usher refuted in an interview with
MTV News MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
:
People assume things, because as I said, I pull from my personal experiences to make my music ... I never experienced athering a child outside of a relationshipfirsthand, but it's something I wanted to talk about  ... and it's something that has happened to me in the past ... As I said, I have a few deep, dark ones that I've kept stowed away in a closet for a minute ... That's why I take this time to speak to you guys and let you know really what it is ... I will tell you that I loved hillia lot and she obviously loved me; it just didn't work out. But cheating is not what caused the relationship to collide and crash. That ain't what broke it up.


Composition

"Confessions Part II" is an R&B song composed in the key of
F minor F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature consists of four flats. Its relative major is A-flat major and its parallel major is F major. Its enharmonic equivalent, E-sharp mi ...
. Set in
common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
, the song is performed with a moderate groove. The song follows the
chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
of Dmaj7-E-Fm7, and Usher's voice spans from the low note of E4 to the high note of F6. The lyrics are constructed in the inverted chorus-verse form. There are four choruses and two verses, and then a break between the third and final chorus which Usher speaks the lyrics. The lyrics of "Confessions Part II" centers on a confession about impregnating a mistress. For the prelude, Usher tells his significant other that he impregnated his mistress. "Confessions Part II" apologizes what he had done in part one. Usher said of the song that right after he confessed with his real woman, he hoped she would still give him a chance. Dupri said that "Confessions Part II" is one of the songs which speak about breakups in relationships.


Reception

Many critics found the song intriguing and came up with interpretations of it as well. Andrew McGregor of the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
questioned if "Confessions Part II", as well as "Truth Hurts", are only "mere theatre" or telling the truth. Laura Sinagra of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' focuses on how Usher admits in the song about impregnating a mistress. Sal Cinquemani of
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
commented that Usher was at an age when "getting his 'chick on the side'" seemed appropriate. Outside of rumors, Jem Aswad of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' said that the best songs from the album were "Confessions Part II" and "Burn", which he described as having smooth melodies. Matt Cibula of
Popmatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
said of the flow of the concept does not work. He pointed out that in the second part, Usher claims he "barely knows the other lady", while in the first part, he already said that she was his ex-girlfriend. He furthered called it the "wimpiest" song on the theme of the album. Kelefa Sanneh of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' called it a "tricky infidelity narrative". "Confessions Part II" was nominated for Best R&B/Soul, Male at the 2005
Soul Train Music Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of ''Soul Train'', the pro ...
. At the 2005
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
Pop Music Awards, Dupri received the ASCAP Golden Note Award for co-writing the song, alongside his many achievements and contributions to
American popular music American popular music has had a profound effect on music across the world. The country has seen the rise of popular styles that have had a significant influence on global culture, including ragtime, blues, jazz, swing, rock, bluegrass, count ...
.
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
record company
EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
was recognized as Publisher of the Year for the song, including "Burn" and songs by
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
,
Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
,
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
.


Chart performance

"Confessions Part II" lived up to the success of its predecessors in the United States, though not as overwhelmingly. The single debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 48, a higher entry than those of " Yeah!" and "
Burn A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur mainl ...
" did, while "Yeah!" was still at the top of the chart and "Burn" at number three. It peaked at number one on July 27, 2004, replacing "Burn"'s eighth non-consecutive chart run, and stayed there for two weeks. It failed to match the number of days at top spot of the previous two releases, and remained on the top ten for 13 weeks. The single left the chart after 25 weeks. The single was certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
on for reaching half a million shipments. Internationally, "Confessions Part II" had lesser success. The single debuted at number five in Australia, becoming its highest entry, and failed to reach a higher position. The single reached number five in the United Kingdom, peaked at number seven in Ireland, and below top ten in the Netherlands and France, where it reached #43


Music video

The music video of "Confessions Part II" was co-directed by Usher and music video director Chris Robinson, who also directed the video for the album's fourth single, " My Boo". "Confessions (Interlude)" serves as the opening of the video. Set in a studio, Usher receives a phone message and finds out that he impregnated his mistress. After he speaks the spoken section of the interlude and gets in a car, "Confessions Part II" proceeds. Usher is set in a dark lit room, with only one chair. He occasionally shows a large ring on his ring finger. In the middle of the video, he lies on a
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
and in his imagination, his woman and mistress are beside him. The next scene shows Usher in a brown car singing, goes out and kneels before his woman to confess. She refuses to listen and slaps Usher, then walks away. This led to Usher being sad and angry for losing his woman and becoming shirtless. Alone, Usher stands in front of a wide mirror, which breaks into pieces accompanied by a roaring sound, ending the same way "Confessions Part II" started, with him sitting on a chair. The music video successfully charted on video programs. It debuted on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's ''
Total Request Live ''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...
'' on June 28, 2004, the same entry as "Burn". The music video reached number one on the countdown, and retired on September 15, 2004, at number seven. Like "Yeah!", "Confessions Part II" video remained on ''TRL'' for 50 days.


Remixes and parodies

The official remix of "Confessions Part II" was included on the re-release of ''Confessions'', and features additional verses by Usher,
Shyne Moses Michael Levi Barrow (born Jamal Michael Barrow, best known by his stage name Shyne; November 8, 1978) is a Belizean rapper and politician.
(rapped his verse on the phone while in prison),
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
,
Twista Carl Terrell Mitchell (born November 27, 1973), better known by his stage name Twista (formerly Tung Twista), is an American rapper and record producer. He is best known for his Chopper (rap), chopper style of rapping and for once holding the t ...
and
Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Early life Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...
. The song is also parodied by
"Weird Al" Yankovic Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, actor and author. He is best known for creating comedy songs that make light of pop culture and often parody specifi ...
on his album ''
Straight Outta Lynwood ''Straight Outta Lynwood'' is the twelfth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on September 26, 2006, the title drawing inspiration from hip hop group N.W.A's '' Straight Outta Compton''. It was the sixth studio album self-produced b ...
'' (2006) as "
Confessions Part III ''Straight Outta Lynwood'' is the twelfth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on September 26, 2006, the title drawing inspiration from hip hop group N.W.A's ''Straight Outta Compton''. It was the sixth studio album self-produced by Y ...
".


Track listings

UK CD 1 # "Confessions Part II" # "My Boo" (Duet with
Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...
)
UK CD 2 # "Confessions Part II" # "My Boo" (Duet with Alicia Keys) # "Confessions Part II" (Remix) (featuring
Shyne Moses Michael Levi Barrow (born Jamal Michael Barrow, best known by his stage name Shyne; November 8, 1978) is a Belizean rapper and politician.
,
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
&
Twista Carl Terrell Mitchell (born November 27, 1973), better known by his stage name Twista (formerly Tung Twista), is an American rapper and record producer. He is best known for his Chopper (rap), chopper style of rapping and for once holding the t ...
)
# "Confessions Part II" (Music Video)


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


See also

*
List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2004 (U.S.) The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is a chart that ranks the best-performing singles of the United States. Published by '' Billboard'' magazine, the data are compiled by Nielsen SoundScan based collectively on each single's weekly physical sales an ...
* List of number-one R&B singles of 2004 (U.S.)


References

{{Authority control 2000s ballads 2004 singles 2004 songs Arista Records singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Contemporary R&B ballads Music videos directed by Chris Robinson (director) Sequel songs Song recordings produced by Jermaine Dupri Songs about infidelity Songs written by Bryan-Michael Cox Songs written by Jermaine Dupri Songs written by Usher (musician) Usher (musician) songs