Here I Stand

Album: Here I Stand (2008)
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Songfacts®:

  • This was written by Former Roc-A-Fella R&B artist Rell.
  • The Grammy Award-winning team Dre & Vidal produced this. Vidal Davis told MTV News about this song: "It's a ballad. Classic. It's a smash. It shows that despite all the things he's been through, he's still here. The first time [Usher] heard it after Rell wrote it, he said, 'I gotta cut that.' He's really grown [on] this album. He's talking about some issues."
  • Davis told MTV News that this song is addressing Usher's fans and family. "The song is saying, 'No matter how far I go, no matter how long it takes, here I stand."
  • This was played at Usher's wedding ceremony in August 2007. Usher told MTV News: "'Here I Stand' was played at my wedding, which is why everybody thinks it was written specifically for that reason. It wasn't; it was originally written before we were engaged or married. It was [my wife's] request to have it played at our wedding because it was suiting. If you listen to the words, 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. You know, some people are ready to make that step, some people aren't. I think about this every time I put my albums together. I wonder where my fans are. Are they with me or have they grown with me? Well, the fan that was 21 when I was 21 is now 29. He or she probably has experienced this, feels this or has felt this. So I speak to you, but also complimenting the younger, up-and-coming fans with 'Love in This Club' and 'What's Your Name,' which are more light-hearted. But you get depth. It's almost like a complete story; you get a beginning, a middle and an end, and it's all there for you."
  • This was Usher's first ever #1 on the Billboard Adult R&B chart. This was surprising as, prior to its ascent to the top position, he had already had eight #1s on The Billboard Hot 100 and nine on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally.

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