Bark + Bite

Usher delivers a straight-up performance of "Climax" at the 2012 BET Awards

Awards show performances are usually a special occasion in which the conventional goes out the window. Surprise guests, eye-popping costumes, neck-snapping medlies, you name it, it happens.

So imagine our surprise when Usher failed to deliver one measly left turn during his performance at the 2012 BET Awards. Admittedly, the falsetto and vocals were damn near flawless, which wasn't the case for him on SNL, but still. Aside from his curious red Uggs, there wasn't nothing here to really get all that excited about.

Oh well, at least "Climax" is still great.

Check out Usher's BET Awards performance below

Usher's "Scream" video is nothing to scream about

Yeah, this is pretty much a big ol' womp from someone who deems himself Mr. Entertainment. Guess he didn't have time or budget for a full-fledged spectacle? This feels like that breakdown scene from "OMG" dragged out over 4 minutes. Thanks, but no thanks, Ursha.

This video slightly avoids the title as the worst Usher video ever. The shaky, nausea-inducing "More" clip still holds it down on that front.

Usher plays it cool on SNL with "Climax" and "Scream" performances

Usher is known for his onstage spectacles, so imagine our surprise when Usher opted not to dance for much of his SNL performances.

His performance of "Scream," his high-energy dance single, was instead a half-choreographed, half-backing track laced mishmash. Chris Brown is always good for cutting a rug during his dance tracks, but in order to make that happen, he trades off dancing for live singing.

Maybe Usher was really eager to show off his vocal chops. And if that's the case, his "Scream" performance didn't really make that case too well as it relied pretty heavily on that backing track anyway. So next time, Usher should spare us the half-hearted attempt and just go for that headset and dance, dance the night away.

Usher's other single, the slow-burner "Climax," put all the pressure on Usher's falsetto. While Usher did his best to hold it together, there were a few sour notes that slipped. But you try singing in falsetto for four minutes. Bet your throat will turn into shredded cheese in 30 seconds flat.

Watch Usher's SNL performances below

The masticated review of Usher's "Scream"

Like Rihanna and Chris Brown, Usher is a black artist forced to straddle two genres: Pop and R&B. So when his excellent, Diplo-produced R&B electro ballad "Climax" launched his upcoming album, Looking for Myself, we all knew that the pop single couldn't be too far behind.

Not that we necessarily had anything to worry about, since Usher does do pop well, as evidenced by "OMG" and "Without You." But then again, he also does pop badly, as seen by the dance-by-numbers track "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love Again."

So where does his latest pop effort, "Scream," fall? Somewhere in the middle, but leaning slightly toward the no bueno zone.

Listen to Usher's new single below

What the heck is The Shanertance, Usher?

So CNN's The Marquee Blog is saying that Usher's new studio album will be called The Shanertance.

What in the UrbanDictionary.com heck is that?

Did the spirit of Dr. Seuss temporarily take hold of Usher's mind and inspire him to just make up some random word? Is the "Shanertance" a creature? His pink wig-wearing alter ego? The name of his next celebrity scent?

Let's hope the folks at CNN somehow got this one wrong and that Usher will be unveiling the real album title soon. He's on a roll with "Climax," no need to derail what's shaping up to be a good thing with this foolishness.

Usher imagines the dramatic possibilities in tense "Climax" video

How do you know when a relationship's really over? Probably when you sit outside of your ex's house fantasizing about ways to kill her new boyfriend.

Usher takes a stab at a maniacal kind of music video that sees the R&B star crazy in love. He knows the love is gone, the sweet sugar of amour has harshly fermented. But for some reason, he just can't let go.

Looking appropriately scruffy and unshaven for the stalker video, Usher gets a little Memento and Groundhog Day as he imagines the possible scenarios over and over in his head.

Watch the video for Usher's new single below

Usher delivers a cool "Climax" with Diplo's help

Usher has teamed up with "Look At Me Now" producer Diplo for an icy, distant break-up ballad that brews and bubbles with all the angst of a teenage melodrama. If Mr. Freeze wrote another sad love song, it'd probably sound like this. But Diplo described it more as "Radiohead quietstorm."

Impressively, Usher sings the bulk of the song in falsetto, which along with the production, lends it an airy, ethereal feel. Good luck reproducing night after night on the tour though, Mr. Raymond.

The bittersweet lyrics paint the picture of a good love gone bad clearly: "I gave my best, it wasn't enough / You get upset, we argue too much / We made a mess of what used to be love, so why do I care, I care at all."

The song is a bold shift in the dance-pop trend. It's still unabashedly eletronic music, but Usher is fusing the genre with more of his trademark soul stylings and avoiding the extended dance break frenzy that Rihanna's "We Found Love" has seemed to make popular.

But Usher has plans for "Climax," and they involve a scantily clad woman, a lot of one dollar bills and a pole.

@diplo...yet another strip club classic....Magic City, Onyx, Follies, Kamal 21, Strokers, Silent Sound here we come!

— Usher Raymond IV (@UsherRaymondIV) February 14, 2012

Listen to Usher and Diplo's new joint below

Ranking the Voices of 10 Men in Pop

What's in a voice? A powerful voice in pop music can leave a lasting legacy, eternal popularity, and cultural relevancy.

We've examined 10 male voices in pop music and we break them down according to their vocal abilities, or lack thereof. Sure, no one can touch Michael Jackson on stage but what about in the studio? Who is the 'Falsetto King' — Usher or Justin Timberlake? And what grade does Trey Songz's yelped ad-libs and seemingly painful technique warrant him as a singer?

Serving as perfect material for stan wars or just solid background info for the less rabid pop music fan, find out where your favorite male vocalist landed on the list and sound off below. And be sure to revisit the female edition of this feature, which ranked 10 women in pop.