The contrite songs are standard R&B, notable only because Usher's begging and pleading are directed at Chili from TLC. Things only take off when he starts making excuses for his infidelity. Burn is so smooth that you'll barely notice he's saying "it's not me, it's you." Yeah! explains how things got messed up in the first place with a great rap cameo from Ludacris and an addictive atonal whistle embedded in the chorus. Easily the best pop song of the year.
Best Tracks: Yeah!, Confessions Part II, Burn
Come fly with us, and Leo, through the best (and worst) of 2004. Tops in the cinema this year include Scorsese's Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator. Elsewhere, Deadwood was good TV, and a Strange tale fascinated readers.