‘Rolling Stone’ crowns Usher’s “Confessions Part II” as greatest 21st century R&B song

Rolling Stone has released its list of 100 Greatest R&B Songs of the 21st century, naming Usher‘s “Confessions Part II” in the #1 spot. 

The magazine recognizes the 2004 hit, which lands on Usher’s Grammy-winning fourth album, Confessions, as one of the early 2000s tracks that helped define the era of R&B music that also worked across the pop genre. 

“‘Confessions Part II’ set a new standard for 21st-century R&B thanks to its emotional depth, vivid narrative (inspired by co-writer/producer Jermaine Dupri‘s real-life situation), and Usher’s convincing vocal performance,” Rolling Stone writes.

On his Instagram Story, Usher shared a post by Bryan-Michael Cox, who co-wrote “Confessions Part II,” that showcased the Rolling Stone Top 100 list and a picture of the song in at #1. 

“That skinny, big headed kid with the glasses that used to dream about seeing his name amongst the greats, really made it,” Cox said.

Elsewhere on the list, D’Angelo‘s “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” nabs the #2 spot, “Dangerously in Love 2” by Beyoncé ranks third, Mary J. Blige‘s “Be Without You” is #4, and “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey rounds out the top five.