Music

Usher celebrates 20 years of his landmark album Confessions: 'Let's keep making history!'

"Thank you for rocking with me through every lyric, every beat, and every confession," Usher wrote.

By

Published on March 24, 2024 04:58PM EDT

Usher sure has a lot to celebrate this year: a thoroughly lit Super Bowl Halftime Show, a new album, a new wife, and now, the anniversary of his biggest album ever, 2004's Confessions.

"20 years ago today, we dropped the iconic Confessions album, which is now 14x Platinum. Making it the highest RIAA certified album by a male soloist released this century," Usher wrote on Instagram, sharing a compilation of music videos from the album.

celebrating 20th anniversary of Confessions — Usher.
Unique Nicole/WireImage

Described at the time with the tried and true pop star declaration of being his most personal album to date, Confessions chronicles the drama in Usher's personal relationships, from breaking up to pregnant mistresses.

"All of us have our Pandora's boxes or skeletons in our closets," Usher told MTV in 2004. "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."

Confessions sold 1.1 million copies in its first week of release, buoyed by the lead single "Yeah!" featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris. The single was No. 1 for 12 weeks before being replaced by Usher's second Confessions single "Burn," which was No. 1 for eight non-consecutive weeks.

Confessions spawned two more No. 1 hits with "Confessions Part II" and his duet with Alicia Keys. "My Boo" (which was featured on the special edition of the album, released seven months after the original album).

"The love and support from my Day 1s has been nothing short of incredible," Usher continued on Instagram. "Thank you for rocking with me through every lyric, every beat, and every confession. Thank you to each and every important collaborator that was a part of this very special project that helped mold and shape my career as an artist. Without you, Confessions wouldn’t be the masterpiece it is."

At the 47th Grammy Awards, the album garnered eight nominations, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for "Yeah!", winning Best Contemporary R&B Album among two other trophies.

"Here’s to the memories, the vibes, and the timeless music that continues to move us," Usher concluded his post. "Let’s keep making history!!"

Related content: