“U Remind Me” by Usher

The addressee of Usher’s “U Remind Me” is a romantic interest of the vocalist’s and is perhaps someone he has already dated. But either way, he is letting her know straight-up that henceforth he has no intention of taking it there, despite admittedly being attracted. And that’s because the addressee reminds the vocalist of his ex, i.e. the two of them looking similar enough to have attracted Usher to this new girl in the first place. 

However, said ex did him dirty, as in sleeping with other guys behind his back. And since the vocalist can’t help but to be reminded of that lady every time he looks at the new girl, he concludes that the two of them cannot be an item.

Facts about “U Remind Me”

May 2001 was when “U Remind Me” was officially launched by Usher’s label as a single from his third album which goes by the title “8701” .

“U Remind Me” was written by various songwriters, including Edmund Clement and the songwriting duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

In at least 10 countries, this song, including the United States (where it hit number 1).

• UK (#2)
• Australia (#4)
• Belgium (#3)
• Canada (#3)
• Denmark (#6)
• Europe (#6)
• France (#3)
• Netherlands (#3)
• New Zealand (#3)
• Norway (#6)

This song enjoyed Platinum status in the United Kingdom.

“U Remind Me” was the recipient of the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Other nominees for this award were:

• “Lifetime” by Maxwell
• “Love” by Musiq Soulchild
• “Love of My Life” by Brian McKnight
• “Missing You” by Case

The “8701” Album

“8701” is an album by American singer, songwriter and dancer, Usher Raymond. It was released on August 7 of 2001 as the singer’s 3rd studio album.

The album was scheduled to be released in October of 2000. It had to be postponed a number of times because some of its tracks leaked. The leaked tracks were replaced with new ones before the album got officially released the following year.

The album’s title, “8701” was derived from the combination of two dates, the year Usher started singing in church (1987) and the year of the album’s official release (2001).

“8701” sold over 200,000 copies within its first week of release. By 2010 it had recorded sales of over 8 million copies globally. The RIAA of the US certified it 4x Platinum. It received 2x Platinum certifications in the UK and Australia. It was awarded Gold certifications in France, Japan and Switzerland.   

The album peaked at No.1 in the UK and Canada. It clinged to various spots within top-10 in the following countries:

• Australia – 5
• Belgium – 4
• Denmark – 3
• Netherlands – 7
• Germany – 7
• New Zealand – 8

In February of 2002, “8701” blessed Usher with his first ever Grammy Award. He won “Best R&B Vocal Performance Male” with the song, “U Remind Me”. At the 45th edition of the event, which took place the following year, “U Don’t Have to Call” won him the same award.