By the time he was upon the threshold of puberty, Usher already had a record deal and a gold album. By the time he graduated from high school, he'd established himself as one of the most visible artists in R&B. Armed with a soulful voice and impressive songwriting skills, Usher's songs vary from floor-rattling dance tracks to between-the-sheets ballads. Between 1994 and 2004, he released six albums, appeared in several films, earned multiple platinum plaques, and collaborated with a wide variety of top-shelf artists. Though he was already a well-established famous singer (and occasional actor), 2004 was the year he really blew up worldwide, thanks to the infectious, chart-topping single "Yeah" produced by Lil Jon. The song, and his album Confessions, netted him three Grammy Awards and propelled him to the upper tier of music superstardom.