Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	6.9/10
Metacritic	74/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Entertainment Weekly	B-
Idolator
The Independent
The National
Pitchfork	6.6/10
PopMatters
Rolling Stone
USA Today

Hard II Love is the eighth studio album by American singer Usher. It was released on September 16, 2016, by RCA Records. The production on the album was provided by Brandon "B.A.M." Hodge, Rock City, Pop & Oak, PartyNextDoor, D'Mile, Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, Metro Boomin, Raphael Saadiq among others. The album features several guest vocalists from Young Thug and Future. The album was supported by four singles: "No Limit", "Crash", "Missin U" and "Rivals".

The album was available for online streaming on June 13, 2016 exclusively through the streaming service Tidal, which Usher co-owns. On June 16, 2016, it was released for paid purchase on other digital download and online streaming services on September 16, 2016. The album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200.

In an interview with Rap-Up, singer and songwriter Eric Bellinger explained that himself, along with Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox and Brian Alexander Morgan, were working on Usher's next album. Bellinger compared the album's music to Usher's Confessions, saying that it is "more urban" than Looking 4 Myself. The latter declared that his next album would show that he is "still Usher". In an interview with Billboard, Bellinger explained that Usher created music for his previous albums based on what people wanted to hear. For his follow-up project, he chose to do music based on "what he wants to do in his heart", placing R&B as the album's main focus.

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