One track on Usher’s latest album, out Tuesday, is credited to nine songwriters. Another two tracks feature eight. No wonder the urban pop superstar is looking for himself.

Of course the approach of songwriting by committee — or, in some cases, authors of sampled works receiving credit — is nothing new in pop music in general, or Usher albums specifically. But the groupthink does drain some of the individuality and soul from the process. (As does the unnecessary deployment of Auto-tune on a singer who can actually hold his own vocally.)