Usher originally hoped to release it in November 2007; it finally saw its release on May 27th, 2008. The album's cover shows a license plate 1126, the date of his son's birth.

Songs for the album have been recorded with Jermaine Dupri, Dre & Vidal, and Polow Da Don.

In an April appearance on MTV's TRL, Usher stated that Beyonce and Jay-Z will both appear on his album. Beyonce is featured in the album's second single, "Love In This Club, Part II", while Jay-Z will appear in "Best Thing".

Dupri also talked about the album: "Usher's album is more about teaching men [that] at some point, you gotta grow up. And growing up is respecting a woman and having a woman in your life and taking care of your woman. That's his definition of growing up."

Usher's previous album, Confessions, shares its title with the famous book by womanising Augustine. Here I Stand are similarly famous words attributed to Martin Luther.

VH1 was given a preview of the album and added summaries of each song to its blog.

Usher performed "Love in This Club" live for the first time in the U.S. at the after-party for the season finale of MTV's "The Hills". He was joined onstage by Young Jeezy. He also performed "Love in This Club" live on the season finale of "Dancing With The Stars" without Young Jeezy.

He also appeared on the season finale of Saturday Night Live on May 17, 2008, performing "This Ain't Sex" and "Love In This Club". Usher performed at Radio 1's Big Weekend at Mote Park in the U.K. on Saturday, May 10. Usher is scheduled to perform on the "BET Awards 2008" in Los Angeles on June 24th.

MuchMusic was given the rights to stream Here I Stand a full week before it hits stores.