Climax (Usher Song)
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"Climax" is a song by American singer-songwriter Usher. It was released on February 22, 2012, by
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
as the
lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
from his 2012 studio album '' Looking 4 Myself''. The song was written by Usher, Ariel Rechtshaid, Redd Stylez, and
Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is a co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer; a member of the supergroup LSD (group), ...
, who also produced the song. Usher and Diplo worked on the song for two months as part of their collaboration for the former's album. The song is a quiet storm
slow jam A slow jam is music with rhythm and blues and soul influences. Slow jams are commonly R&B ballads or downtempo songs, and are mostly soft-sounding with heavily emotional or romantic lyrical content. The earliest known use of the term is from a ...
with electronic influences, and lyrics about the turning point of a relationship. According to Usher, the song is primarily about the complications of a relationship, despite the lyrics' sexual overtones. As a single, "Climax" debuted at number 81 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, with 31,000 digital units sold in its first week. It peaked at number 17 and charted for 20 weeks, and also reached number one on the ''Billboard''
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
, becoming Usher's 12th number-one single on the chart. "Climax" was received with widespread critical acclaim, who commended its musical direction, lyrics, Usher's singing, and Diplo's production. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' and ''
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'' named it one of the best singles of 2012. In 2013, "Climax" won Usher a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for Best R&B Performance.


Writing and recording

"Climax" was written by Usher, Redd Stylez, Ariel Rechtshaid, and
Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is a co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer; a member of the supergroup LSD (group), ...
, who also produced the song. Diplo introduced the song's concept to Usher, who was working with him on a new album. Usher wanted to expand his music's style and depth by working with Diplo. Diplo recounted the experience in an interview for ''
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'', saying that "I had explained to him about a moment I had with a girl where I felt like I could die with her and be content, but I didn't and life moved on, and that point in my life was over. It was a sad feeling but it was beautiful. He was relating with me about the idea and how many times you think things are perfect and feel that way but they can pass." They discussed the concept throughout the song's development and how it relates to Usher's life, as Diplo "tried to help realise these lyrics and feelings." After conceiving some melody lines, they wrote the song in about an hour. Usher and Diplo worked on the song's production for two months, recording in studios in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. Diplo originally pursued a
house music House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground ...
sound based on a chord progression he wrote, but changed his direction after working in the recording studio alone on what he called a "wildfire" beat. He later said of his direction for the song, "the idea of pushing cut-off on a
synth A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
used so much in progressive house music but pulling back. I was making something like a minimal
techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
record with
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strip club A strip club (also known as a strip joint, striptease bar, peeler bar, gentlemen's club, among others) is a venue where strippers provide adult entertainment, predominantly in the form of striptease and other erotic dances including lap dances. St ...
s in mind." According to Diplo, Usher proposed the idea of "tak ngthe strip club to the stadium" with the song's production. Classical music composer Nico Muhly contributed with the song's string arrangement. In April 2020, Canadian R&B singer
the Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...
said in a cover story with ''Vanity Fair'' that "Climax" (and pop as a genre) was influenced by his debut mixtape, '' House of Balloons'' (2011). He stated, "I heard 'Climax' that
012 012 may refer to: * Tyrrell 012, a Formula One racing car * The dialing code for Pretoria Pretoria ( ; ) is the Capital of South Africa, administrative capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive br ...
Usher song, and was like, 'Holy xpletive that's a Weeknd song'. It was very flattering, and I knew I was doing something right, but I also got angry. But the older I got, I realized it's a good thing". His comments sparked widespread debate online. Diplo posted a series of tweets soon after, praising ''House of Balloons'' and acknowledging its influence on his production for "Climax": "When I heard those early records y the Weekndthey blew my mind – soulful in their silences, and a spacey iconic voice that felt uniquely internet. the idea of R&B having dark edges was what I wanted to bring to @usher". He further reiterated it was a collaborative effort between himself, Usher, and the song's other producers. Usher responded indirectly via Twitter, writing: "Have you ever seen the moon bark back at the dog?". The Weeknd responded a shortly after on Twitter, saying he didn't mean any offense and was always inspired by Usher. He later told
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...
, "It wasn’t a feud. I hit him up to apologize and tell him that it was misconstrued. He’s one of the reasons why I make music. Definitely. No, no, I have nothing bad to say about Usher. The sweetest, most down-to-earth guy ever."


Music and lyrics

"Climax" is set in
common time A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates the ...
. Diplo called the style "
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...
quietstorm", and both ''Spin'' and ''Rolling Stone'' agreed that the song was a mix of quiet storm style,
electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
and
alternative R&B Alternative R&B (also referred to as alt-R&B, indie R&B, and originally known as PBR&B, hipster R&B, emo R&B, or R-Neg-B) is a term used by music journalists to describe a stylistic alternative to contemporary R&B that began in the mid 2000s and ...
. It is written in the key of
C minor C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature consists of three flats. Its relative major is E major and its parallel major is C major. The C natural minor scale is: Cha ...
, and Usher's voice ranges from B2 to D5. The music is built around a haunting
riff A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based ...
, complemented by sparse
drum machine A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...
and some musical accompaniment. Its varying soundscape incorporates electronic effects such as clicks, hisses, whooshes, and low-frequency synths, as well as subtle strings and scattered piano notes. Music writers have noted Diplo's production as uncharacteristically reserved and understated. The song's musical structure is characterized by intervals in which the music builds to a potential break, but softly
decrescendo In music, the dynamics of a piece are the variation in loudness between notes or phrases. Dynamics are indicated by specific musical notation, often in some detail. However, dynamics markings require interpretation by the performer depending o ...
s instead. As each verse concludes, the song's snapping, electronic rhythm track gradually softens and rippling synth chords repeat throughout the song. Marc Hogan of ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'' writes that Diplo "teases us with the sort of wubba-wubba
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noises that have become inescapable in the past year or so of pop radio. But he never actually gives in with the full
dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken ...
drop ... the song keeps swelling to one big wave after another, without ever really reaching a single, song-stopping crescendo." Hogan cites the
bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...
at around the three-minute mark as "the closest thing to a climax" on the song, "when the track gets as quiet as it ever has before becoming as lush as it ever gets." ''
Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...
''s Carrie Battan calls the song "an exercise in the power of restraint", commenting that "Diplo shows uncharacteristic subtlety behind Usher's sentiment, with a beat that seems to hang suspended in midair." The song is a breakup lament dealing with the theme of commitment. Its title refers to the turning point of a relationship. The lyrics address a relationship in a state of tension and uncertainty: "We've reached the climax / We're together / Now we're undone / Won't commit so we choose to run away / Do we separate?" Usher sings in a pleading falsetto and a plaintive tone on the song, alternating restrained vocals and anguished howls. In an interview for V-103, Usher stressed that "Climax" focuses more on the complication of relationships rather than sex, saying that "it's really about the ultimate experience or lack thereof. Or the finale of an experience of love and life. When you're in a relationship and it has kinda reached the climax of where it can go, you gotta let it go if you are not going to commit." He viewed that his falsetto vocals and the song's tone give the song a sexual feel with music that works as a "
double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, one of which is typically obvious, and the other often conveys a message that would be too socially unacc ...
".


Release

The song was first released onto the internet on
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2012 through
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. Upon its release, Diplo commented on
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: "Seriously the best record I've been part of ... I'm pretty sure in 9 months there are gonna be a lot of new babies that this song is responsible for". It was released as the
lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...
for Usher's 2012 album '' Looking for Myself''. "Climax" debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart at number 81, with 31,000 digital units sold in the week of March 10, 2012. It peaked at number 17 and spent 20 weeks on the chart. The song also reached number one on the ''Billboard''
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
, on which it charted for 33 weeks, and became Usher's 12th number-one single on the chart. It peaked at number three on the Dance/Club Play Songs, on which it charted for 13 weeks. In the United Kingdom, "Climax" debuted and peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart, selling 41,617 units. It charted for seven weeks and peaked at number 29 in Australia.


Critical reception

"Climax" has received widespread acclaim from
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...
, who have lauded it as one of Usher's best-written and best-produced songs, and named the 2012's best song by several magazines. In ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'',
Jody Rosen Jody Rosen (born June 21, 1969 in New York City) is an American journalist and author. He is a contributing writer for ''The New York Times Magazine''. Career Journalism Rosen served as critic-at-large for '' T: The New York Times Style Magaz ...
gave the song four out of five stars and stated, "Quiet storm gets a freaky
sci-fi Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
makeover", while Will Hermes hailed it as "spring's best quiet-storm jam". '' FWRD'' writer Aiden Harmitt-Williams regarded its mix of quiet storm with EDM as "a genius move". ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
'' journalist Carrie Battan deemed it "a doubly satisfying departure from sher and Diplo'srespective strains of club-ready fare." Jason Lipshutz of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' called the song "an ode to the bewildering thoughts and feelings of relationship purgatory" and wrote that it is "a sound that Usher should explore more often." Marc Hogan of ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'' felt that the song is "as vividly communicative as it is decoratively beautiful" and praised its articulation, calling it "a tour de force of pacing and dynamics, giving listeners more and more, but then always easing up just enough to keep us begging for one more verse." Priya Elan of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' cited "Climax" as Usher's "best song in absolutely years" and stated, "Goodbye cringe factor, hello Diplo, subtle electronic nuances and an expectation-defying vocal performance which is more
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
falsetto than depth-free showman. The results are jaw dropping." He also compared it to the work of
the Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...
and commended its "lack of smut" in the lyrics, stating "it's just Usher playing it fast and loose in falsetto. The result is as subtle as it is unbelievable." Eric Arredondo of
Beats Per Minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...
viewed the song as an improvement over Usher's 2010 album ''
Raymond v. Raymond ''Raymond v. Raymond'' is the sixth studio album by American singer Usher (musician), Usher, released on March 26, 2010, by LaFace Records. Production for the album took place in 2009 and was handled by several producers, including Jermaine Dupri, ...
'' and addressed the comparisons to the Weeknd, writing that, "though it still doesn't hold much of the innovations and risks of something like The Weeknd's '' House of Balloons'', 'Climax' can do something that most songs on that album can't do without losing most of their fun: be played on the radio."


Accolades

''Rolling Stone'' ranked "Climax" number 15 on their year-end best songs list for 2012. ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' ranked it number 14 on their year-end list of best singles. It was voted as the third best single of 2012 by ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
''s 40th annual Pazz & Jop critics' poll and the official best single of 2012 by ''Time'' magazine. At the 2013 Grammy Awards, "Climax" won Usher a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for Best R&B Performance.


Year-end lists


Music video

The music video for "Climax" was directed by Sam Pilling, filmed in Atlanta, and released on March 9, 2012. Director of photography was Adam Frisch. After filming, the video was given to the studio Surround for
post-production Post-production, also known simply as post, is part of the process of filmmaking, video production, audio production, and photography. Post-production includes all stages of production occurring after principal photography or recording indivi ...
, including editing its structure, title animation, and effects. The video shows Usher sitting in a car contemplating on whether to go inside his ex-girlfriend's home and rekindle their once-passionate sex or leave and never return again. It shows different scenarios played out in Usher's mind, including him confronting his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend with a gun. In the video, Usher sits in a car outside a house where his ex-girlfriend is being intimate with another man. He pulls a gun out of his glove compartment and agonizes over whether or not to enter the house. After ruminating over the different scenarios, Usher drives off at the end of the video. Jason Lipshut of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' found the "narrative arc" for the video to be "a bit perplexing". Jeff Lapointe of
MTV News MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
viewed that it "depicts the darker side of human nature as Usher drives up to his girlfriend/ex-girlfriends house to discover another vehicle, another man, another side of his love. In the realization of fury and anger, images distort Usher's reality with thoughts of taking his gun and shooting the intruder. Thoughts of running away with the girl. Thoughts of driving off to never be seen." The music video on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
has received over 110 million views as of May 2024.


Live performances

Usher first performed the song on the show "Off-Broadway's 'Fuerza Bruta'". In the show, he entered from the dark in a white suit and black tie, and walked across a conveyor belt in beat to "Climax". As the song's tempo increased, he clutched his stomach as a gunshot fired and blood spread across his torso. Usher appeared on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' on May 12, 2012, to perform "Scream" and "Climax".


Personnel

Credits are adapted from Tidal. * Usher – vocals, lyricist *
Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is a co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer; a member of the supergroup LSD (group), ...
– production * Natural – vocal production, arrangement * Ariel Rechtshaid – production, synthesizers, keyboards, lyricist * Sean "Redd Stylez" Fenton lyricist * Nico Muhly – piano, strings, string arrangement * Mark "Exit" Goodchild – recording * Ramon Rivas – recording assistance * Kory Aaron – recording assistance * Jorge Velasco – recording assistance * Jacob Dennis – recording assistance * Manny Marroquin – mixing * Chris Galland – mixing assistance * Delbert Bowers – mixing assistance


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


Certifications


Release history


See also

* List of number-one R&B/hip-hop songs of 2012 (U.S.)


References

{{authority control 2010s ballads Usher (musician) songs 2012 songs 2012 singles Songs written by Ariel Rechtshaid Songs written by Diplo Song recordings produced by Diplo RCA Records singles Contemporary R&B ballads Songs written by Elijah Blake Quiet storm songs