Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, Canadian singer popularly known as The Weeknd, has accused Usher Raymond, American singer, of copying his music style from his 2011 mixtape, House of Ballons.
The Weeknd alleged that Usher gleaned from the 2011 project to produce Climax, his 2012 hit song.
“House of Balloons literally changed the sound of pop music before my eyes. I heard ‘Climax,’ that Usher song, and was like, ‘’Holy f—, that’s a Weeknd song,” he told Variety.
He added that while at first he was upset, he now sees it as a compliment.
“It was very flattering. I knew I was doing something right, but I also got angry. But the older I got, I realized it’s a good thing.”
He went on to explain why he released ‘After Hours’, his fourth studio album, amid the coronavirus pandemic ravaging countries across the globe.
The Weeknd disclosed that he had to put out the album due to demands from his fans.
“Fans had been waiting for the album, and I felt like I had to deliver it. The commercial success is a blessing, especially because the odds were against me: (Music) streaming is down 10%, stores are closed, people can’t go to concerts, but I didn’t care. I knew how important it was to my fans,” he added.
Usher Launches #ClimaxChallenge
According to Variety, Usher‘s representatives did not respond to their request to provide a comment. But he found another means to convey his sentiments and set the record straight on the matter.
R&B singer-songwriter Eric Bellinger, who has collaborated with Usher on numerous occasions, took to Instagram where he launched the “#ClimaxChallenge” and invited The Weeknd to back up his claim. Bellinger kicked the challenge off himself.
Soon after, Usher hopped on Instagram Stories where he posted a well-timed video of himself; singing the chorus of Climax acapella as part of the social challenge while self-quarantining at home.
While he didn’t directly address The Weeknd’s assertion, the internet understands the message loud and clear.