Diplo has admitted that Usher's 2012 hit “Climax” was inspired by The Weeknd's 2011 debut mixtapes. Responding to The Weeknd, the producer tweeted, “When I heard those early records they 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 one of my favorite voices of all time.”
The Weeknd — who originally told Variety that he was “angry” when he heard “Climax,” because it sounded like one of his songs, responded, saying, “Of course media blows things out of proportion and takes things out of context. Usher is a King and always an inspiration so it was flattering to hear what him and Diplo did on 'Climax.'”
Meanwhile, Elijah Blake, the writer of the song, also jumped into the debate, tweeting, “To ppl talkin bout climax came out in 2012 thinking it validates these false claims. Y’all are actually showing how little u know about the music biz. A song must be written,produced, recorded, mixed, mastered, registered, then sent to radio. Meaning we did that song long b4hand.”
