Usher Claps Back At The Weeknd…With Live Vocals

Published: Thursday 9th Apr 2020 by Sam

The Weeknd made headlines last night when a new interview saw him take (what many deemed) a jab at R&B icon Usher. 

Reflecting on his own impact, the singer told Variety that he was first flattered then angered by what he felt were similarities between his sound and Ush’s 2012 smash ‘Climax.’ 

The comment ignited ample debate, with the overwhelming sentiment being…confusion.

Now, Mr Raymond has weighed-in. See what he had to say below…

Replying in song via Instagram Stories, he signalled the start of the #ClimaxChallenge and made the note-perfect first entry himself.

Watch and clock the lyrical “edit” at the end:

View this post on Instagram

#Usher appears to respond to #TheWeeknd’s #Climax jab with the #ClimaxChallenge. Check out his live rendition and watch til the end 😂

A post shared by That Grape Juice (@thatgrapejuice) on

No word on whether The Weeknd will be submitting his entry.

Your thoughts?

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  1. Ughhh April 9, 2020

    Usher…it’s still stay under the radar season unless it’s new music. People haven’t forgotten about your herpès yet.

    • Gworl Bye April 9, 2020

      No, that’s just your dumb ass.

  2. Clarks0o0ñ April 9, 2020

    How the mighty have fallen
    The weeknd has made u relevant this week.

    Nobody ever questioned ur vocals on the song, we are talking about the sound, the vibe, the beat of the song.
    Climax is a the weeknd rip off. Periodt

    • XYZ April 9, 2020

      Exactly. No one ever mentioned Usher’s vocals. We all know that he is a gifted singer with a great voice. It was about the song, which is indeed sounds like a Weeknd ripoff. Doing this just makes Usher looks more insecure.

    • Gworl Bye April 9, 2020

      Both of you can shut your new asses the hell up because you have no idea what you’re talking about. The fact that The Weakend felt the need to put Usher’s name in his mouth alone shows how insecure HE really is.

      • Clarks0o0ñ April 9, 2020

        The weeknd, insecure?

        He has 2 number ones in 2020

        He has an oscar nomination also.
        Where is usher’s oscar nomination?

        We are not saying usher is a bad singer or doesnt have achievements , all we are saying is climax is a rip off and sounds like a the weeknd song.

      • Gworl Bye April 9, 2020

        Only the insecure keep other people’s names in their mouth for attention, you know, like you do with Normani. Now where’s the weakend’s Diamond album? And don’t act like his songs are bootleg Bruno Mars’ ripoffs either. Sit.

      • Clarks0o0ñ April 9, 2020

        You’re too emotionally
        This was my previous comment

        “He shouldn’t have name dropped usher cause usher is a legend and has done so much.
        He should have left this conversation at the dining table or amongst his circle”

        The weeknd shouldn’t have name dropped usher. Its tacky shading someone in a magazine.

        Climax sounds like a the weeknd song. This is a fact. Rolling stone magazine even pointed this out so many years ago.

        I grew up listening to usher and I know his impact. I will never discredit usher’s achievements just because he is flopping right now.

      • XYZ April 9, 2020

        Why so aggressive? Weeknd shouldn’t have name dropped Usher, that’s correct. Doesn’t take away the fact that Climax is obviously influenced by the sound Weeknd brought to the table back then. It’s still a good song. And Usher is a better vocalist, no one questioned that. But by doing this video usher seems quite insecure. Personally, I dont like this artist comparing anyways. Either you like an artist or not. Either you like a song or not. It’s that easy.

  3. Endeavor April 9, 2020

    Usher did not create this challenge, it was Eric Bellinger i think (who also challenged The Weeknd to sing it acapella). That being said, Usher is too much of a legend to participate i stuff like this. I would have prefered for him to stay outside the beef/publicity stunt The Weeknd tries to gain with Usher’s name.

    I don’t think Climax sounds like HOB. And this was the sentiment of the vast majority on social medias, plus the fact that The Weeknd appears like a very conceited person who thinks he invented a genre of music and changed the pop landscape, lol. People were already pointing his delusion.

    Usher or Eric Bellinger didn’t needed to intervene. After all, The Weeknd is a liar. 4 years ago, he already lied about being the male artist with the most wins in a single night at the Billboard awards, when in fact that record belongs to Usher. I don’t know, maybe he’s in love with Usher, wants a collab but don’t know how to ask ?

    • Clarks0o0ñ April 9, 2020

      “That being said, Usher is too much of a legend to participate i stuff like this.”

      THIS
      Usher is dumb and has lowered himself by doing this.

      “I would have prefered for him to stay outside the beef/publicity stunt The Weeknd tries to gain with Usher’s name.”

      I dont agree with u
      The weeknd doesn’t need publicity.
      His album is already one of the biggest album of the year
      2 number one songs

      Infact it’s the other way around, usher needs publicity right now. His has been flopping since 2014.
      His most recent sing with ella mai flopped.

      • Gworl Bye April 9, 2020

        Lmao. Usher has 9 #1 songs and sold a million records in one week. Sold. A Million. Sit until the weakend can do that without using Usher or Selena Gomez for publicity, or without stealing Bruno Mars’ entire style.

    • Clarks0o0ñ April 9, 2020

      Also climax does sound like a the weeknd song
      Lemme see with Rick ross also sounds like a cheap the weeknd song

    • Yup April 9, 2020

      I’m sorry to say this but Weeknd did invent a whole new genre/sub-genre whatever you want to call it! When he cam out back in the days EVERYBODY tried to mimic his sound, because it was new, fresh and dark. The same with Frank Ocean. They were doing different new rnb-subgenres that everybody wanted to replicate. Facts!

      • Clarks0o0ñ April 9, 2020

        Dont forget miguel.
        He stayed in his lane and he blew up.
        Miguel continues to stay in his line and he is successful.

      • Gworl Bye April 9, 2020

        LMFAO. The Weakend invented nothing. He stole bits and pieces from every male R&B star that came before him. Stop it.

      • Around the way filet April 9, 2020

        so miguel is successful but usher is a flop? miguels last hit was in 2012.

  4. Hits studio April 9, 2020

    ????? are you guys serious .. You kids are crazy .. Please do your Usher research. Confession (Album) Thks..

    • Gworl Bye April 9, 2020

      That’s these newbies for ya lol, streaming got them thinking that these mediocre no-talents are legitimate pop stars lmao.

    • XYZ April 9, 2020

      What does confessions have to do with climax as a song? Who questions Usher’s past success and his accomplishments or his talent? I did not read a comment doing such things. It was about climax sounding like a weeknd song. Not about Usher sounding like weeknd. It was about the song being influenced by weeknd’s style, which it is.

      • Bam April 9, 2020

        But Climax sounds like it could’ve been on the Here I Stand album right next to Moving Mountains which was moody atmospheric R&B two years before Abel posted his first YouTube video…

  5. PUH-Leeeeze April 9, 2020

    Man get the f**k outta here!!!! If Usher copied The Weeknd then the Weekend copied Ginuwine, Neyo, Maxwell, Prince, Michael Jackson and many others. All these millennial singers coming out sounding the same and these millennial fans who don’t know their history backing these mfers up!!!! FOH!!!!

    • Clarks0o0ñ April 9, 2020

      Prince and Michael Jackson and madonna are the blue print
      If u want to be successful, u have to bite from them.

      The weeknd’s sound is unique.
      Climax sounds like a the weeknd song.

      We are not saying the weeknd is better than usher or has achieved more than usher,

      • Gworl Bye April 9, 2020

        How about you stfu as if you’re some music industry expert that knows what they’re talking about and stick to what you know: flops like that camilla whatever her name is who couldn’t sell a record or sing a song if her life depended on it.

    • War April 9, 2020

      Amen…you, hit that on the HEAD

  6. I love big black c** April 9, 2020

    To usher: u still the legend!!! King of R&B. 9 # 1 hits and Yeah is always that s-h-I-t. Weeknd has long way 2 go. Should’ve put on rubber when he F-u-c-k-ing that fat elephant chick tho

  7. Haterz Gon‘ Hate April 9, 2020

    Y‘All think you know music and flapping your beaks ??? Ushers point is that The Weekend needs to know his place because Ush is GROWN and been in the game long enough for people to know he can sing rings about Able‘s mountain goat theatrics ??? The Weekend ain’t out here and been doing nothin‘ new ??‍♂️

    • Gworl Bye April 9, 2020

      All of this.

  8. Gworl Bye April 9, 2020

    The Weakend needs to sit his non singing clinging-to-Selena-Gomez-for-relevancy poor man’s Bruno Mars down until he can reach the level of talent and success that Usher has. And that also goes for any of you morons in here defending his cat screetching off key vocals too. Call us when he gets 9 #1 singles and sell a Diamond album. And I said SELL, not stream.

    • Fancy BISH April 9, 2020

      Make sure your phone works and your number is valid ? Cause Abel WILL get nine #1’s on the Billboard Hot ? I’ll bet the house ? on that! ? Diamond albums are hard to get, not everyone has that to their credit ? ?

  9. Fancy BISH April 9, 2020

    The whole Looking 4 Myself album is pure terrible ? Damn, you would’ve thought someone was coming for classic Usher bops ? You Make Me Wanna is ? Climax is phoned in Usher! ?

  10. Only Facts April 9, 2020

    Someone call Brooke Valentine. It’s a girl fight

    • Fancy BISH April 9, 2020

      It’s about to be a WHAT ?

  11. 1988 April 9, 2020

    “But the older I got, I realized it’s a good thing.” – The Weeknd

    Reading is fundamental people….lol. All this over the fact he spoke his truth on how he felt over ONE SONG? 🙂

    We all know the friction from Bobby Brown to Usher’s rise. They are cool now but Usher and Bobby Brown actually had a fist fight at Bobby Browns party. But that fight showed both of them who truly was in the conversation and who was not. They were not fighting Mario or Ray J like that…lol. Bobby Brown has the Billboard best selling album of 1989. Usher has the Billboard best selling album of 2004. The fight was not delusional. 🙂

    The Weeknd has entered the conversation now and we all know the short list of solo male artists that has ever entered the REAL conversation after Michael Jackson. And let’s not forget Elvis fans who had a problem with Michael Jackson’s KING OF POP title. Quincy Jones said he named Michael that….but he actually called Michael the “King Of Pop, Rock and Soul” but Michael shortened it. And of course Michael Jackson has named his influences that came before him countless times…Elvis was never named…lol. But he married his daughter haha. 🙂 He also took out that piece of paper and wrote down some names and that he would be bigger than….(real ones know what I am talking about…lol). Anyway, there will always be friction when true talent emerges from the pack that is undeniable. If Michael went through it, you best believe ALL his sons will too…lol. 🙂

    Grab some popcorn because the media is eating this one up right now. ;p
    https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a6/e3/a0/a6e3a0eb26becab23aad2298b09b3424.jpg

  12. Bogus April 9, 2020

    The Weeknd literally posted on his story that the media is blowing this out of proportion. He said Usher is a king and always an inspiration

  13. hiphopza April 10, 2020

    Usher should go and sit down please

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