There's been a growing trend of late towards a more avant-garde form of RnB. It's arguably a movement in retaliation to the dance-focused RnB of the last few years, with the likes of Frank Ocean and The Weeknd at the forefront.
Usher, ever the entrepreneur, has jumped aboard. Following the dancefloor tracks OMG and Without You (amongst others), he's now changed direction towards this new style. It's a move that should appease his fans, striking a balance between his early RnB and more recent dance material, whilst still progressing his sound.
Climax is the result: a slow-jam with expansive production that's all layered synth pads, yearning falsetto vocals and steadily grooving percussive beats. It's undoubtedly a step in the right direction and his best track in years. Yet its title proves ironic. For all the track's rise and fall, the chorus is an anticlimax that doesn't live up to the production overall. Each time it builds, it leaves us wanting. But maybe that's Usher's intention, paving the way for an upcoming album of similarly progressive, sexy music.
3/5
Listen: Climax is released on April 15th.
