I’ll be real. The last time I was truly, honestly, 100% juiced about an Usher song was probably “Lovers and Friends”. In all fairness, the David Guetta/Pitbull/”OMG” trilogy of singles was probably geared more towards these kids than me. And yet, it’s hard to deny that the dude is an industry titan, or that I was singing along to “Nice & Slow” before I even liked girls. The dude is a fucking hit machine, and when he’s on, he’s on. “Climax” is as interesting a record as he’s made in years, and plenty of that is thanks to Diplo and classical composer Nico Muhly, who laced this one up proper, complete with some airy atmospherics and, appropriately enough, some dramatic climaxes and comedowns.

A pair of tweets from Diplo yesterday declared “Climax” the “best record [he'd] ever been apart of”, before predicting a slew of births nine months from now, as a result of the song. But “Climax” is more than just typical babymaking fare– as a love song, it tells a slightly less optimistic story, a solid pop lament of a relationship that’s reached its peak. Diplo, correcting himself, substituted for his first description (“next-level electrosoul”) a second one (Radiohead quiet storm). And believe it or not, the Thom Yorke comparison actually works. Yeah, the production and the songwriting shine. But when it’s all said and done, it’s that voice– soaring, lonely and completely epic — that sticks with you.

Download: Usher – “Climax” (Produced by Diplo)