Though initially angry that the 'My Boo' singer copied his signature alternative RnB style, the 'Blinding Lights' hitmaker now admits that he found the move 'very flattering.'

• Apr 9, 2020

AceShowbiz - The Weeknd believed he played a part in the success of Usher's hit single "Climax". Eight years after the 2012 song from the "My Boo" singer's "Looking 4 Myself" album topped the R&B chart, the "Blinding Lights" hitmaker came forward to claim that his fellow musician was inspired by his signature music style.

In the latest cover story for Variety, the 30-year-old Canadian singer expressed his belief that his 2011 debut remix "House of Balloons" was used by the 41-year-old musician for his 2012 single. " 'House of Balloons' literally changed the sound of pop music before my eyes," he said. "I heard 'Climax', that [2012] Usher song, and was like, 'Holy f**k, that's a Weeknd song.' "

The "Starboy" singer, whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, admitted that hearing his signature alternative R&B style in the "Yeah!" hitmaker's music initially made him mad. "It was very flattering, and I knew I was doing something right, but I also got angry," he gushed. "But the older I got, I realized it's a good thing."

During the interview, the ex-boyfriend of Bella Hadid also discussed the release of his latest album "After Hours". While many artists postponed their albums because of the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, he pressed on with his plan due to his devotees. "Fans had been waiting for the album, and I felt like I had to deliver it," he claimed.

"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."

The album itself was inspired by The Weeknd's own story. One particular track, "Snowchild", spoke about the dark time when he was abusing drugs. "It was tough growing up where I was from," he noted. "I got into a lot of trouble, got kicked out of school, moved to different schools and finally dropped out."

"I really thought film was gonna be my way out, but I couldn't really make a movie to feel better, you know? Music was very direct therapy; it was immediate and people liked it. It definitely saved my life," he confided.