The Singles Jukebox

We’ve got a crush on “Crash”…

[Video][Website]
[6.73]

Hannah Jocelyn: It’s good to have the indie-cool side of Usher show itself again. This is not as intricate as “Climax” and “Good Kisser”, but gets by on the opposite quality — rather than relying on mind-bending production, “Crash” instead goes for effortless bliss. The other two singles have this sense of paranoia and dread permeating them, so it makes the easy charm of this stand out all the more. In a lesser artist’s hands, the shortened length would make this come across like yet another unfinished would-be hit, but Usher performs it simply and directly, as if it were a love song. And that might be part of the point — the lyrics ask “Would you mind if I still loved you?” like Usher is trying to convince himself that things can still work out by making his surrounding instrumental upbeat. Even with this lighter-than-air melody, he can’t resist slipping in a bit of darkness.
[8]

Alfred Soto: Like many aging R&B stars, he sounds most himself on ballads, and this co-write with Carlos St. John treats electronics as Astroglide. The song’s rather conventional; the pleasures are in the tension between his still formidable falsetto projecting desire and the lower register harmonies reminding him that whatever else we still live on Earth.
[7]

Will Rivitz: “Crash” nails only one of the two qualifications inherent in any top-notch Usher song. On one hand, it’s suave as hell, undulating gloriously under a falsetto which still holds up after all these years. On the other, it’s missing the fervent, emotionally crazed bite of his best work, remaining far too static and under control. Since Usher’s best work is unequivocally a [10], this gets exactly half of that.
[5]

Will Adams: Fine falsetto, fine reverb tails, fine electropop throb, all fine fine fine. Not fine: the chorus bassline sinking down to the tonic at the end of the progression instead of the IV that it so clearly wants to do (it does it in the verses and sounds so much better). It would be a nitpick if it didn’t occur on the most crucial part of the song, the title word landing on an unsteady ninth above the bass, derailing the pathos the song had built up.
[5]

Katie Gill: Easily the weakest part of this song is the falsetto, which happens repeatedly, and unfortunately in the chorus. I know Usher can do a good falsetto, but this really isn’t it. We’ve got a great sexy jam, Usher doing peak “songs for bumping uglies” Usher. And then you get Mickey Mouse in the chorus. Buh-bye, sexiness.
[5]

Sabina Tang: “Climax” stripped to its chassis. Usher’s falsetto floats above an astringent electro throb like white diamonds on black velvet — a trick of commercial photography that seems effortless and is notoriously finicky to achieve.
[7]

Ryo Miyauchi: My favorite version of Usher over the past decade or so has been this one, the more subdued Usher. Here, his falsetto leads the show. He reaches for the high notes for his questions like he already knows the disappointing reply, but he asks anyway just so he doesn’t have to suffer wondering “what if?” More than showing off how he’s surrounded by many, Usher’s best when he’s at his loneliest, pleading for his only one.
[7]

Cassy Gress: This really does sound like a late night waiting for someone so that you can apologize, and thinking about what if they forgive you and take you back. That’s the problem, though, is that it’s rarely about the other person; it’s just about making yourself feel better for whatever you did. It would be creepy, to say the least, if I broke up with someone, and a few days later I came home from a long day out and saw my ex’s car in front of my house. Nonetheless, I’ve been in both positions, and “Crash” nails that feeling hard.
[6]

Brad Shoup: There’s definitely an early-morning feel to this: a sleep-deprived emotionalism that can occur when you’ve powered through the night solo. You’re full of feelings, but you gotta keep it down. People are trying to sleep. Usher rides a buzzy synthworm to devotional heights on the chorus… everything else is so much talking. Melodically obsessive, doubled and trebled talking, sure. But it sounds like struck-through lines next to the directness of the hook.
[8]

Katherine St Asaph: About 30 seconds of another good idea, Usher fronting Ladytron, surrounded by nocturnal electrovibes that in 2016 have become standard-issue. But standard-issue doesn’t mean ineffective, especially considering Usher is about 1000% better as a frontman than any of the wannabe Weeknds one could imagine here. Has a better hook, too.
[8]

Peter Ryan: I selfishly wish I were correct in hearing “you’re the only one who texts me back,” but really, who among us in this earthly plane would dare ghost Usher?
[8]