Did Usher's "Climax" Copy The Weeknd's Sound? The Weeknd Thinks So

The Toronto crooner opened up in Variety's latest cover story.

Fresh off the release of his new album After Hours, The Weeknd scored the cover story for this month's issue of Variety. The House of Balloons singer spoke about the now-postponed, nearly sold-out After Hours tour, his childhood and more.

Additionally, he spoke about his impact on the modern R&B genre. He revealed that he first noticed his influence in 2012.

WATCH: The Weeknd Gets Decapitated in "In Your Eyes," the Latest Installment in His After Hours Saga

"House of Balloons literally changed the sound of pop music before my eyes," he said. "I heard "Climax," that Usher song, and was like 'that's a Weeknd song.' It was very flattering, and I knew I was doing something right, but I also got angry. But the older I got, I realized it's a good thing."

The Weeknd opened up about his growth as a performer, and the transition from mythical underground figure to pop star. Additionally, he told the story of his newfound partnership with superproducer Max Martin. The two initially worked together with Ariana Grande for the 2014 cut "Love Me Harder."

READ: The Weeknd's New Album 'After Hours' Almost Sounds Like His Mixtape Era

"Ariana was kinda my foot in the door with Max," he said. "My chance to show him 'I can play this game, y'know? But when we got in the room together, we didn't really connect as much. Then someone invited him to a show I did at the Hollywood Bowl, and he saw 15,000 people singing along, and I think he was like, 'OK, there's something I'm not getting."

After Hours is currently available on all major streaming platforms.