On Thursday, Usher joined Justin Timberlake and a host of other performers who looked to capitalize on Valentine's Day by pushing out new music and videos. "Go Missin,'" a new Usher track released for free online, features production from perennial hit-maker Diplo, the man behind the mixing boards that birthed gems for M.I.A., Beyonce and Chris Brown, among others.
Releasing songs on the Hallmark holiday is nothing new for Usher, who dropped "Climax" last year on the same date. The R&B crooner has kept busy by hosting "The Voice" and performing at Barack Obama's inauguration. A new album has not yet been been confirmed, but clearly he's itching to produce some music.
As the head of his record label Mad Decent, Diplo's also known for shepherding a blend of dancehall, electronic dance music and hip-hop. If you've seen a "Harlem Shake" video recently, blame Diplo: He pays Baauer's checks.
Diplo's also (very) indirectly to blame for at least one person losing their job. A teacher was put on leave after she posted racy photos of herself engaging in Diplo's "#expressyourself" meme (Google it if you're not at work) on Twitter. Which is, we suppose, more than Usher can say for himself.
"Go Missin'" is a pretty standard track, though it does have some slightly serial killer-esque undertones ("Conscience telling you you shouldn't go, don't listen / I'mma take care of you for sure / Follow me right out that back door / Go missin'"). Listen above and let us know what you think in the comments.
