In the early 2000s, N*E*R*D put forth one of the ultimate fusions of Hip-Hop, Rock & Roll, and Pop. Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo and Shay Haley brought their infectious Neptunes rhythms and melodies to the live stage. Two gold albums followed, along with major radio singles that showed just another room in the Virginia band’s house of hits.

N*E*R*D closed out the decade with Seeing Sounds and Nobody. These two works were small in contrast to the first two on a commercial side but had some followers claiming the band reached a new level of artistry. For some fans, it was easy to miss the three N*E*R*D appearances tied to the 2015 SpongeBob film. However, through unleashing a slew of solo hits, and collaborations with Daft Punk and Calvin Harris, Skateboard P’s star seems to be at an all-time brightness. It’s the right time for a N*E*R*D-out.

With the help of Rihanna, N*E*R*D roll out the new freshness in the form of “Lemon.” The video shows that while the beats are still bumping, it’s a distinctly evolved flavor for the Virginia trio. They use vocal effects to simulate a DJ while making music that’s aimed right for the dance-floor. While Rihanna appears in the video, she is not in the leading role. This is high energy, and marks some exciting things to come.