Timbaland’s hit single “Apologize,” branches out past his usual hip-hop and dance styles.

Instead of focusing on riding in cars, getting wasted and trying to score with girls, Timbaland and the pop-rock group OneRepublic go deeper into a poetic sense of pain. “Apologize” centers on a relationship so bad that an apology will not suffice.

I usually tend to be a critic of hip-hop rather than a fan, so “Apologize” stands out amongst the rest of Timbaland’s catalog. It has a great beat and smooth vocals. The soothing voice of OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder makes the listener feel like he’s there in the room with tears dripping down his cheeks.

Most relationships prove that you can only say “I’m sorry” so many times.

So it is exciting to see that Timbaland and OneRepublic chose to focus on what an extraordinarily awful feeling it is to have to tell someone their apologies can no longer be trusted, and that sometimes it is more important to lose a potential love than hold on to someone who constantly depends on having the acceptance of their exhausting excuses.

“Apologize” is one of those tracks that makes the listener take a step back from the fast pace of everyday life and analyze the relationships onto which they hold so dear.