This week we have been talking a lot about Calvin Harris’ drama over Taylor Swift.
I think it’s high time that we should talk about his music instead and know how he got from being just a cool retro disco artist to making chart-topping songs for Rihanna and Ellie Goulding.
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Half a decade ago, these were the kind of music Calvin Harris was making. The sounds from his first album I Created Disco and from his second Ready for the Weekend were considered unique at the time as they brought about a new aesthetic of music called nu-disco to the attention of a wider market. Along with Mark Ronson, Calvin helped bring 80’s inspired electronic music to the mainstream. While Ronson, developed his retro sound well enough to top the charts with Uptown Funk (inspired from 80’s funk), Calvin on the other hand, moved beyond the disco beats and synths, and went on to make music like this:
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Calvin started making electro house music. Just after two albums of nu-disco, Calvin established himself as commercially successful electro house artist. He then started collaborating with pop stars like Eliie Goulding for the song I Need Your Love and with Rihanna for We Found Love. Although he collaborated with artists of musical variety like RnB artist Ne-Yo for the song Let’s Go, indie pop artist Florence Welsh for the song Sweet Nothing, and from his past electro music schoolmate Example for the song We’ll Be Coming Back, Calvin still maintained his electro house sound with great success.
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This Scottish DJ went from making music with an aesthetics that Michel Gondry would love to direct, to being a chart-topping commercial electro house artist whose songs can now be found in some 20-something’s music playlist. It’s hard to imagine how in 2009, Calvin Harris was making brightly-colored videos like this,
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To making trite, cinematic-style music videos like this;
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Don’t take that the wrong way, I think Calvin Harris’ new music is great. Even better than his nu-disco era. Calvin Harris is one of a few aritsts who is able to successfully transition from genre to genre. With 4 albums under his name and 24 singles, Calvin’s music will prove to be really popular for a long time as dance music isn’t quite waning down from the charts.
In 2016, Calvin is still well into the prime of his musical career. He is looking really cool high up in the charts what with his recent single This is What You Came For, a collaboration with Rihanna peaking in at number 4 on the Billboard chart and number one on the others, and with his new song with Jon Newman called Olé, a surprisingly different sound from Calvin, giving us a reggae chill vibe expected to climb up fast as well. Calvin Harris’ music will definitely be remembered even decades from now.
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