Head turned by Acceptable in the 80s, Dizzee Rascal asked Harris to be part of his pop-leaning fourth album, Tongue n’ Cheek. Any hint of French fancy is undermined, however, by Harris’ deadpan singing style. With an instantly recognisable central riff – utilised ad infinitum on various Channel 4 TV shows – Acceptable in the 80s channels the titular decade and the playful electronic mode of Around the World-era Daft Punk. Calvin Harris – Acceptable in the 80s (2007) And what a chorus it is, with Atlanta rapper 21 Savage cooing: “Gucci garments / Kush smell like armpits,” over Harris’ strutting bass. Of the handful of Funk Wav Bounces Vol 2 singles to emerge so far – all crowded by guest stars fighting for their 10 seconds in the sun – only this svelte slice of cascading funk has a chorus that sticks. Calvin Harris – New Money ft 21 Savage (2022)
Utilising an oscillating synth riff to anchor the lyrics’ sense of confusion, it eventually starts to disintegrate like the relationship Ellis-Bextor is airily describing. Originally recorded, although not used, by Róisín Murphy for her 2007 pop opus Overpowered, this Cathy Dennis co-write eventually found its way to Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The best of the bunch is the slowly unfurling Lonely, which features additional production from Riva Starr and a gorgeous central performance from the artist formerly known as Terence Trent D’Arby. In recent years, Harris has funnelled his more dance-leaning output through his Love Regenerator pseudonym, creating ad-hoc singles that feel less pressured than his major-label output. Love Regenerator – Lonely ft Riva Starr and Sananda Maitreya (2022) Over a simple scratchy guitar figure and pitter-patter beats, Reyez is allowed the space to pull the listener into her orbit. While 2017’s career-redefining Funk Wav Bounces Vol 1 dabbled in laid-back funk, 80s bounce and disco, it was this album closer – anchored by Canadian-Colombian Reyez’s roughly hewn vocal – that showed Harris could do downtempo. Calvin Harris – Hard to Love ft Jessie Reyez (2017)
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