When Calvin Harris named his latest Platinum-selling hit "Summer," it was almost a formality. In fact, the Scottish producer/DJ/songwriter and occasional singer has had four consecutive summers of hit singles, a feat that even the most successful of his DJ peers can envy. Tonight in Las Vegas, Harris will take the stage at the iHeartRadio Music Festival alongside pop stars like Ed Sheeran, One Direction and Iggy Azalea as celebration of his hits and validation of his unlikely role as dance music's preeminent ambassador on American radio.
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"His unique collaborations make his music a natural fit across iHeartMedia's radio formats, including Top 40, Alternative and Urban, and in some cases even more," explains Adellyn Polomski, Director of Artist Relations and Programs for iHeartMedia, the radio and media company known until earlier this week as Clear Channel. "His productions appeal to different audiences and are catchy enough to get stuck in your head in a good way."The collaborations Polomski refers to include Top 20 hits like "Sweet Nothing" featuring Florence of Florence and the Machine, "Let's Go" featuring Ne-Yo and "I Need Your Love" featuring Ellie Goulding. Still, "Summer" has been Harris's highest charting hit as lead artist to-date, peaking at No. 1 in the UK and No. 7 on the US Hot 100.
What distinguishes a Calvin Harris single from those of Steve Angello or Steve Aoki, also appearing at iHeart this weekend, is its unabashed deployment of pop sensibilities over anthemic club production. In fact, while the world knows him as a DJ, the man born Adam Wiles first signed a publishing deal with EMI as a songwriter. By the time his first album, I Created Disco, came out in 2007 through his own Fly Eye imprint and Columbia Records, he had already logged writing sessions with Kylie Minogue and booked more with Dizzee Rascal and Róisín Murphy. His first album make an impact and established a strong fanbase for his second, 2009's Ready for the Weekend. But when that album—despite containing the UK No. 1 "I'm Not Alone" and eventual mainstage mainstay "Flashback"—failed to connect on a level that would have allowed Harris to tour globally as a solo artist, he shifted gears.
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On Twitter in 2009, Harris repeatedly asked "What Would David Guetta" do, first as a joke, but then in earnest. So after a few years of arduous touring as a DJ, Harris did what Guetta would do: he wrote a few hits.First came 2011's "Feel So Close," the late summer, wistful, radio-friendly lovesong that featured Harris on vocals and a jubilant trance-inspired synth-filled chorus. Then, about a month later, Harris released his biggest single ever with Rihanna's "We Found Love." Wisely, Harris and his management team pre-arranged for the DJ to be listed as a featured artist on the track—a move almost unheard of at the time for non-vocal contributions. As the pop star's own fame catapulted to newer heights, Harris was along for the ride and "Feel So Close" came with him.
The track would eventually appear on his Grammy-nominated 2012 album 18 Months, but albums had already become a secondary feature of the Calvin Harris success formula: he was a radio god."We know for a fact that his music makes a meaningful connection with our listeners because he's one of the most streamed EDM artists on iHeartRadio," adds Polomski.
Earlier this month, Harris released "Blame," already a UK No. 1 and rising at US radio where "Summer" still reigns. Harris's own celebrity profile has risen thanks to his red carpet-ready romances and increased sex appeal (have you seen his ice bucket challenge), but no matter who he dates or what he looks like, the thing that makes Calvin Harris the dance music juggernaut is the same thing that makes any music star: hit records.
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What distinguishes a Calvin Harris single from those of Steve Angello or Steve Aoki, also appearing at iHeart this weekend, is its unabashed deployment of pop sensibilities over anthemic club production. In fact, while the world knows him as a DJ, the man born Adam Wiles first signed a publishing deal with EMI as a songwriter. By the time his first album, I Created Disco, came out in 2007 through his own Fly Eye imprint and Columbia Records, he had already logged writing sessions with Kylie Minogue and booked more with Dizzee Rascal and Róisín Murphy. His first album make an impact and established a strong fanbase for his second, 2009's Ready for the Weekend. But when that album—despite containing the UK No. 1 "I'm Not Alone" and eventual mainstage mainstay "Flashback"—failed to connect on a level that would have allowed Harris to tour globally as a solo artist, he shifted gears.On Twitter in 2009, Harris repeatedly asked "What Would David Guetta" do, first as a joke, but then in earnest. So after a few years of arduous touring as a DJ, Harris did what Guetta would do: he wrote a few hits.First came 2011's "Feel So Close," the late summer, wistful, radio-friendly lovesong that featured Harris on vocals and a jubilant trance-inspired synth-filled chorus. Then, about a month later, Harris released his biggest single ever with Rihanna's "We Found Love." Wisely, Harris and his management team pre-arranged for the DJ to be listed as a featured artist on the track—a move almost unheard of at the time for non-vocal contributions. As the pop star's own fame catapulted to newer heights, Harris was along for the ride and "Feel So Close" came with him.
Earlier this month, Harris released "Blame," already a UK No. 1 and rising at US radio where "Summer" still reigns. Harris's own celebrity profile has risen thanks to his red carpet-ready romances and increased sex appeal (have you seen his ice bucket challenge), but no matter who he dates or what he looks like, the thing that makes Calvin Harris the dance music juggernaut is the same thing that makes any music star: hit records.