In fifteen years, Calvin Harris has built one of the most impressive music careers of all time. His five albums have redefined modern music, and through singles, collaborations, and remixes, he has inspired future generations of producers, while his earnings have made kids dream of making music as the ultimate career path.
First, he sang about house parties and offered his definition of dance music back in 2007 with the album “I Created Disco”. He emerged from the underground scene straight to the top of the charts with his third album “18 Months”, where he enlisted the vocal capabilities of established names like Kelis, but also featured a range of stars who helped him start a whole new wave of music on radio stations worldwide – Ellie Goulding, Florence and Rihanna. These three ladies have little in common in their respective careers, but they undoubtedly owe part of their popularity to the Scotsman’s production talent. Kylie Minogue later asked him to produce her album, while Tiësto invited him to tour the world together. He was getting invitations and offers left and right, and he had the luxury of choosing which ones to respond to.
He hadn’t done the vocals for his own songs in a long time, so Pharrell persuaded him to start again. When he did everything that could be done in electronic dance music, he developed a funky sound and invited everyone who was anyone to take part in his fifth album – Ariana, Nicki, Frank, Migos, Khaled, Travis… And he conquered the scene again, reaching heights even he had not reached before.
How much do you know about music awards? The BRIT Awards are the biggest in his country, and he was nominated and won a BRIT award multiple times. He also accumulated many awards on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, and he is undoubtedly the proudest of his Grammy. He also holds the prestigious Ivor Novello, and he has been declared an audience favourite in Latin America.
His success can be quantified by the fact that he was the first to break a billion streams on Spotify, that he surpassed records set by Michael Jackson, but also by the fact that Forbes kept naming him the highest-paid DJ in the world for years! He earned 66 million in a single year and is considered to be among the thirty wealthiest musicians in the world!
If these numbers are making you dizzy, just remember how often you still have a chance to hear songs like “We Found Love”, “One Kiss”, “Spectrum (Say My Name)”, “I Need Your Love”, and others. It seems like these tracks’ popularity never waned, and it never will.
Not only was he there for the formation of the modern festival culture, but he wrote the soundtrack to support it. Calvin was one of the first to find a balance between vocal hooks, deep basslines, and melodic synths that often served as the refrain, outshining the commanding vocals of the pop divas he collaborated with.
Although he tried to stay away from the tabloids, his dating Rita Ora did not go unnoticed, and neither did the fact that he used to go out with Taylor Swift at the peak of her career. Today, he is in a stable relationship with model Aarika Wolf. The two have a dog named Boris and a cat named Gregg. He spends much of his time in private gyms, as he has been fitness-obsessed for years, but he has also developed new hobbies during the pandemic. He can be found on his knees more and more often now weeding his garden, where he grows most of the foods he eats – from tomatoes to carrots. He also has sheep and other animals, which he allegedly takes care of himself, while his farm is officially the largest organic farm in Ibiza in terms of area and production.
He worked with Normani recently, Sam Smith sang on his track “Promises,” which pays homage to queer culture, Rag’n’Bone Man and “Giant” still echo in the streets, “One Kiss” featuring Dua Lipa is heard in every bar, two years ago he released “Over Now” with The Weeknd, and last year Tom Grennan appeared on his song “By Your Side”. Calvin Harris never stops!
He has done everything and been almost everywhere! We say almost because he still hasn’t been to the best European festival, and he knows it! That will change this summer – Calvin Harris is coming to EXIT, so this summer, at the Main Stage, we are in for perhaps the biggest show in the history of the festival!
Written by: Vojkan Bećir
