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Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris (and sometimes under the stage name Love Regenerator), is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter. His debut studio album, ''
I Created Disco ''I Created Disco'' is the debut studio album by the Scottish musician Calvin Harris, released on 15 June 2007 by Columbia Records. It was preceded by the singles " Acceptable in the 80s" and " The Girls", which both reached the top ten on both ...
'' (2007) was preceded by the singles "
Acceptable in the 80s "Acceptable in the 80s" is a song by the Scottish musician Calvin Harris, taken from his debut studio album '' I Created Disco''. It was released as his debut single on 12 March 2007. The single peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. M ...
" and " The Girls", both of which achieved commercial success in Europe, as well as in Australia. His second album, '' Ready for the Weekend'' (2009), debuted atop the official albums charts in his native Scotland, as well as in the United Kingdom, and its lead single, "
I'm Not Alone "I'm Not Alone" is a song by Scottish musician Calvin Harris, released as the lead single from his second studio album, '' Ready for the Weekend'' (2009). The track was first played by Pete Tong on BBC Radio 1 as his "essential new tune" on 2 ...
", became his first song to reach number one in the UK Singles Charts. In 2012, Harris rose to international prominence with the release of his third studio album, ''
18 Months ''18 Months'' is the third studio album by Scottish DJ and musician Calvin Harris. It was released on 26 October 2012 by Deconstruction, Fly Eye and Columbia Records. It marked Harris's first album to not feature him on vocals, instead focusing ...
'', which topped the UK Albums Chart and became his first album to chart on the US ''Billboard'' 200, peaking at number 19. In 2014, he released his fourth studio album, ''
Motion In physics, motion is when an object changes its position with respect to a reference point in a given time. Motion is mathematically described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, speed, and frame of reference to an o ...
'', which debuted at number one in his native Scotland, as well as number two in the United Kingdom and number five in the United States. His fifth studio album, ''
Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 ''Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1'' is the fifth studio album by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris. It was released on 30 June 2017 by Columbia Records. The album features guest appearances by Frank Ocean, Migos, Schoolboy Q, PartyNextDoor, ...
'' (2017) peaked at number two in both the United Kingdom and the United States, also becoming his third consecutive number one-album on the US
Dance/Electronic Albums Top Dance Albums (formerly Top Electronic Albums and Top Dance/Electronic Albums) is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine which ranks the top-selling dance music albums in the United States based on sales compiled by Nielsen ...
chart. His sixth studio album, ''
Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 ''Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2'' is the sixth studio album by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris. It was released on 5 August 2022 through Columbia Records. The album contains guest appearances from 21 Savage, Dua Lipa, Young Thug, Stefflo ...
'' (2022), served as a sequel to his previous release, and achieved commercial success internationally. He currently holds the
Official Charts Company The Official UK Charts Company Limited (formerly Music Industry Chart Services Limited), trading as the Official Charts Company (OCC) or the Official Charts (formerly the Chart Information Network), is a British inter-professional organisation ...
record for most number one singles in the United Kingdom during the 2010s decade, and in 2013 surpassed
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
and his record for the most top ten singles from one album, achieving nine from ''18 Months'', against Jackson's seven. In October 2014, Harris became the first artist to place three songs simultaneously on the top 10 of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''
Dance/Electronic Songs Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (formerly Dance/Electronic Songs) is a record chart has been published weekly by ''Billboard'' since January 2013. It is their first chart to be published that ranks the most popular dance and electronic songs according ...
chart. He also became the first UK solo artist to reach more than one billion streams on
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
. Harris has received 23 Brit Award nominations–winning British Producer of the Year and British Single of the Year in 2019, as well as five Grammy nominations, including a win for
Best Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. ...
in 2013. In 2013 he also received a
Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...
, and was named the Top Dance/Electronic Artist at the 2015 ''Billboard'' Music Awards. He appeared on
Debrett's Debrett's () is a British professional coaching company and publisher and authority on etiquette and behaviour, founded in 1769 with the publication of the first edition of ''The New Peerage''. The company takes its name from its founder, John ...
2017 list of the most influential people in the United Kingdom, and topped ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' list of the world's highest-paid DJs for six consecutive years from 2013 to 2018.


Early life and beginnings

Adam Richard Wiles was born on 17 January 1984 in
Dumfries Dumfries ( ; ; from ) is a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth, from the Anglo-Scottish border. Dumfries is the county town of the Counties of Scotland, ...
,
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, to
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
parents, who married in their native
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
before moving to Dumfries. His father worked as a biochemist. He has an elder sister and brother.Douglas Wight (2015). "Calvin Harris: The $100 Million DJ". Chapter 1: Tall Oaks from a little Acorns Grow. p. 1. Black & White Publishing Wiles attended Calside Primary School then Dumfries High School, and, after leaving school, he stocked shelves in supermarkets and worked in a local fish processing factory to buy DJ gear. He was first attracted to electronic music in his teens and began recording bedroom demos in 1999. When Harris was 18, he released two songs, "Da Bongos" and "Brighter Days". Both were released as 12-inch club singles and CD-EPs by the label Prima Facie in early 2002 under the name "Stouffer". With these singles to his credit, Harris moved from Scotland to London, hoping to learn from the local music scene. Only one of his songs, "Let Me Know" with vocalist
Ayah Marar Ayah Marar (; born 20 September 1980) is a Jordanian/Bulgarian singer and songwriter based in the UK. She has been featured as a vocalist or writer on music from British artists including Calvin Harris, DJ Fresh, Camo & Krooked, Bassline Smi ...
on the Unabombers' 2004 live-mix CD Electric Soul, Vol. 2, was released during his time in London. With the lack of job opportunities and money, he returned home to Dumfries and began posting homemade solo recordings to his
Myspace Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...
page. His popularity on the social media website prompted Mark Gillespie, a talent booker for the dance-festival firm
Global Gathering Global Gathering was an annual dance music festival by Angel Festivals Limited. Festivals are held in countries such as the UK, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and feature leading electronic music artists from around the globe. The festival ran ...
who had recently founded his own management firm, to make Harris the company's first signee. Gillespie continues to represent Harris today. Regarding his stage name, the artist has stated that the name 'Calvin Harris' was his stage alter-ego and that he prefers not to be addressed as "Calvin" outside of his performances. Initially tolerant of it as a nickname early in his career, he has since emphasised the importance of being addressed by his real name, Adam Wiles, in all of his personal interactions. "At the start of my career people were meeting me for the first time and I let it slide. It was sort of a nickname". When family and friends began using the stage name, he said, "I was like, I'm sorry this is ridiculous. You're speaking to my alter ego".


Career


2006–2008:''I Created Disco'' and breakthrough

Harris signed contracts with Three Six Zero Group (management),
EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...
(publishing), and
Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...
(recording) in 2006 after he had been discovered on the social networking website Myspace. Later in 2006, Harris produced a remix of
All Saints All Saints' Day is a Christian holiday. All Saints, All Saints Day or Feast of All Saints may also refer to: Art and entertainment * ''All Saints'' (film), a 2017 Christian drama film * ''All Saints'' (TV series), an Australian hospital drama * ...
' single "
Rock Steady Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor of ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was the dominant style of music in Jamaica for nearly two years, performed by many of the artists who helped establish ...
". Harris's debut album, ''
I Created Disco ''I Created Disco'' is the debut studio album by the Scottish musician Calvin Harris, released on 15 June 2007 by Columbia Records. It was preceded by the singles " Acceptable in the 80s" and " The Girls", which both reached the top ten on both ...
'', was released in June 2007. He started working on the album in 2006 after he moved back from living in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
to his hometown of
Dumfries Dumfries ( ; ; from ) is a market town and former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, near the mouth of the River Nith on the Solway Firth, from the Anglo-Scottish border. Dumfries is the county town of the Counties of Scotland, ...
. All 14 tracks were written, produced, and performed solely by Harris, and all recording and producing for the album took place on an
Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers produced by Commodore International, Commodore from 1985 until the company's bankruptcy in 1994, with production by others afterward. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16-b ...
computer. To promote ''I Created Disco'', Harris embarked on a tour of the UK, supporting
Faithless Faithless are an English dance music Band (rock and pop), band that formed in 1995, with its core original members being Rollo Armstrong, Rollo, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz. During the band's initial period of success, Sister Bliss and Maxi Ja ...
and
Groove Armada Groove Armada are an English electronic music duo, composed of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They achieved chart success with their singles " At the River", " I See You Baby" and " Superstylin'". The duo have released nine studio albums, four of ...
. ''I Created Disco'' was certified gold by the
British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI). It reached number eight on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
and number 19 on the US
Top Electronic Albums Top Dance Albums (formerly Top Electronic Albums and Top Dance/Electronic Albums) is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine which ranks the top-selling dance music albums in the United States based on sales compiled by Nielsen S ...
. The album contained uptempo
electroclash Electroclash (also known as synthcore, retro-electro, tech-pop, nouveau disco, and the new new wave) is a Music genre, genre of popular music that fuses 1980s Electro (music), electro, New wave music, new wave and synth-pop with 1990s techno, re ...
songs that were influenced by music from the 1980s. The song, "
Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-larg ...
", was issued on limited edition vinyl. The first wide-release single from the album was released in March 2007. "
Acceptable in the 80s "Acceptable in the 80s" is a song by the Scottish musician Calvin Harris, taken from his debut studio album '' I Created Disco''. It was released as his debut single on 12 March 2007. The single peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. M ...
", a tribute to the style and culture of the decade, peaked at number ten on the UK Singles Chart, remaining on the chart for 15 weeks. " The Girls", the album's second single, peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart. The third and final release from the album, "
Merrymaking at My Place "Merrymaking at My Place" is a song by Scottish musician Calvin Harris. It was released as the third single from Harris' debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'' (2007), on 20 August 2007. The radio edit which appears on the single has an altere ...
", peaked at number 43 on the chart. The same year, Harris caught the attention of Australian pop singer
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...
after his recordings had been passed on to her by another record producer. This led to him co-writing and producing two songs, "Heart Beat Rock" and " In My Arms", on her 2007 album '' X'', the latter becoming a top 10 single in the UK. Harris said that working with Minogue was "surreal, but fun" although he admitted to ''Mixmag'' in 2007 to "needing a few drinks before meeting her". Harris also contributed the song "
Off & On "Off & On" is a pop song released by British recording artist Sophie Ellis-Bextor as the fifth overall single from her fourth studio album, '' Make a Scene''. It was released on 11 April 2011, exclusively in the Russian Federation as a digital d ...
" to
Róisín Murphy Róisín Marie Murphy ( , ; born 5 July 1973) is an Irish singer, songwriter and record producer who first became known in the 1990s as one half of the Pop music, pop duo Moloko alongside the English musician Mark Brydon. After the breakup of M ...
's album ''
Overpowered ''Overpowered'' is the second solo studio album by Irish singer and songwriter Róisín Murphy. It was released on 15 October 2007 by EMI Records. Receiving widespread critical acclaim, the album was more commercially successful than its prede ...
'', but it was cut from the album. Harris would later give the song to
Sophie Ellis-Bextor Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor (born 10 April 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She first came to prominence in the late 1990s as the lead vocalist of the indie rock band Theaudience. After the group disbanded, Ellis-Bextor went solo and ...
to record for her 2011 album '' Make a Scene''. Harris also produced a remix of the second single "4th of July (Fireworks)" from
Kelis Kelis Rogers (; born August 21, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and chef. She attended Manhattan, New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she played saxophone and was selected for the Girls Ch ...
' album ''
Flesh Tone ''Flesh Tone'' is the fifth studio album by American singer Kelis, released on May 14, 2010, by the will.i.am Music Group and Interscope Records. Recorded while the singer was unsigned and pregnant with her first child, the album is an ode to m ...
''. He additionally reworked singles by
Jamiroquai Jamiroquai ( ) are an English acid jazz and funk band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in th ...
,
Groove Armada Groove Armada are an English electronic music duo, composed of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They achieved chart success with their singles " At the River", " I See You Baby" and " Superstylin'". The duo have released nine studio albums, four of ...
,
All Saints All Saints' Day is a Christian holiday. All Saints, All Saints Day or Feast of All Saints may also refer to: Art and entertainment * ''All Saints'' (film), a 2017 Christian drama film * ''All Saints'' (TV series), an Australian hospital drama * ...
, and CSS. In 2008, Harris collaborated with rapper
Dizzee Rascal Dylan Kwabena Mills (born 18 September 1984), known professionally as Dizzee Rascal, is a British rapper and MC. He is often credited as a pioneer of British hip hop and grime music and was ranked by ''Complex'' as one of the greatest British ...
on his single "
Dance wiv Me "Dance wiv Me" is a single by British rapper Dizzee Rascal, from his fourth studio album, ''Tongue n' Cheek''. It was released on 30 June 2008 and features guest vocals from Scottish musician Calvin Harris and British R&B singer Chrome. The ex ...
", producing the track and singing the hook. The single topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks and was certified platinum by the BPI, selling 600,000 copies. It was shortlisted for the 2008
Popjustice £20 Music Prize The Popjustice £20 Music Prize, also known as the Popjustice Twenty Quid Prize, is an annual prize awarded by music website Popjustice to recognise the best British pop single of the previous year. The prize was conceived by Popjustice founder ...
. In 2009, it received a Brit Award nomination for British Single and an
Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...
nomination for Best Contemporary Song. On 18 October 2008, Harris was featured on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
's ''
Essential Mix The ''Essential Mix'' is a weekly radio show on BBC Radio 1 currently broadcast between 0:00 and 2:00 a.m. UK time on Saturday morning. Originally broadcast on 30 October 1993, the ''Essential Mix'' features contemporary DJs and music pr ...
'' on a two-hour set.


2008–2010: ''Ready for the Weekend''

Harris's second album, '' Ready for the Weekend'', was released in August 2009 and entered at number one on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, being certified gold by the BPI within two months of release. Eleven of the fourteen tracks on the album were sung, produced, and written solely by Harris. "
I'm Not Alone "I'm Not Alone" is a song by Scottish musician Calvin Harris, released as the lead single from his second studio album, '' Ready for the Weekend'' (2009). The track was first played by Pete Tong on BBC Radio 1 as his "essential new tune" on 2 ...
", released as the album's lead single in April 2009, debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart. The follow-up single, " Ready for the Weekend", reached number three. The third single, " Flashback", featuring Jordanian singer
Ayah Marar Ayah Marar (; born 20 September 1980) is a Jordanian/Bulgarian singer and songwriter based in the UK. She has been featured as a vocalist or writer on music from British artists including Calvin Harris, DJ Fresh, Camo & Krooked, Bassline Smi ...
reached number eighteen in the UK. During promotion of the album, Harris hosted a series of videos on YouTube titled Jam TV, in which musicians such as
Florence Welch Florence Leontine Mary Welch
(born 28 ...
,
Goldie Clifford Joseph Price MBE (born 19 September 1965), better known as Goldie, is an English music producer, DJ, and actor. Initially gaining exposure for his work as a graffiti artist, Goldie became well known for his pioneering role as a musi ...
, and
Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists in hist ...
tried to open pots of jam. At the 2010 Brit Awards, Harris received a nomination for Best British Male. On 8 February 2010, " You Used to Hold Me" was released as the fourth and final single from the album. It peaked at number 27 on the UK Singles Chart. The song marked the last time Harris regularly sang on his records, opting to focus more on music production while having guest singers provide the vocals for him. The same year, shortly after his "Ready for the Weekend tour" wrapped up, Harris parted ways with members of his band in which he served as lead vocalist and made the decision to stop doing live shows. In an interview with ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'', Harris said that, "I thought I'd exhausted every avenue n the two albumsand it takes a long time to make me sound good, which is why I stopped singing live as well. I'd like to think of someone who's better-looking, a better singer, better dancer to be the frontperson for the song." He also released several remixes, including remixes of
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...
's "
She Wolf A she-wolf is a female gray wolf (''Canis lupus''). She-wolf or she wolf may also refer to: History * She-wolf (Roman mythology), from the tale of Romulus and Remus, a traditional symbol of Rome *Isabella of France (1295–1358), wife of Edward I ...
", Katy Perry's "
Waking Up in Vegas "Waking Up in Vegas" is a song by American singer Katy Perry, released as the fourth and final single from her second studio album, ''One of the Boys'' (2008). Perry wrote the song with Desmond Child and Andreas Carlsson, and Greg Wells produced ...
",
Mr Hudson Benjamin Hudson McIldowie (born 26 June 1979), better known by his stage name Mr Hudson, is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer from Birmingham, England. He formed the band Mr Hudson and the Library in 2006, for which he served ...
's "
Supernova A supernova (: supernovae or supernovas) is a powerful and luminous explosion of a star. A supernova occurs during the last stellar evolution, evolutionary stages of a massive star, or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion ...
" (featuring
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
), and
Mika Mika is a given name, a nickname, and a surname. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People known just as Mika * Mika (singer) (born 1983), Lebanese-born British singer-songwriter Michael Penniman, Jr. * Mika (footba ...
's "
We Are Golden "We Are Golden" is the first single from English singer Mika's second studio album, '' The Boy Who Knew Too Much''. The song was produced and mixed by Greg Wells and features the gospel choir of Andraé Crouch. Release The single made its rad ...
". Harris also produced Dizzee Rascal's next single titled "
Holiday A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...
", which topped the UK Singles Chart in August 2009. Harris made a guest appearance as vocalist on
Tiësto Tijs Michiel Verwest (; born 17 January 1969), known professionally as Tiësto ( , ), is a Dutch DJ and record producer. He was voted "The Greatest DJ of All Time" by ''Mix (magazine), Mix'' magazine in a 2010/2011 poll amongst fans. In 2013, h ...
's song "Century" on the Dutch producer's album, ''
Kaleidoscope A kaleidoscope () is an optical instrument with two or more reflecting surfaces (or mirrors) tilted to each other at an angle, so that one or more (parts of) objects on one end of these mirrors are shown as a symmetrical pattern when viewed fro ...
''. Harris also produced and mixed
The Ting Tings The Ting Tings are an English indie pop duo formed in Salford, Greater Manchester, in 2007. The band consists of Katie White (vocals, guitar, bass drums, bass guitar, cowbells) and Jules De Martino (drums, lead guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, ...
' single ''
Hands A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each "han ...
'' which was released on 18 August 2010. The song was originally set to become the first single of the duo's second studio album, but they cancelled the album plans and the song was included as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of ''
Sounds from Nowheresville ''Sounds from Nowheresville'' is the second studio album by English indie pop duo the Ting Tings, released on 24 February 2012 by Columbia Records. The album was released almost four years after the band's debut and went through various concep ...
''. On 14 November 2009, Harris invaded the stage of the
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...
talent competition ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'' during a live performance by Irish contestants John and Edward Grimes, holding a
pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a Tropical vegetation, tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been culti ...
on his head. He later apologised on Twitter. Harris claimed that Chris Brown's "
Yeah 3x "Yeah 3x" (pronounced "Yeah three times", "Yeah Yeah Yeah", or “Yeah three-x”); sometimes stylized as "Yeah 3X") is a song by American singer Chris Brown, released as the lead single from his fourth studio album ''F.A.M.E. (Chris Brown alb ...
", released in October 2010, plagiarised his 2009 single "I'm Not Alone". After considering similarities between the two songs, Harris was subsequently added to the songwriting credits on the single and the '' F.A.M.E.'' album. Harris was also featured on Kylie Minogue's eleventh studio album, ''
Aphrodite Aphrodite (, ) is an Greek mythology, ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, procreation, and as her syncretism, syncretised Roman counterpart , desire, Sexual intercourse, sex, fertility, prosperity, and ...
'', collaborating the track "Too Much".


2011–2013: ''18 Months'' and international prominence

In 2011, Harris toured as a support act for the European leg of Barbadian singer
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
's
Loud Tour The Loud Tour was the fourth overall and third world concert tour by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. Performing in over twenty countries in the Americas and Europe, the tour was launched in support of Rihanna's fifth studio album '' Loud'' ...
. Rihanna was quoted as saying, "Calvin is the perfect fit for the Loud Tour. He is going to bring something unique and fun for the fans." Harris played the 2011 Mardi Gras Party in Sydney on 5 March. Harris was also featured on
LMFAO LMFAO (an initialism for Laughing My Freaking Ass Off) was an American electronic dance music duo consisting of Redfoo and Sky Blu (rapper), Sky Blu. Redfoo is the youngest son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and Nancy Leiviska. Sky Blu ...
's album ''
Sorry for Party Rocking ''Sorry for Party Rocking'' is the second and final studio album by American electronic duo LMFAO. It was released on June 21, 2011, physically and digitally by Interscope Records as the follow-up to their debut album '' Party Rock'' (2009). " ...
,'' appearing on the track "Reminds Me of You", which is based on Harris's own song "Awooga". Harris produced
Tinchy Stryder Kwasi Esono Danquah III ( ; born 14 September 1986), better known by his stage name Tinchy Stryder, is a British rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and investor. Stryder has released three solo studio albums, '' Star in the Hood'' (2007 ...
's second single, " Off the Record", from his fourth studio album, ''Full Tank.'' The track had its premiere on 15 September 2011 and was released in the UK on 6 November 2011. Harris released the single " Bounce", the first single from his upcoming album, a collaboration with
Kelis Kelis Rogers (; born August 21, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and chef. She attended Manhattan, New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she played saxophone and was selected for the Girls Ch ...
that debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart in June 2011. "
Feel So Close "Feel So Close" is a song by Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, released as the second single from his third studio album, ''18 Months'' (2012). In order to have lyrics and be standalone, Harris had to return to singing on this song, after previously s ...
", the second single from the album, was released in August 2011 and also reached number two in the United Kingdom. "Feel So Close" became his first solo entry on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the US, peaking at number 12. He performed at the 2011
Jingle Bell Ball The Jingle Bell Ball is a concert held annually in December since 2008 (except for 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic), by the radio station Capital (radio network), Capital FM at The O2 Arena. Various notable artists have headlined the con ...
concert and was announced as one of the headline acts at a number of Southern Hemisphere 2011/2012 new year music festivals. Following a stint as the support act on the Australian leg of Rihanna's tour, Harris produced Rihanna's songs "
We Found Love "We Found Love" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna released as the lead single from her sixth studio album, '' Talk That Talk'' (2011). The song features Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, whose 2012 album '' 18 Months'' also includes the track. Produ ...
" and "
Where Have You Been "Where Have You Been" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her sixth studio album '' Talk That Talk'' (2011). It was released as the third international single from the album on April 17, 2012. The song was written by Ester Dean, Geoff ...
". The former was included on Harris's upcoming album ''18 Months'' and premiered on Capital FM radio in the UK on 22 September 2011. "We Found Love" topped the charts in 27 countries worldwide, including the UK where it became Harris's third UK number one, peaked in the top 10 in 30 countries, and broke many records worldwide. Topping the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for 10 non-consecutive weeks, it was Harris's first US number one and was also Rihanna's longest-running US number one and the longest-running number one of 2011. "We Found Love" was later ranked number 24 on the list of the all-time top 100 songs on the ''Billboard ''Hot 100.Bronson, Fred.
Hot 100 55th Anniversary: The All-Time Top 100 Songs
. ''Billboard''. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
In 2013, "We Found Love" was placed at number three on ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''s top 10 dance-pop collaborations of all time. Harris co-wrote and co-produced the bonus track "One Life" for R&B singer
Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Qu ...
's album '' My Life II... The Journey Continues'' (2011). He also worked with the pop band
Scissor Sisters Scissor Sisters are an American pop rock band formed in 2000. The band's current line-up consists of Jake Shears (vocals), Babydaddy (various instruments), Del Marquis (guitar, bass) and Randy Real (drums). Former members include vocalist A ...
on the single "
Only the Horses "Only the Horses" is a song by American band Scissor Sisters. The track is the first single from their fourth studio album, '' Magic Hour''. It premiered on April 6, 2012, on BBC Radio 1, and was released to various iTunes Stores as a single on ...
" from their fourth studio album, '' Magic Hour''. He wrote and produced
Cheryl Cole Cheryl Ann Tweedy (born 30 June 1983) is an English singer and television personality. She rose to fame as a member of Girls Aloud, a Pop music, pop girl group created through ITV (TV network), ITV's reality competition show ''Popstars: The R ...
's single " Call My Name", the lead single from her third album ''A Million Lights''. He also produced a remix of
Florence and the Machine Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine) are an English indie rock band formed in London in 2007 by lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, drummer Christopher Lloyd Hayden and harp ...
's "
Spectrum A spectrum (: spectra or spectrums) is a set of related ideas, objects, or properties whose features overlap such that they blend to form a continuum. The word ''spectrum'' was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of co ...
" titled "Spectrum (Say My Name)". The song was released as the album's fifth single on 5 July 2012. It was serviced to radio in the UK on 2 July 2012. It became the group's first single to peak at number one on the UK Singles Chart. " Let's Go" featuring
Ne-Yo Shaffer Chimere Smith (born October 18, 1979), known professionally as Ne-Yo ( ), is an American singer and songwriter. Regarded as a leading figure of Contemporary R&B#2000s, 2000s R&B music, he is the recipient of numerous accolades, includi ...
, the third single from the album, was released in April 2012 and reached number two in the UK Singles Chart. It was his second US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 appearance as a main artist, charting at number 17. The song received a nomination for
Best Dance Recording The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as Best Dance Recording) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists f ...
at the
55th Grammy Awards The 55th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 10, 2013, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. E ...
which was held in February 2013. The album's fourth single "
We'll Be Coming Back "We'll Be Coming Back" is a song by Scottish DJ Calvin Harris featuring English singer Example. The song was released on 27 July 2012 as the fourth single from Harris' third studio album, ''18 Months'' (2012). The song spent two weeks at number ...
" was released in July 2012. Featuring rapper
Example Example may refer to: * ''exempli gratia'' (e.g.), usually read out in English as "for example" * .example, reserved as a domain name that may not be installed as a top-level domain of the Internet ** example.com, example.net, example.org, an ...
, it peaked at number two in the UK. The fifth single, " Sweet Nothing", features
Florence Welch Florence Leontine Mary Welch
(born 28 ...
of
Florence and the Machine Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine) are an English indie rock band formed in London in 2007 by lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, drummer Christopher Lloyd Hayden and harp ...
and was released on 14 October 2012. It peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart and at number 10 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The song received a nomination for
Best Dance Recording The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as Best Dance Recording) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists f ...
at the
56th Grammy Awards The 56th Annual Grammy Awards presentation was held on January 26, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT and was hosted for the third time by LL Cool J. The show was moved to January to avoid compe ...
."Grammy Awards 2014: Full Nominations List"
''Billboard''. Retrieved 2 August 2015
His third studio album, ''
18 Months ''18 Months'' is the third studio album by Scottish DJ and musician Calvin Harris. It was released on 26 October 2012 by Deconstruction, Fly Eye and Columbia Records. It marked Harris's first album to not feature him on vocals, instead focusing ...
'', was released on 29 October 2012. Harris eventually made UK chart history by becoming the first artist to attain eight top-10 singles from one studio album, breaking the record previously set by
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
. In March 2017, the record was surpassed once again by
Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran ( ; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
, after his album '' ÷'' spawned 10 top-10 songs on the UK chart. ''18 Months'' received a nomination for Best Dance/Electronica Album at the 56th Grammy Awards. Harris was also nominated for Best British Male Solo Artist at the
2013 Brit Awards Brit Awards 2013 was held on 20 February 2013. This was the 33rd edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual Brit Awards. The awards ceremony was held at The O2 Arena in London, and was presented for the third time in three years by ...
in February. Harris was the house DJ at the
2012 MTV Video Music Awards The 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, hosted by Kevin Hart, took place on Thursday, September 6, 2012, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The awards were broadcast from the Staples Center arena at L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles ...
held at the
Staples Center Crypto.com Arena (originally and colloquially known as Staples Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in downtown Los Angeles. Opened on October 17, 1999, as Staples Center, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along F ...
, Los Angeles, where he won Best Electronic Video for "Feel So Close" and Video of the Year alongside Rihanna for "We Found Love". Harris performed as part of the post-race concert of the 2013
Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
Bahrain Grand Prix in April 2013. At the 2013
Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Welsh entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and Musical composition, composing. They have been presented annually in London by the The Ivors Academy, Ivors Academy, formerly called the Britis ...
held at the
Grosvenor House Hotel ] JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, formerly the Grosvenor House Hotel, is a luxury hotel that opened in 1929 in the Mayfair area of London, England. Across from Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park, the hotel is built on the former site of the 19th ...
, London in May, Harris received the British Academy's Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year, with Harris calling it "easily the greatest achievement of my entire life". In 2012, Harris made statements explaining why he wanted to stop singing on tracks stating, "I want each track as good as it can possibly be, which usually means me not singing on it."


2013–2015: ''Motion'' and continued success

On 7 October 2013, Harris and Swedish DJ
Alesso Alessandro Renato Rodolfo Lindblad (born 7 July 1991), better known by his stage name Alesso (), is a Swedish DJ and record producer. He has worked with numerous artists, including Tove Lo, Theo Hutchcraft, Ryan Tedder, Hailee Steinfeld, Ca ...
released a collaborative single with
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
duo
Hurts Hurts may refer to: * Pain, injury or suffering * Hurts (duo), British musical duo * Hurts (song), "Hurts" (song), by Emeli Sandé, 2016 * "Hurts", a song by Lany from ''LANY (album), LANY'', 2017 * "Hurts", a song by Mika from ''No Place in Heaven ...
called " Under Control" as the first single from his fourth album. The song debuted at number one in the UK. Later that month, Harris remixed
The Killers The Killers are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After the band went through a number of short-term bas ...
' song "
When You Were Young "When You Were Young" is a song by American rock band the Killers. It was released on September 18, 2006, as the lead single from their second studio album, '' Sam's Town'' (2006). The song was written and produced by The Killers and co-produced ...
" for the deluxe edition of their greatest hits album '' Direct Hits''. He unveiled the full six-minute version through ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' and told the magazine: "It was a real honour to be asked to remix one of my favourite modern bands, and it was an exciting challenge for me to update this classic track for the dance-floor in a tasteful and respectful way". On 14 March 2014, Harris's song "
Summer Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...
" premiered on the UK's Capital FM. The track which was released as the album's second single debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Harris's sixth UK number-one single. It also became Harris's highest-charting solo single on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number seven. "Summer" was
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
's most-streamed track of 2014 with over 200 million streams. Harris also produced the single "
I Will Never Let You Down "I Will Never Let You Down" is a song by English singer Rita Ora. Produced by Scottish DJ & producer Calvin Harris, the song was released as a single for digital download and streaming by Columbia and Roc Nation in various countries on 31 Ma ...
" for British singer
Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (; born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer-songwriter, television personality, and actress. Born in Pristina, modern-day Kosovo, she rose to prominence when she featured on DJ Fresh's 2012 single, "Hot Rig ...
. On 18 May 2014, the song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, two weeks after his song "Summer" debuted at the top of the charts. In April 2014, Harris performed on the main stage of
Coachella Festival Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorad ...
. His set attracted the second largest crowd in the festival's history, topped only by the 2012 set of
Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, and actor. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and co-founder of ...
and
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
which featured a transparent
Pepper's ghost Pepper's ghost is an Magic (illusion), illusion technique, used in theatre, Film, cinema, amusement parks, museums, television, and concerts, in which an image of an object offstage is projected so that it appears to be in front of the audience ...
image of
Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...
. That year, he was also a headline act at several prominent music festivals, including
Lollapalooza Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...
,
Austin City Limits Music Festival Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, on two consecutive three-day weekends and is inspired by the KLRU/PBS music series ''Austin City Limits''. The festival is pro ...
, the
iTunes Festival The Apple Music Festival (formerly known as the iTunes Festival) was a concert series held by Apple, Inc. and inaugurated in 2007. Free tickets were given to Apple Music, iTunes and DICE users who lived in the United Kingdom, through localized ...
in London,
Electric Daisy Carnival Electric Daisy Carnival, commonly known as EDC, is an electronic dance music festival organized by promoter and distributor Insomniac. The annual flagship event, EDC Las Vegas, is held in May at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and is the largest e ...
, and the
iHeartRadio Music Festival The iHeartRadio Music Festival is a two-day music concert festival held every year on the third or fourth weekend of September since 2011 by iHeartRadio along the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. From 2011 to 2015, the f ...
. The third single, "
Blame Blame is the act of censuring, holding responsible, or making negative statements about an individual or group that their actions or inaction are socially or morally irresponsible, the opposite of praise. When someone is morally responsible fo ...
", was a collaboration with vocalist John Newman. It was released in September 2014 to positive reviews from music critics and debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, giving Harris his third consecutive UK number-one single (and his seventh solo single overall). After the release of the song, Harris became the first British solo artist to reach more than a billion streams on
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
. Later that month, Harris uploaded an instrumental track called "C.U.B.A." to
SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...
. "
Outside Outside or Outsides may refer to: * Wilderness Books and magazines * ''Outside'', a book by Marguerite Duras * ''Outside'' (magazine), an outdoors magazine Film, theatre and TV * Outside TV (formerly RSN Television), a television network * '' ...
", the fourth single from the album, featuring
Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer, songwriter, and activist. Born in Hereford and raised in Lyonshall, Goulding began writing songs at the age of 15. She released her debut single " Under the Sheets" through ...
, was released in October 2014. It marked the second collaboration between Harris and Goulding, following the internationally successful single "I Need Your Love" from 2013."Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding Cope With Imploding Relationships in 'Outside' Video"
''Billboard''. Retrieved 28 July 2015
The instrumental track " Slow Acid" was released as a promotional single from the album on 14 October 2014. His fourth album, ''
Motion In physics, motion is when an object changes its position with respect to a reference point in a given time. Motion is mathematically described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, speed, and frame of reference to an o ...
'', was released on 4 November 2014. It includes the previously released singles "Under Control", "Summer", "Blame", and "Outside". Another track from the album, " Pray to God", featuring rock band trio
Haim Haim can be a first name or surname originating in Hebrew or derived from the Old German name Haimo. Etymology Hebrew Chayyim ( ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ), also transcribed ''Haim, Hayim, Chayim'', or ''Chaim'' (English pronunciat ...
, was released on 11 February 2015. At the
2015 Brit Awards Brit Awards 2015 was held on 25 February 2015. This was the 35th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The awards ceremony was held at The O2 Arena in London, presented by Ant & Dec. This was their second tim ...
, "Summer" was nominated for Best British Single and British Artist Video of the Year. At the 2015
Glamour Awards The ''Glamour'' Awards is an annual set of awards hosted by '' Glamour'' magazine. Woman of the Year awards honour "extraordinary and inspirational" women from a variety of fields, including entertainment, business, sports, music, science, medi ...
in London on 2 June, Harris was named ''Glamour'' UK's Man of the Year. He was also ranked 6th on ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''s Top 30 EDM Power Players. The same month, he was part of the main stage line-up at the
Electric Daisy Carnival Electric Daisy Carnival, commonly known as EDC, is an electronic dance music festival organized by promoter and distributor Insomniac. The annual flagship event, EDC Las Vegas, is held in May at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and is the largest e ...
held in Las Vegas. On 17 July 2015, Harris and London-based production trio
Disciples A disciple is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure. It can refer to: Religion * Disciple (Christianity), a student of Jesus Christ * Twelve Apostles of Jesus, sometimes called the Twelve Disciples * Seventy disciples in t ...
released the single " How Deep Is Your Love". The song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, giving Harris his 19th top-10 entry in the UK. It peaked at number one on the ARIA Charts, giving Harris his first chart-topper in Australia. The song peaked at number three on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs in the US and marked Harris's eighth top-10 entry since the chart's launch, making it the most of any act. In September, Harris was featured on Dillon Francis's EP ''This Mixtape Is Fire'', collaborating on a Moombahton-style track entitled "What's Your Name". At the 2016 Brit Awards, Harris received three nominations: Best British Male Solo Artist, "How Deep Is Your Love" for British Single of the Year, and Best British Video.


2016–2017: ''Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1''

Harris released a new single titled "This Is What You Came For", which features
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
, co-written with Taylor Swift, on 29 April 2016. The single debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart. It peaked at number three on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Harris's second top five song. It also reached number one on the US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and became Harris's tenth number one on sister chart Dance/Mix Show Airplay and his fourth chart-topper on the Dance Club Songs, Hot Dance Club Songs Chart. It topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and Republic of Ireland, Ireland and peaked within the top ten of the charts in Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and Switzerland. On 24 June 2016, Harris released a collaboration with Dizzee Rascal, titled "Hype (Dizzee Rascal and Calvin Harris song), Hype". On 8 July 2016, John Newman released the track "Olé (John Newman song), Olé", which was produced by Harris. On 16 September 2016, Harris released "My Way (Calvin Harris song), My Way", where he also performed vocals for the song. On 21 February 2017, he announced the song "Slide (Calvin Harris song), Slide", his collaboration with American singer-songwriter Frank Ocean and hip hop group Migos. The song was released on 25 February 2017. Harris released a collaboration with Young Thug, Ariana Grande, and Pharrell Williams titled "Heatstroke (song), Heatstroke" on 31 March 2017. In May, he announced that his forthcoming fifth studio album, ''
Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 ''Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1'' is the fifth studio album by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris. It was released on 30 June 2017 by Columbia Records. The album features guest appearances by Frank Ocean, Migos, Schoolboy Q, PartyNextDoor, ...
'', would be released on 30 June 2017. The album featured appearances from the likes of Travis Scott, Kehlani, Future (rapper), Future,
Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists in hist ...
, Big Sean, John Legend, Khalid (American singer), Khalid, Schoolboy Q, DRAM (musician), DRAM, Nicki Minaj, Lil Yachty, Jessie Reyez, PartyNextDoor and
Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
.


2018–2021: Standalone singles and Love Regenerator alias

On 8 February 2018, Harris collaborated with PartyNextDoor to release a dancehall-influenced house music, house track titled "Nuh Ready Nuh Ready". On 6 April 2018, he released "One Kiss (song), One Kiss" with Dua Lipa. On 17 August 2018, the next single "Promises (Calvin Harris and Sam Smith song), Promises" was released with Sam Smith (singer), Sam Smith. The music video for the song was released on 4 September and honours the LGBTQ community with references to the ball scene and voguing. In November 2018, he released "I Found You (Benny Blanco and Calvin Harris song), I Found You", a collaboration with Benny Blanco. The song features his first time singing on a track since his 2016 single "My Way (Calvin Harris song), My Way". It peaked at number 29 in the UK. On 22 October 2018, Harris collaborated with Normani on the two track EP Normani x Calvin Harris. He topped Forbes' Highest-Paid DJs of 2018, becoming his sixth consecutive year to top the list (2013–2018). His next single "Giant (Calvin Harris and Rag'n'Bone Man song), Giant", a collaboration with English singer Rag'n'Bone Man was released in January 2019, peaking in the top 10 in several countries, including at number 2 in the UK. That year, mega-club Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel, Ushuaïa Ibiza booked Harris for a weekly Friday DJ residency for six weeks in August and September 2019. In 2020, Harris went on "rediscover the way he originally began producing music 22 years ago" and released two EPs, ''Love Regenerator 1'' and ''Love Regenerator 2'', under his ''Love Regenerator'' alias. The third EP ''Love Regenerator 3'' was released on 13 March 2020. On 22 August 2020, Harris announced his new song called, "Over Now (Calvin Harris and The Weeknd song), Over Now" with Canadian singer The Weeknd. The song was released on 28 August 2020. On 21 May 2021, Harris announced the song "By Your Side (Calvin Harris song), By Your Side" featuring Tom Grennan. The song was released on 4 June 2021.


2022–present: ''Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2'' and ''96 Months''

On 3 March 2022, Harris hinted at the release of his sixth album, ''
Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 ''Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2'' is the sixth studio album by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris. It was released on 5 August 2022 through Columbia Records. The album contains guest appearances from 21 Savage, Dua Lipa, Young Thug, Stefflo ...
'', on his Twitter. The lead single "Potion (song), Potion", featuring Dua Lipa and Young Thug, was released on 27 May. On 29 June 2022, Harris announced that ''Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2'' would be released on 5 August 2022. The album contains features from Charlie Puth, Swae Lee, Pusha T, Normani, Halsey (singer), Halsey, Tinashe, and Justin Timberlake, among others. Harris announced the second single, "New Money", which features vocals from 21 Savage. The song was released on 1 July 2022. On 6 July 2022, Harris announced that his third single, "Stay with Me (Calvin Harris, Justin Timberlake, Halsey and Pharrell Williams song), Stay with Me", featuring Halsey, Timberlake, and Pharrell, would be released on 15 July 2022. The fourth single, "New to You", was released on 29 July 2022. It features American singers Normani and Tinashe, and rapper Offset (rapper), Offset. In February 2023, Harris and Ellie Goulding teased an upcoming single titled "Miracle (Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding song), Miracle" on TikTok. It was released on 10 March 2023. Harris performed at the Coachella 2023, 22nd Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2023. At the Brit Awards 2024, Harris performed "Miracle" alongside Goulding, and received three nominations – Brit Award for British Pop Act, British Pop Act, Brit Award for Song of the Year, Song of the Year for "Miracle", and won the Brit Award for British Dance Act. On 9 August 2024, Harris released his first compilation album ''96 Months'', which contains several of Harris's previously released singles that had not previously been included on one of his albums. In May 2025, Harris received copyright infringement accusations from British DJ and producer Chicane (musician), Chicane, who cited similarities between Harris's new single "Blessings (Calvin Harris song), Blessings" and his 1996 single "Offshore (song), Offshore". Harris was quick to dispute the claims made by Chicane, saying that all he had done was "play two notes over multiple chords", and accused Chicane of copyright himself on "Offshore" by highlighting similarities between it and "Love On A Real Train" by Tangerine Dream.


Musical style

Following his professed disinterest in the genre of Electronic dance music, EDM in late 2016, Harris transitioned to funk on his fifth studio album ''
Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 ''Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1'' is the fifth studio album by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris. It was released on 30 June 2017 by Columbia Records. The album features guest appearances by Frank Ocean, Migos, Schoolboy Q, PartyNextDoor, ...
'' the following year, which he continued with his sixth album ''
Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 ''Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2'' is the sixth studio album by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris. It was released on 5 August 2022 through Columbia Records. The album contains guest appearances from 21 Savage, Dua Lipa, Young Thug, Stefflo ...
'' in 2022. In 2016, Harris stated that
Jamiroquai Jamiroquai ( ) are an English acid jazz and funk band from London. Formed in 1992, they are fronted by vocalist Jay Kay, and were prominent in the London-based funk and acid jazz movement of the 1990s. They built on their acid jazz sound in th ...
and Fatboy Slim had inspired him to make music.


Endorsements

In 2008, the artwork of Harris's debut album ''
I Created Disco ''I Created Disco'' is the debut studio album by the Scottish musician Calvin Harris, released on 15 June 2007 by Columbia Records. It was preceded by the singles " Acceptable in the 80s" and " The Girls", which both reached the top ten on both ...
'' was featured as part of a multicoloured iPod nano campaign on TV and in print in the US. In 2009, Harris teamed up with Coca-Cola for their 'Open Happiness' advertising campaign in the UK. Harris wrote and produced an exclusive track for the brand called 'Yeah Yeah Yeah, La La La' which was featured on TV, digital, outdoor and on-pack promotional activity and was offered on 'Coke Zone' website for free download."Calvin Harris soundtracks Coca-Cola ad"
''The Guardian''. Retrieved 28 July 2015
The same year, Harris's song "Colours" was featured in Kia Motors's hamster television advertisement for the Kia Soul EV. In 2012, Harris was featured in the Pepsi Max commercial for their football campaign. Titled "crowd surfing", the advert showed Harris on the DJ deck playing his single " Let's Go" to the crowd of partygoers alongside star footballers Lionel Messi, Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres, Frank Lampard, Sergio Agüero and Jack Wilshere."Pepsi Max launches crowd-surfing football ad starring Lionel Messi"
Campaign Live. Retrieved 28 July 2015
In 2013, Harris teamed up with Sol Republic to create their first studio-tuned, professional-calibre headphones. The partnership involved designing a customised look for the headphones and redesigning its drivers to Harris's specifications. On 17 December 2014, Harris was announced as the new face of Emporio Armani for its men's underwear line for the Spring/Summer 2015 season. He was also named the worldwide testimonial of the Emporio Armani eyewear and watch collection. The black and white campaign was shot in Los Angeles by photographer Boo George. Harris returned as the face of the brand underwear line, eyewear and watch line for their Emporio Armani Fall/Winter 2015/2016 campaign. The images, shot by Lachlan Bailey, were released in July 2015.


Other ventures

In March 2010, Harris launched his own vanity label, Fly Eye Records. Most of the label's releases belong to the Electronic dance music, EDM genre. In 2014, the label formed a partnership with Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Later that year, Harris was appointed as the head of the artists and repertoire team at the dance label Deconstruction Records. In early 2012, Harris signed an exclusive DJ residency deal with Wynn Las Vegas which included gigs at three of the luxury resort's avenues: Encore Beach Club, Surrender and XS Nightclub. In February 2013, Harris signed as the first exclusive resident DJ with the Abu Dhabi-owned hospitality company Hakkasan Group in Las Vegas. The 20-month residency saw him play 46 dates at MGM Grand Las Vegas, MGM Grand's Hakkasan nightclub, as well as 22 additional gigs at the MGM Grand's Wet Republic. In January 2015, he extended his partnership with the Hakkasan group for three more years, which includes residencies at three of the group's Las Vegas venues (Hakkasan nightclub, Wet Republic and Omnia Nightclub at Caesars Palace). Harris also serves as the Group's music consultant for its restaurants, nightclubs and hotels. On 30 March 2015, Harris was announced as a co-owner, along with various other music artists, in the music streaming service Tidal (service), Tidal. The service specialises in Lossless compression, lossless audio and high definition music videos. Rapper Jay Z acquired the parent company of Tidal, Aspiro, in the first quarter of 2015. Including Beyoncé and Jay Z, 16 artist stakeholders (such as
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
, Beyoncé, Madonna (entertainer), Madonna, Chris Martin and Nicki Minaj) co-own Tidal, with the majority owning a 3% equity stake. The idea of having a completely artist-owned streaming service was created by those involved to adapt to the increased demand for streaming within the current music industry and to rival other streaming services such as
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
, which have been criticised for their low payout of Royalties#Music royalties, royalties. Harris revealed his plan to quit DJing at the age of 50. After that he will focus on studio and producing for other artists.


Philanthropy

In September 2007, Harris performed in the charity event "Wasted Youth" in aid of the Campaign Against Living Miserably at KOKO (music venue), KOKO nightclub in Camden Town, London. The event aimed to draw attention to the issue of youth suicide among men in the UK and to raise awareness and money for the charity. In 2008, he supported Shelter (charity), Shelter's campaign "Hometime Scotland" which pledges to end homelessness and bad housing in Scotland. In 2010, Harris performed live in War Child (charity), The War Child's post-Brit Awards show (alongside La Roux and Kasabian) which took place at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, London. The event raised funds and public awareness on children affected by violence in war zones. In February 2012, Harris teamed up with several other artists (including
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
and Coldplay) to perform at a charity concert with all proceeds from the show going to the Children's Orthopaedic Center at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In November 2012, Harris contributed several songs to
Tiësto Tijs Michiel Verwest (; born 17 January 1969), known professionally as Tiësto ( , ), is a Dutch DJ and record producer. He was voted "The Greatest DJ of All Time" by ''Mix (magazine), Mix'' magazine in a 2010/2011 poll amongst fans. In 2013, h ...
's compilation album ''Dance (RED) Save Lives'' in collaboration with anti-AIDS charity Product Red which was aimed at creating awareness on the fight for an AIDS Free Generation. Harris participated in a global live stream of the Stereosonic music festival in Melbourne, Australia which took place on World AIDS Day on 1 December 2012. The proceeds from both the album and the event were donated for the cause. Following the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, Harris revealed on his Instagram that he donated his fees from his show at Omnia Nightclub to the Las Vegas Victims fund. Later that year, Harris donated $20,000 to DJ Snake charity campaign to benefit the Rohingya people, Rohingyas, people living in Myanmar that have consistently been Rohingya genocide, attacked by the Myanmar government and are being pushed out of their home with nowhere to go. The situation in Myanmar has been deemed "beyond critical" by Amnesty International. In July 2020, Harris donated £20,000 for the Save Our Sub campaign to benefit Glasgow's Sub Club which was at risk of permanent closure after temporarily closing doors on March due to the coronavirus pandemic.


Income

Harris is one of the highest paid disc jockeys/producers. ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' began reporting on Harris's earnings in 2013, calculating that he earned $46 million between May 2012 and May 2013, for his music, tour and his residency in Las Vegas which placed him as the highest-paid DJ of the year. In 2014, Harris came in at number one on the list again for the second consecutive year with a total of $66 million in annual earnings. In 2015, Harris topped the highest-paid DJs list for a third consecutive year, having earned $66 million over the previous 12 months. On ''The Sunday Times (UK), The Sunday Times'' Sunday Times Rich List, Rich List published in April 2015, Harris was ranked the 30th richest British millionaire in music, with a personal fortune of £70 million ($105 million). In 2018, he made $48.5 million.


Personal life

Harris dated British singer
Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (; born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer-songwriter, television personality, and actress. Born in Pristina, modern-day Kosovo, she rose to prominence when she featured on DJ Fresh's 2012 single, "Hot Rig ...
from 2013 to June 2014. He started dating American model Aarika Wolf in 2014, after Wolf appeared in the music video for his song "
Blame Blame is the act of censuring, holding responsible, or making negative statements about an individual or group that their actions or inaction are socially or morally irresponsible, the opposite of praise. When someone is morally responsible fo ...
". They broke up in 2015. From March 2015 to June 2016, Harris dated American singer Taylor Swift. He and Wolf got back together in 2017, and broke up in 2022. In January 2022, Harris started dating television presenter Vick Hope. They married on 9 September 2023. On 30 April 2025, it was announced that Harris and Hope were expecting their first child together. Harris stopped drinking alcohol in 2008, stating, "I wasn't an alcoholic or anything like that, but it was clearly affecting what I do." He is a supporter of his hometown football team Queen of the South F.C., Queen of the South and Liverpool F.C., Liverpool. Harris considered writing a song to celebrate the former reaching the 2008 Scottish Cup Final, but the idea was scrapped due to the time constraints of recording his 2009 album ''Ready for the Weekend''.


Discography

* ''
I Created Disco ''I Created Disco'' is the debut studio album by the Scottish musician Calvin Harris, released on 15 June 2007 by Columbia Records. It was preceded by the singles " Acceptable in the 80s" and " The Girls", which both reached the top ten on both ...
'' (2007) * '' Ready for the Weekend'' (2009) * ''
18 Months ''18 Months'' is the third studio album by Scottish DJ and musician Calvin Harris. It was released on 26 October 2012 by Deconstruction, Fly Eye and Columbia Records. It marked Harris's first album to not feature him on vocals, instead focusing ...
'' (2012) * ''
Motion In physics, motion is when an object changes its position with respect to a reference point in a given time. Motion is mathematically described in terms of displacement, distance, velocity, acceleration, speed, and frame of reference to an o ...
'' (2014) * ''
Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 ''Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1'' is the fifth studio album by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris. It was released on 30 June 2017 by Columbia Records. The album features guest appearances by Frank Ocean, Migos, Schoolboy Q, PartyNextDoor, ...
'' (2017) * ''
Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 ''Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2'' is the sixth studio album by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris. It was released on 5 August 2022 through Columbia Records. The album contains guest appearances from 21 Savage, Dua Lipa, Young Thug, Stefflo ...
'' (2022) * ''96 Months'' (2024)


Concert tours

*
Groove Armada Groove Armada are an English electronic music duo, composed of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They achieved chart success with their singles " At the River", " I See You Baby" and " Superstylin'". The duo have released nine studio albums, four of ...
: ''Soundboy Rock'' tour (2007) *
Faithless Faithless are an English dance music Band (rock and pop), band that formed in 1995, with its core original members being Rollo Armstrong, Rollo, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz. During the band's initial period of success, Sister Bliss and Maxi Ja ...
: ''To All New Arrivals'' tour (2007) * ''Ready for the Weekend'' tour (2009–2010) * Deadmau5 and Skrillex: Unhooked tour (2010) *
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
: Last Girl on Earth (2010–2011) * Rihanna:
Loud Tour The Loud Tour was the fourth overall and third world concert tour by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. Performing in over twenty countries in the Americas and Europe, the tour was launched in support of Rihanna's fifth studio album '' Loud'' ...
(2011) * Greater Than Tour (with
Tiësto Tijs Michiel Verwest (; born 17 January 1969), known professionally as Tiësto ( , ), is a Dutch DJ and record producer. He was voted "The Greatest DJ of All Time" by ''Mix (magazine), Mix'' magazine in a 2010/2011 poll amongst fans. In 2013, h ...
), UK and Ireland (2012)


Filmography


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Calvin Calvin Harris, 1984 births 21st-century Scottish male singers 21st-century Scottish singer-songwriters Brit Award winners British electronic dance music DJs British remixers Columbia Records artists British dance-pop musicians Electro house musicians Electropop musicians Grammy Award winners Ivor Novello Award winners Living people Ministry of Sound artists MTV Video Music Award winners Musicians from Dumfries NME Awards winners Nu-disco musicians People educated at Dumfries High School Scottish DJs Scottish expatriate musicians in the United States Scottish house musicians Scottish male singer-songwriters Scottish people of English descent Scottish record producers Ultra Records artists