The Feels

Calvin Harris. I spoke about him in my last monthly favourites possibly, but here I am again, bleary-eyed, fresh off the plane from my holiday around the USA, to tell you just how much I’m enjoying this particular song.

Feels.

Even the name does it. Like, the name should come as a warning title for everyone listening, about what you’re going to experience when you give this song a go. Feels. All the feels.

With Harris’ new album Funk Wave Bounces Vol. 1 recently released, I was blessed with a few minutes of wifi each day to interact with friends over the ridiculous time zone, post updates on my Instagram (cough cough youshouldhear cough) and download the album on Spotify so I could listen to it on the road. Let’s break it down, shall we?

 

Slide is the first song on the album, and if you’ve been reading while I was away, you know how I feel about that song. It’s funky as heck. Like, encapsulates the title of the album perfectly. Plus, what I believe to be, the final resurrection of Frank Ocean’s vocals on this track, provide a killer backing for boogy-ing around your kitchen after a long day, making a half-decent meal.

Then there’s Cash Out. I don’t even know what happened around me for the duration of this song when I first listened to this because I tuned out. I literally got lost in this song. And I’m not sure why, because it’s definitely not my favourite song on the album. The chorus sounds vaguely familiar to the ultimate fave, this blog’s topic, Feels, yet, I still vibe with it 100%. And PartyNextDoor’s voice can do no wrong. It’s probably that.

Then there’s Heatstroke. This is the song that really pulled me in. Slide was funky, but I wasn’t hooked until I heard this song. I live for Pharrell and Ariana together in this song. It work’s so well, and I love how their voices gel.

Rollin’. Oh Rollin. If you aren’t familiar with Khalid, get around it. He’s amazing, vocally amazing. I can’t understand how it’s taken this long for him to really kick off, but now that he’s doing the circuit I can only hope he makes it Down Under soon. This song is another boost for Khalid, and Calvin does this dude justice. I couldn’t imagine Khalid on an overly funk infused track, and this seems like a perfect middle ground between the vibe Harris was aiming for with this album, and the smoothness that Khalid brings to any song he touches.

Prayers Up. It’s probably my least listened to song on the album. I don’t know. It doesn’t stick with me, and that’s usually what it takes for me to continue to return to a song. Like Feels. Though the synths in this song are killer.

Holiday. I only listen to it for John Legend and Takeoff. And I didn’t even know who Takeoff was before listening to this song. Snoop Dogg is great, but Calvin hit the jackpot getting John’s vocals on it. Hearing him float throughout the track is lovely.

Skrt On Me is phenomenal. Nicki Minaj is phenomenal. I’m going to come out and own up to the fact that I didn’t really care for Nicki until maybe late 2015. And she’s doing amazing stuff, that I vibe with. Swalla was only the beginning of it for me this year, and getting her as the solo feature on this song was an amazing decision. Nicki’s singing voice is so under-appreciated and Harris has pulled through to deliver that amazing-ness.

Feels, we can wait for that a little bit.

The next song on the album is Faking It, with Kehlani and Lil Yachty. I was pretty biased when I listened to this song, because I listened as a fan of Kehlani, and even if it totally sucked, it wouldn’t have in my opinion. I could listen to that girl sing the alphabet and cry ‘Grammy!’. Thankfully, I didn’t have to because this song is one of the more mellow songs on the album, but you can still groove to it. Versatility is such a key for me, and this song ticks that box straight away. And the lyrics. Spot on. No wrong.

I had never heard of Jessie Reyez before I listened to this song, and I’m low-key very angry about it. She kinda reminds me a bit of a more RnB version of Norah Jones. I love it. This song is a great finisher to this amazing album.

But now. The reason for this blog.

Feels. Feels, feels, feels, feels, feels.

I don’t care if I get smack for this, but if Katy Perry could put aside her own career for a little while, and commit her life to the few lines she sings in this song, I would be eternally grateful. It’s so good??? Pharrell kills it. Pharrell Williams honestly grabs the verses and pre-chorus by the horns, and kills it. Nails it all. And then the chorus comes in. The first time I heard it, I was convinced that it was not Katy Perry. It sounds totally different to the stuff she’s recently released, and I prefer these five lines to anything I’ve heard from her in the last three years. Honestly. 100% honesty. And then Big Sean comes through and I was forced to commit at least twelve replays to learn that rap, which I now scream religiously. Wait for this song at the club. Just wait.

Calvin Harris is killing it this year. Between his perfectly timed single releases, the parrot in the promotion for the album and the incredible list of feature artists that help make up the record, he nails it. Honestly, if one of these songs isn’t titled Song Of Summer for this year, I’ll throw fists. I’ll do it. Especially if Feels isn’t featured. Play Feels at my wedding. Heck, play it at my funeral. Live funky, die funky.

I’m a bit passionate about this song. Hopefully you are too. If you aren’t, give it a few more plays. Don’t resist.

p.f