Calvin Harris Ventures into Country with "Smoke the Pain Away"
Calvin Harris has unveiled his latest single, "Smoke the Pain Away," a track steeped in the twang of country music. In a twist, the Scottish DJ steps up to the microphone himself—a departure from his usual playbook of enlisting guest vocalists.
This isn’t the first time Harris has lent his voice to his work, though. On his early albums, I Created Disco (2007) and Ready for the Weekend (2009), he handled the singing solo. Even on the game-changing 18 Months (2012), tracks like "Feel So Close" and "Iron" carried his own vocals. Still, it’s his collaborations that have cemented his fame—think "We Found Love" with Rihanna, "One Kiss" with Dua Lipa, or "Blame" with John Newman. That said, the massively popular "Summer" also features Harris crooning his own lines.
His most recent full-length effort, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, dropped in 2022, boasting a star-studded lineup including Dua Lipa, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, and 21 Savage. It climbed to number five on the UK chart but drew mixed reviews—unlike its predecessor, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 (2017), which won widespread acclaim. In August 2024, Harris released 96 Months, a compilation of singles spanning from 2015’s "How Deep Is Your Love" to 2024’s "Lovers in a Past Life," plus a fresh track, "Free," featuring Ellie Goulding. Last year also saw him crowned Best Dance Act at the Brit Awards and ranked 22nd on DJ Mag’s list of the world’s top DJs.
On a personal note, Harris tied the knot with English TV presenter and journalist Vick Hope in the fall of 2023, after dating since January 2022. Before that, his romantic roster included Rita Ora, Taylor Swift, and American model Aarika Wolf.
