Single Review: Calvin Harris & Alesso feat. Hurts – ‘Under Control’
2 min read
At this point, Calvin Harris has become a well-oiled machine in the worlds of both electronic dance music and pop music. Although he’s churned out hit after hit, in featuring diverse collaborations on almost all of his tracks he’s been able to keep some semblance of relevance even though he regurgitates the same formula time and time again.
While many of Harris’ tracks have featured prominent divas handling the vocals, Under Control sees Harris expand upon his fixed method by featuring the lead singer from Hurts on lead vocals. In disrupting his onslaught of female powered hits, Calvin has offered the world something new. Unfortunately, the music that lies behind Theo Hutchcraft’s vocals is just another tired EDM anthem that could easily be mistaken for a David Guetta or Tiesto track.
There was a time just a few years ago when Harris was a pioneer of electronic music. His earlier hits like Acceptable in the 80s and The Girls were fresh and addictive pop earworms. Unfortunately, as the fame monster took hold, it seems Harris has become more concerned with quantity over quality.
While Under Control serves as a departure from Harris’ usual routine, the track still falls flat and feels boring. It’s emotive and will undoubtedly make you want to pump your fist long into the night, but in terms of musical and artistic credibility, Under Control is just another forgettable pop song. Perhaps it’s time Harris took a break and refueled those musical chops. We’ve all seen the talent he can exude, he just seems to have worn it a little thin at this point.
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