Calvin Harris is preparing the release of “Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1”, his new album, by dropping a series of new previews on YouTube. The tropical vibe of the videos and the big names that have provided the features are already enough to catch your attention, on any given day, but the preview for a track called “Feels” is really sounding very promising.
“Feels” features the 100M Twitter followers woman of the moment, Katy Perry, as well as Pharrell Williams and Big Sean. The immediate apparent reggae / ska vibe that gets merged with a bit of disco somehow and by the time Pharrell starts singing, I’m feeling like I’m listening to some old Earth, Wind & Fire song. Even his voice is so soulful and so fitting for something so 70s. I don’t think I’ve heard Pharrell sound so retro or sound this way, period.
At the same time, this is something that brings out the best of Pharell anyway. All of his music, recently, is always a bit funky, a bit soulish and combines something old with something new. And he’s definitely coming out to be the star on this track.
Even though the verses have a little bit of a throwback feel, the rest of the track sounds really fresh to me. I makes me feel like a good summer day Katy’s vocals bring in a good balance to Pharrell’s vocals. It actually works really well. The fact that this song is, again, slightly different from her usual stuff, I think this song fits in really well with Katy’s recent movements in music. I can’t wait to hear the rest of the track.
For Calvin Harris, this nostalgic feeling is what he’s been doing on most of the previews released for this album, so I guess we can assume the whole album will feel a little bit like this. I think that’s an interesting twist for a DJ of his caliber. I like it though. The DJ is currently celebrating his 10th anniversary as a recording artist. Exactly 10 years ago he released his debut album, “I Created Disco”. Nowadays, Forbes places him as the top earning EDM artist. He created something alright.
