Star-studded 18 Months by Calvin Harris

18 Months, the third studio album by the hit-making DJ Calvin Harris, was the subject of a unique, really fun marketing gimmick when it was released late last year. An app of the entire album was made available for free for iOS and Android. But it will only play if you dance. That means you have to keep dancing or at the very least, keep on moving to Harris’ music in order to keep the album playing.  Stop and it quickly stops too. You cannot cheat. 

Not only that, Harris also made his remixes available for free.  To open a remix of one of the cuts in the app, you can simply take a shot of the CD cover with the camera function and you get the remix in an instant. Of course, all these will only happen as long as you keep on dancing. Crazy idea but really quite logical. This is because, that is what Harris does. He makes music to dance to so you keep on dancing if you want to listen.

Fortunately, I do not need the app as I have a copy of the album and I can sit at my desk while also enjoying the music. The CD is not only made up of the best music to dance to, but is, in truth, also a star-studded greatest hits package. And it is great with one hit single coming after another. Here are the proofs why Harris is now considered a big pop star. In fact, I believe that with this year’s summer vacation time now officially in full swing, 18 Months has just the right sounds to ensure a totally enjoyable time.

Only 29 years old, Harris is a Scottish producer and DJ, also singer and songwriter, who ranks alongside the Swedish House Mafia, Kaskades and David Guetta as tops in the field today. His first two solo CDs were I Created Disco with the hits Acceptable In The 80s and The Girls and the No. 1 selling Ready For The Weekend which includes I’m Not Alone, Ready For The Weekend and You Used To Hold Me.

His work is also very commercial and he is in great demand among pop stars when they want to put in an electronic dance track or two in their albums. As a result, Harris often gets to work with the big ones like Kylie Minogue, the Ting Tings, LMFAO, Mary J. Blige, the Scissor Sisters and Cheryl Cole. Some more and I think the best of his recent collaborations, are featured in his latest album.

Biggest sellers and most acclaimed of the lot are We Found Love featuring Rihanna, which won the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video and was named Video of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards.  There is also, Feel So Close, with Harris himself on solo vocals and which won for Best Electronic Music Video also at the MTV VMA.  And Sweet Nothing, featuring Florence Welch of the famous group Florence & the Machine that was named the Dance Floor Anthem of the Year at the New Musical Express Awards in the UK.

The other hit singles are Let’s Go featuring Ne-Yo; Bounce featuring Kelis; We’ll Be Coming Back featuring hip hop act Example; and I Need Your Love featuring UK pop sensation Ellie Goulding. Watch out for Drinking From The Bottle featuring Tinie Tempah, which might be another single release and Thinking About You featuring Ayah Marar, which also shows strong chart potential. Also included are Green Valley; Mansion; School; Here 2 China with DJ Dillon Francis and featuring Dizzie Rascal; Awooga; and the most remarkable cut in the CD, Iron where Harris shares the board with fellow DJ Nicky Romero.

Now for a truly jumping summer happening, here are other dance tunes you might want to check out. Harlem Shake by Baauer; Feel This Moment by Pitbull featuring Christina Aguilera; Suit & Tie by Justin Timberlake; Pour It Up by Rihanna; Don’t You Worry Child by the Swedish House Mafia; I Could Be The One by Avicii vs Nicky Romero; Scream & Shout by will.i.am and Britney Spears; Titanium by David Guetta featuring Sia; Good Feeling by Flo-Rida; and Let Me Love You Until You Learn To Love Yourself by Ne-Yo.

These are exceptionally good titles but I still think that Harris has the edge as far as marketability is concerned. I think he accomplished something that we have always thought was beyond the ability of other DJs. He took the trance out of electronic dance music. I am sure this has happened to many of you. Stay long enough at a club and I am sure you will start feeling zonked out and moving like a zombie thanks to the repetitive, droning sounds. Harris got rid of that and EDM is now fun and happy. Enjoy.