As promised, Calvin Harris has just released his collaboration with Rihanna, titled “What You Came For,” and the internet is freaking out about it. And rightly so, as their last collaboration, “Where Have You Been,” was nominated for a Grammy.
An assortment of filling pizzicato starts things off, and the song begins just as any other Calvin Harris track, falling over itself into a wide, satiating breakdown and simplistic lead.
There are the standard house shuffles, supporting embellishments, and a tame garage feel to the entire thing, and if we weren’t familiar with Calvin Harris, we’d be inclined to say he’s hopping on the “deep house craze” for everything it’s worth. But that wouldn’t be true, and there’s certainly a subdued hint of “Thinking About You” in this new single.
It’s actually quite nice to see an artist with as much commercial pull as Calvin Harris produce a track that straddles tones of underground with mass appeal. In a way, he’s taking a page from Danny Howard on BBC Radio 1 and introducing an entire audience to a genre they might never hear otherwise.
While overt commercial appeal isn’t hogging the breakdown, we can already tell this is going to see plenty of radio play, especially considering Rihanna’s name slapped on the track.
Have a listen above and if you dig it, then snag Calvin Harris’ soon-to-be classic on iTunes.