Calvin Harris is looking to book a corner of the summer song market. He’s seen the recent career boost that summer hits have given the gentlemanly Robin Thicke and French disco-men Daft Punk, and he’s ready to cash in on summer’s promise. Furthermore, the Scotsman-best known for “Feel So Close”-probably watched in horror as what used to be his young audience skewed away from the techno sound to more pop sound over the last few months. Harris is all about riding trends.
And so Harris has returned with the aptly named “Summer.” The video has the right feel-like a montage of theFast and Furiousseries with an appearance from professional action, driving, and fighting man Jason Stratham. But “Summer” lacks what every summer splash has had before it-that “I can’t get this damn song out of my head” quality. In his vocals and acting, Harris just doesn’t seem very excited for summer.
Director Emil Nava seems to be enjoying himself with the production of “Summer.” The video starts to roaring engines as the camera flies across the road before soaring over the scene. And the scene sure looks fun-full of ladies in short jorts and thankfully not much else. The video cuts from racing cars, frolicking, and Harris wandering around the desert occasionally partaking in said frolicking. The beat seems less than inspired, especially compared with his other recent single, “Under Control.”
The video ends at a lavish house party whose girl-to-guy ratio would make any freshman guy faint. We see Harris and his racing squeeze gazing out into the festivities. He’s always pensive, contemplative, and never seems to be having much fun. And if you want to contend for the title of “song of the summer,” you’ve got to make it fun.
