Calvin Harris' latest venture into a different genre begins poorly with the mundane and lifeless 'Nuh Ready Nuh Ready'. Not even a spirited effort from PartyNextDoor can salvage this dull effort.
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Coming off the back of a monstrous 2017 in which he released the extremely popular and well received Funk Wav Bounces Vol.1, Calvin Harris has returned with a new track and seemingly, a new style. ‘Nuh Ready Nuh Ready’ features the vocals of Canadian rapper PartyNextDoor and is a clear departure from the mellow funk of his previous album.
This track is not awful but it is disappointing. Having enjoyed Harris’ Funk Wav Bounces Vol 1. immensely – going so far as to nominate it as one of my Albums of the Year – the insipid, dull nature of ‘Nuh Ready Nuh Ready’ leaves me with a resounding feeling of indifference. Embracing a reggae/dancehall sound, the track sees PartyNextDoor playing to his Jamaican roots by rapping and singing his way through the track in Patois. The song utilises a variety of different sounds including synths, skipping drums, horns and a booming bass in order to create what will undoubtedly be a club hit. Yet this is the minimum expectation for an artist of Harris’ calibre; pretty much anything he produces will chart and delight club-goers. The track mainly disappoints as it promises a climax which never comes: there is no drop or change in tempo, instead ‘Nuh Ready Nuh Ready’ simply plods on repetitively.
Harris has stated that he wants a clean break from the sound of his previous album, preferring to continue exploring different genres and styles. On first impressions this does not seem like a good move, as this effort is distinctly uninspiring. However, Harris is an exceptionally talented DJ and producer and as such should be trusted to curate something of a higher quality. My only hope is that he doesn’t veer too far away from the funky beats of his previous album and continues to produce music of the quality we’ve all come to expect.
‘Nuh Ready Nuh Ready’ is out now via Sony
