Calvin Harris – Funk Wav. Bounces Vol. 2 (Album Review)

Calvin Harris calls on hip-hop’s finest for “Funk Wav. Bounces Vol. 2.”

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TOP 5

5. Woman Of The Year

Chloë, Stefflon Don, and Coi Leray all deserve ‘Woman Of The Year’ honors for their performances on this song.

Though “Woman Of The Year” features your typical Calvin Harris beat, it’s Chloë, Stefflon Don, and Coi Leray’s pizazz, elegance, swag, and competitiveness that make the song stand out. Also, it’s pretty cool how the three ladies sound like one.

4. Day One

Pharrell and Pusha T are 72-0 together.

“Day One” is one of the softest tracks on this album, and that’s mainly because of its therapeutic beat and Pharrell’s high-pitched vocals. Pusha’s verse is interestingly hard as hell, though. In it, he talks about swimming in dirty money and shooting at his frienemies. Not being on the same page never sounded so tight.

3. New To You

I’m officially convinced that you can add Offset to any song.

One of my favorite Migos songs of all time is actually “Slide.” I didn’t expect the three trap rappers from Atlanta to slide (No pun intended) the way they did on the song. “New To You” kind of reminds me of “Slide.”

In “New To You,” Tinashe and Normani angelically sing about being seductive women, while Offset raps rawly about spoiling a chick that he’s really feeling. Overall, I think it’s really hard to snap out of the spell the song puts you in.

This is the kind of music that I expect to hear in heaven.

2. Potion

Free Young Thug!

We’re going to miss Young Thug like hell if he has to do serious time for his pending RICO case. In my opinion, he is one of the most versatile and daring hip-hop artists we’ve ever seen. In “Potion,” a song that features Dua Lipa, Calvin Harris, and Thugger, the latter absolutely shines.

I’m being a little disingenuous here… What makes this song special is Dua Lipa’s hella infectious hook, which is layered on top of a 70s-styled beat. What I will say is this, though: Thugger’s reluctance to conform to the song’s PG-13 nature definitely makes it an intriguing listen.

1. Nothing More To Say

6LACK is a f**king chameloeon.

I’m someone who thinks that 6LACK is too talented for his own good. He raps, he sings, he writes poetry, etc, etc. With that being said, I feel like he hasn’t quite mastered a sound yet. Based on his performance on “Nothing More To Say,” I can confidently say that disco works for him. I love how 6LACK fully gets lost in this song’s beat, going along with its colorful waves and shimmery vibes. All in all, “Nothing More To Say” is a special track.

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. Intro (N/A)

2. New Money (3.5/5)

3. Potion (4/5)

4. Woman Of The Year (4/5)

5. Obsessed (3.5/5)

6. New To You (4/5)

7. Ready Or Not (3/5)

8. Stay With Me (3.5/5)

9. Stay With Me (Part 2) (3.5/5)

10. Somebody Else (3.5/5)

11. Nothing More To Say (5/5)

12. Live My Best Life (3.5/5)

13. Lean On Me (2.5/5)

14. Day One (4/5)

TOTAL: 51/65 = 78%

RGM RATING

(C+)

This album proves a bunch of things for me:

Calvin Harris’ funky instrumentals, which sound like they came here from the 70s via Marty McFly’s Delorean, definitely prove that all generations like hearing music that makes them feel good inside.
When done right, pop and hip-hop blends are magical. I absolutely love Dua Lipa and Young Thug’s chemistry on “Potion,” Offset, Tinashe, and Normani’s chemistry on “New To You,” and Pharrell and Pusha T’s chemistry on “Day One.” Something about mixing pop vibes with gritty rap vibes works in today’s world.
Sadly, up-and-coming musicians will have to grind their asses off to even get a look from major DJs like Calvin Harris. It’s apparent that Harris only wanted to work with A-B-list musicians, and that’s probably because of the clout that they bring. I would’ve liked to see some new talent sprinkled in just a little more on this album.

All in all, this project is something that has serious replay value. I’ma throw it on in the background often.

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