"Smoke the Pain Away" is a song by Scottish DJ Calvin Harris. It was released as a single on March 14, 2025, by Columbia Records and Sony Music UK.[1] It marks Harris' first song since 2018 to feature only his own vocals,[2][3] and his first single since his 2024 collaboration with Ellie Goulding, "Free".[4]
On March 6, Calvin Harris posted on his social media accounts a clip of him performing an unreleased track with a guitar and his own vocals, alongside the caption: "SMOKE THE PAIN AWAY. It's coming."[5] According Sony Music press release, the song is a "celebration of artistic freedom, weaving together influences from [Harris] past with exciting new sounds."[6] The song was officially released on March 14.[6]
Writing for Rolling Stone, Larisha Paul described the track as a fusion of the country and dance music "that bubbled up in the early 2010s".[7]
Peter Källman of Music Talkers wrote that the song that "radiates a certain warmth from the very first note", praising the production which he described as "beautifully" made and highlighted the use of the Harmonica, dubbing it as a bold choice, but that he personally loved it.[11] Brad Stratton of Sport Playlists praised the song for showcasing Harris' "evolution as an artist", stating that the track "offers a glimpse into a more personal side of Harris", while working on his vocal abilities and "exploring a fresh approach to [his] songwriting".[12] George Millington of GSG Media gave the song a perfect score of 5 out of 5, praising the song for being "unusual in a good way", and complimented Harris for "not being afraid to trying something new".[13]
Oliver Tryon of CULTR dubbed the song as "instantly catchy" and "another hit" for Harris.[citation needed] He also praised Harris for his "innovative sound", and concluded that the track gathers another win for Harris as he keeps being "at the forefront of dance-pop music" blending "a familiar pop sound with new, fresh elements such as the harmonica."[14]
Nina Chiang of EDMTunes showed support for Harris "willingness to explore new musical territories" as she noticed that the track will bring a "wave of emotions and diverse reactions" from listeners.[15] Chiang also remarked the notable shift in Harris musical direction, as it shows a "more personal side of Harris and demonstrates a deeper level of artistic expression."[15] Brooke Bierman of EDM.com stated that Harris comeback as a vocalist "is nothing short of captivating", highlighting the DJ's signature raspy vocals which she commented forms an "euphoric chorus driven by a pulsing bassline."[16] She also praised the song "unique blend" of genres, defining its sound as "country, house music with a folksy twang."[16]
In a mixed to negative review, Tom Breihan of Stereogum was not impressed by the song describing it as "It’s pretty weird!",[17] and neither by Harris' new aesthetic which he referred to as "it appears that he’s going for a stereotypical-Vietnam-vet thing".[17] Breihan was skeptical of Harris reasons for approaching a "festival EDM with hey-ho banjo music" now, and not when it was popular by the likes of Avicii with "Wake Me Up", and Kygo with Selena Gomez on “It Ain’t Me”,[17] noticing that he didn't make anything like it, "not even when he was dating Taylor Swift", and now it looks that he's "attempting a Noah Kahan type of thing, but with big house drums alongside acoustic guitars and harmonica-honks."[17]
↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 16. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 20. týden 2025 in the date selector. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
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