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Smoke the Pain Away

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"Smoke the Pain Away"
Single by Calvin Harris
Released14 March 2025
Genre
Length2:42
Label
Songwriter(s)Calvin Harris
Producer(s)Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris singles chronology
"Free"
(2024) 		"Smoke the Pain Away"
(2025) 		"Blessings"
(2025)
Visualiser
"Smoke the Pain Away" on YouTube

"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]

Background and release

[edit]

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]

Reception

[edit]

"Smoke the Pain Away" received generally favorable reviews from electronic media outlets and music critics alike.[8][9][10]

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]

Personnel

[edit]
  • Calvin Harris — performer, composer, producer, mixing engineer, recording engineer
  • Mike Marsh — mastering engineer

Charts

[edit]

Release history

[edit]
Release dates and formats for "Smoke the Pain Away"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various 14 March 2025
[6]
Italy Radio airplay Sony Italy [38]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Stickler, Jon. "Calvin Harris Posts New Single Smoke The Pain Away - Stereoboard". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  2. ^ "Calvin Harris releases country single, 'Smoke The Pain Away': Listen". DJ Mag. 18 March 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  3. ^ "Calvin Harris drops country song 'Smoke The Pain Away' featuring his vocals". KISS. Archived from the original on 14 March 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  4. ^ Wilkes, Emma (14 March 2025). "Listen to Calvin Harris' new country song 'Smoke The Pain Away' – featuring himself on vocals". NME. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  5. ^ "Calvin Harris releasing a country song, 'Smoke The Pain Away'". Mixmag. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  6. ^ a b c "CALVIN HARRIS RELEASES NEW SINGLE "SMOKE THE PAIN AWAY" – Sony Music Canada". www.sonymusic.ca. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  7. ^ Paul, Larisha (14 March 2025). "Calvin Harris Steps Back Into the Booth on 'Smoke the Pain Away'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  8. ^ Källman, Peter (17 March 2025). "Review: Calvin Harris' 'SMOKE THE PAIN AWAY': A Folk-EDM Fusion That Feels Like a Warm Embrace". Music Talkers - Latest Music News & Artist Exposure. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  9. ^ Wilkes, Emma (14 March 2025). "Listen to Calvin Harris' new country song 'Smoke The Pain Away' – featuring himself on vocals". NME. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  10. ^ Stratton, Brad (19 March 2025). "Calvin Harris returns to his roots on 'SMOKE THE PAIN AWAY' - Sport Playlists". Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  11. ^ Källman, Peter (17 March 2025). "Review: Calvin Harris' 'SMOKE THE PAIN AWAY': A Folk-EDM Fusion That Feels Like a Warm Embrace". Music Talkers - Latest Music News & Artist Exposure. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  12. ^ Stratton, Brad (19 March 2025). "Calvin Harris returns to his roots on 'SMOKE THE PAIN AWAY' - Sport Playlists". Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  13. ^ "Calvin Harris – "SMOKE THE PAIN AWAY" Review: Country? [5/5]". www.gsgmedia.co. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  14. ^ Tryon, Oliver (14 March 2025). "Calvin Harris Flexes His Talents With 'SMOKE THE PAIN AWAY' | CULTR". Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  15. ^ a b Chiang, Nina (14 March 2025). "Calvin Harris - SMOKE THE PAIN AWAY". EDMTunes. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  16. ^ a b Bierman, Brooke (16 March 2025). "Calvin Harris Is Back Behind the Mic in Folksy Electronic Track, "SMOKE THE PAIN AWAY"". EDM.com - The Latest Electronic Dance Music News, Reviews & Artists. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  17. ^ a b c d "Calvin Harris Returns To Singing For Stomp-Clap EDM Track "Smoke The Pain Away": Listen". Stereogum. 14 March 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  18. ^ "Calvin Harris – Smoke the Pain Away" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  19. ^ "Calvin Harris – Smoke the Pain Away" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  20. ^ Calvin Harris — Smoke The Pain Away. TopHit. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  21. ^ "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.
  22. ^ "Top Radio Hits Estonia Weekly Chart: Apr 3, 2025". TopHit. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
  23. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Calvin Harris". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  24. ^ "Māra Upmane-Holšteine atklāj, kā izvēlēties radio singlu" [Māra Upmane-Holšteine reveals how to choose a radio single] (in Latvian). TV Net [lv]. 29 April 2025. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  25. ^ "Top Radio Hits Lithuania Weekly Chart: Apr 10, 2025". TopHit. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
  26. ^ "Malta – Radio Airplay Chart | Settimana 16.2025 – dal 11/04/2025 al 17/04/2025" [Malta – Radio Airplay Chart | Week 16.2025 – 11/04/2025 to 17/04/2025] (in Italian). Radiomonitor. 18 April 2025. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  27. ^ "New Zealand Hot Singles (Week 2025-03-21)". aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  28. ^ "Macedonia – Radio Airplay Chart | Settimana 17.2025 – dal 18/04/2025 al 24/04/2025" [Macedonia – Radio Airplay Chart | Week 17.2025 – 18/04/2025 to 24/04/2025] (in Italian). Radiomonitor. 25 April 2025. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  29. ^ "OLiS – oficjalna lista airplay" (Select week 29.03.2025–04.04.2025.) (in Polish). OLiS. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  30. ^ "Top Radio Hits Romania Weekly Chart: Apr 24, 2025". TopHit. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  31. ^ "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.
  32. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  33. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  34. ^ "Calvin Harris Chart History (Hot Dance/Electronic Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  35. ^ "Top Radio Hits Estonia Monthly Chart: April 2025". TopHit. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  36. ^ "Top Radio Hits Latvia Monthly Chart: April 2025". TopHit. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  37. ^ "Top Radio Hits Lithuania Monthly Chart: April 2025". TopHit. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
  38. ^ Attanasi, Claudia (14 March 2025). "SMOKE THE PAIN AWAY - Calvin Harris". EarOne (in Italian). Retrieved 11 May 2025.
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