Hear Calvin Harris, Pharrell, Katy Perry’s Bubbly Ska Song ‘Feels’

Calvin Harris continues to show off his ensemble-first approach to pop music on “Feels.” The guiding principle: wrangle as many stars – in this case, Katy Perry, Pharrell and Big Sean – as possible, give them a buoyant instrumental to sing over, and watch the track climb the charts. 

For “Feels,” Harris crafts a simple, lighthearted loop, combining punctual ska guitar, a playful keyboard line and charming squeaks that recall a cartoon character’s slip on a banana peel. In a savvy move, Harris makes almost the entire song out of hooks from Pharrell (“Do you mind if I steal a kiss?”) and Perry (“Don’t be afraid to catch feels!”). Big Sean sweeps in near the end of the song to provide a rapped bridge: “You’re looking for a little more consistency/ But when you stop lookin’, you gonna find what’s meant to be.”

“Feels” will appear on Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1 on June 30th. Migos, Frank Ocean, Future, Khalid, Young Thug and Ariana Grande will all appear on the album.