“It’s a wee bit suspect”: Calvin Harris on why he wants to stop DJing at 50
The 40-year-old DJ doesn’t see himself in the booth after he hits half a century.
Credit: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images
Calvin Harris might be one of the biggest DJs on the planet, but he’s suggesting that he might stop DJing once he hits 50.
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Speaking to MistaJam on Capital Dance, Harris, who turned 40 last month, says, “I always said that, once I get past 50, I can’t see me DJing, man.”
When MistaJam brings up DJs who have continued to work in the booth past that age, like Carl Cox, Harris explains that he doesn’t see himself as the same sort of DJ.
“It’s a certain type of DJing, though, isn’t it?” he explains. “The more commercial end it’s a wee bit… a little bit suspect. I think I’d prefer to be, like, in the studio making tunes.”
He goes on to say that he generally feels more comfortable in the studio than on stage. He explains, “I think that’s where the majority of my talent lies – making something sound good. So I would like to make other people’s records sound good.”
Of course, there are plenty of DJs who have kept playing into their 50s and beyond. Cox is 61, while Fatboy Slim is 60 and David Guetta is 56. Will Harris change his mind over the next decade?
In the meantime, however, he’s remaining busy. This weekend, he’s set to perform at the BRIT Awards with Ellie Goulding, likely performing their song Miracle, which came out in March last year.
And earlier this month, he released a track with Rag’n’Bone Man – who’s also present during the interview with MistaJam – Lovers in a Past Life. It’s the first song he’s released since he appeared on Eliza Rose‘s track Body Moving in November. His last album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, came out in August 2022 and reached fifth place on the UK Albums Chart.
