Slide (Calvin Harris song) explained

Slide
Cover:File:Calvin_Harris_"Slide"_single_cover.jpg
Border:yes
Type:single
Artist:Calvin Harris featuring Frank Ocean and Migos
Album:Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1
Released:23 February 2017
Recorded:2016; God's Eyes (Los Angeles); Chalice Recording (Los Angeles)
Genre:
Label:Columbia
Producer:
  • Calvin Harris
Chronology:Calvin Harris
Prev Title:My Way
Prev Year:2016
Next Title:Heatstroke
Next Year:2017

"Slide" is a song by Scottish DJ Calvin Harris featuring American musicians Frank Ocean and Migos as the lead single from the former's fifth studio album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, released on 23 February 2017 through Sony Music.

Background

The Harris-produced song was announced on 21 February 2017, and its release came just two days later, with Quavo and Offset being billed under the Migos name. It is the first collaboration between any of the three acts, as well as Ocean's first collaboration as an independent artist, as Harris' liner notes of "Slide" list Ocean as appearing courtesy of himself.[2] [3] [4]

Composition

"Slide" is a "sultry, piano-tipped grooving"[5] nu-disco[6] song that combines hip hop and dance music.[7] Its production features "handclapped-styled beats and pitched background vocals", and has elements of funk, R&B, and pop.[8] [9] Fact has described the songwriting of "Slide" as "pop songwriting". The song begins with the verses sung by Ocean in a pitch shifted voice: "I might/Empty my bank account/And buy that Boy with a Pipe." Referring to the lyric, Ocean explains that it is an allusion to: "A Picasso painting that sold for so much money."[10] [11] The Picasso in question is Garçon à la pipe, painted during the artist's Rose Period, which was auctioned off for $104 million at Sotheby's in 2004.[12] Elsewhere in the song, Migos' Offset raps, "Swallow the bottle while I sit back and smoke gelato/ Walk in my mansion 20 thousand paintin' Picasso/ Bitches be dippin', dabbin' with niggas like a nacho/ Take off her panties, diamonds dancin' like Rick Ricardo."

Reception

"Slide" received mostly positive reviews. Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork gave it the title of "Best New Track", writing that "[Frank Ocean's] deadpan instantly adds shade and nuance to the dayglo surroundings, suggesting a weariness big pop rarely allows. The effect is magnetic and a little startling, like Jeff Tweedy rapping over a Dr. Dre beat". He adds that "Migos' Quavo and Offset, known for twisting tongues over dank trap, come off like a winning insurance plan as they adapt to this more traditional pop showcase with ease."[8]

Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic gave it a mixed to positive review, saying that "the divides between Ocean, Migos, and Harris's sensibilities couldn't be clearer, but the song is a reminder of pop's power to make very different elements slide together", and concluding that Frank Ocean's "team-up with Calvin Harris and Migos on 'Slide', scrambles some expectations, but mostly just sounds like summer".[13]

Las Vegas Review-Journal published that "'Slide' carries a mixture of the depth and warmth of analog instrumentation alongside modern vocal production, arrangement and mixing and showcases Calvin's music abilities and prowess to the best".[14]

Credits and personnel

Credits adopted from Tidal[15]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2017)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Colombia (National-Report)[16] 69
France Airplay (SNEP)[17] 6
Ireland (IRMA)[18] 12
Lebanon (Lebanese Top 20)[19] 16
Malaysia (RIM)[20] 16
Mexico Airplay (Billboard)[21] 40
Philippines (Philippine Hot 100)[22] 46
Slovenia (SloTop50)[23] 39
South Korea International (Gaon)[24] 35
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[25] 66

Year-end charts

Chart (2017)! scope="col"
Position
Australia (ARIA)[26] 41
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[27] 40
Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[28] 68
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[29] 39
Denmark (Tracklisten)[30] 23
France (SNEP)[31] 81
Hungary (Stream Top 40)[32] 76
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[33] 75
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[34] 63
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[35] 19
Portugal (AFP)[36] 40
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[37] 100
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[38] 70
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[39] 34
US Billboard Hot 100[40] 71
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[41] 8
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[42] 34
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[43] 49
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[44] 16

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormatLabel
Various23 February 2017Digital download
Italy3 March 2017Contemporary hit radioSony[45]
United Kingdom[46]
United States7 March 2017Top 40 radioColumbia[47]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rolling Stone Staff . 50 Best Songs of 2017 . . November 29, 2017 . Swaying summer escapism expertly done by Harris, who gooses the dance-pop groove with a bumpy bass line.... November 6, 2022.
  2. Web site: Calvin Harris on Twitter. February 25, 2017.
  3. Calvin Harris Reveals Details of Collaboration With Frank Ocean and Migos. Spin. February 25, 2017.
  4. Web site: Calvin Harris reveals details of Frank Ocean and Migos collaboration 'Slide'. February 25, 2017.
  5. Web site: Hear Calvin Harris' New Song 'Slide' With Frank Ocean, Migos. Rolling Stone. February 23, 2017. February 25, 2017.
  6. Web site: Singles Club: Calvin Harris, Stormzy, Chris Martin and more. Fact. Ravens. Chal. 28 February 2017. 11 March 2017.
  7. Web site: Katy Perry Features On Calvin Harris' 'Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1' LP. Idolator. Wass. Mike. 9 May 2017. 8 December 2017.
  8. Web site: 'Slide' [ft. Frank Ocean & Migos]]. Pitchfork. Ryan. Dombal. 24 February 2017. 20 May 2017.
  9. Web site: McIntyre. Hugh. Does Calvin Harris Have Another Hit With His Career-Altering New Single 'Slide'?. Forbes. 23 February 2017. 3 March 2017.
  10. Web site: Frank Ocean explains lyrics of new song "Slide". FACT. February 25, 2017. February 25, 2017.
  11. Web site: Frank Ocean Annotates Lyrics For New Song "Slide". Pitchfork. February 25, 2017. February 25, 2017.
  12. Web site: Frank Ocean Just Explained Some Of The Lyrics From "Slide". The Fader. February 25, 2017. February 25, 2017.
  13. Web site: Spencer. Kornhaber. The Atlantic. Frank Ocean's Surprising Slide Back to Pop. 24 February 2017. 20 May 2017.
  14. Web site: Las Vegas Review-Journal. Calvin Harris releases 'Slide' featuring Frank Ocean and Migos. 27 February 2017. 20 May 2017.
  15. Web site: Slide / Calvin Harris TIDAL. Tidal. February 3, 2018.
  16. Web site: Top 100 Colombia. National-Report. 24 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20170507192124/http://www.national-report.com/top-100-colombia/. 7 May 2017. es.
  17. Web site: Top de la semaine. June 28, 2017.
  18. Web site: IRMA - Irish Charts. Irish Recorded Music Association. 1 April 2017.
  19. Web site: Calvin Harris Lebanese Chart Top 20 History. The Official Lebanese Top 20. 17 April 2017. 17 April 2017.
  20. Web site: Top 20 Most Streamed International & Domestic Singles in Malaysia. Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. 17 June 2017.
  21. Web site: Mexico Airplay: May 20, 2017. Billboard. 16 May 2018. subscription .
  22. Web site: BillboardPH Hot 100. Billboard Philippines. July 24, 2017. July 24, 2017.
  23. Web site: SloTop50 – Slovenian official singles chart. slotop50.si. 29 August 2018.
  24. Web site: Gaon Download Chart – Issue date: 2017.07.02 – 2017.07.08. Gaon Chart. 4 October 2019.
  25. Web site: Top Singles (current week) – Elportaldemusica.es: New Releases and Official Music Sales Charts in Spain. Productores de Música de España. 5 April 2017.
  26. Web site: ARIA End of Year Singles 2017. Australian Recording Industry Association. 5 January 2018.
  27. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2017. Ultratop. 21 December 2017.
  28. Web site: Rapports Annuels 2017. Ultratop. 21 December 2017.
  29. Web site: Canadian Hot 100 – Year-End 2017. Billboard. 17 December 2017.
  30. Web site: Track Top-100 2017. Hitlisten. 11 January 2018.
  31. Web site: Top de l'année Top Singles 2017. SNEP. fr. 8 September 2020.
  32. Web site: Stream Top 100 - 2017. 17 February 2018. Mahasz.
  33. Web site: Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2017. Dutch Top 40. 5 November 2019.
  34. Web site: Jaaroverzichten – Single 2017. Hung Medien. 23 December 2017.
  35. Web site: Top Selling Singles of 2017. Recorded Music NZ. 22 December 2017.
  36. Web site: Top AFP - Audiogest - Top 100 Singles 2017. Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. pt. 12 August 2020.
  37. Web site: Årslista Singlar – År 2017. Sverigetopplistan. sv. 16 January 2018.
  38. Web site: Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2017 – hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. 31 December 2017.
  39. Web site: The Official Top 40 Biggest Songs of 2017. Official Charts Company. Copsey. Rob. 3 January 2018. 3 January 2018.
  40. Web site: Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2017. Billboard. 12 December 2017.
  41. Web site: Hot Dance/Electronic Songs : Year End 2017. Billboard. 12 December 2017.
  42. Web site: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2017. Billboard. 25 August 2019.
  43. Web site: Pop Songs – Year-End 2017. Billboard. 13 August 2019.
  44. Web site: Rhythmic Songs – Year-End 2017. Billboard. 25 August 2019.
  45. Web site: CALVIN HARRIS "Slide" - (Radio Date: 3/03/2017). radiodate.it. 3 March 2017.
  46. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20170303163911/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/playlist . BBC – Radio 1 – Playlist . 3 March 2017 . 3 March 2017 . 3 March 2017 . . dead.
  47. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20170303014008/http://www.allaccess.com/top40-mainstream/future-releases . Top 40/M Future Releases – Mainstream Hit Songs Being Released and Their Release Dates . 3 March 2017 . 2 March 2017 . 7 March 2017 . AllAccess Music Group . dead.

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