New year, new Calvin Harris?
The superstar Scots DJ, 41, best known for his energetic EDM tracks and A-list girlfriends, is pivoting to country music in a major rebrand that was announced last week.
Calvin – real name Adam Wiles – also debuted a new look to match his genre shift while unveiling his new song Smoke The Pain Away as fans expressed their disbelief over his latest avatar as seen in a new promo photo.
In the snap, released on Monday, Calvin can be seen with much longer, tousled hair while wearing a melancholic, wistful expression.
Calvin also sported a sported a significantly longer beard and full moustache, while trading in his standard ‘uniform’ of round-neck t-shirts in favour of a a khaki worker jacket paired with a polo shirt.
However, this isn’t the first time the Grammy-winner has dramatically overhauled his public persona in tune with new music – or his celebrity status at the time.
Since he broke onto the scene in 2007, Calvin has evolved from being a self-confessed ‘spotty’ youngster with a mop of dark ’emo’ hair to bonafide sex symbol with rippling abs worthy of an underwear campaign.
And his latest makeover signals the beginning of a new era for the Grammy-winner, as Calvin eyes new audiences in a bid to ‘diversify his artistic appeal’, according to celebrity branding expert Rochelle White.
Since he broke onto the scene in 2007, Calvin has evolved from being a self-confessed ‘spotty’ youngster with a mop of dark ’emo’ hair (as seen above) to bonafide sex symbol with rippling abs worthy of an underwear campaign
Speaking to FEMAIL, Rochelle explained that when a celebrity undergoes this sort of drastic transformation, it’s usually in service of expanding their fan base while positioning themselves as ‘someone who isn’t just one thing’.
His new rugged, unkempt look, she continued, ‘offers a deeper connection’ with a country music audience as well as his versatility as a performer.
Rochelle also highlighted how Calvin’s rebrand could be viewed as a ‘strategic marketing tactic’ in a bid to replicate the success of his contemporaries such as Diplo, Post Malone, and even Beyonce, who have all forayed into country music in recent years.
‘I feel that he is seeing and understanding the trends and cultural shift and is tapping into that, in a way that is right for him and his new sound,’ she added.
After all, as MusicRadar pointed out, ‘it’s a known fact that country music is hotter than ever’ in an article about Calvin’s change of direction.
Here, FEMAIL looks back at the music producer’s ever-changing public persona over the years – from growing up as an emo nerd in Dumfries to his glamorous Californian influencer avatar and, now, soulful ‘country boy’ image..
BEDROOM DJ TO EMO GEEK
During his early years in the industry, Calvin was a pale and scruffy brunette who favoured a battered leather jacket, hooded tops and loose jeans. Pictured in 2010
Calvin – pictured in 2007 – now looks a far cry from his days as a ‘spotty, awkward, extremely gangly teenager’
Calvin’s wife Vick Hope previously revealed she turned him down when he first asked her out on a date a decade ago. Pictured in 2009
Back in 2007, when he released his debut album I Created Disco, Calvin was a pale and scruffy brunette who favoured a battered leather jacket, hooded tops and loose jeans.
Indeed his looks were enough to stop his now-wife, radio presenter Vick Hope, from going on a date with him when he first asked her out more than a decade ago.
‘He looked how he used to look, I was shallow, I was 19, and I said ‘no’,’ she revealed in 2018. ‘It turns out Calvin Harris was going to turn into an Adonis.’
GLOW UP
The transformation started around 2012 when Calvin had his eyes opened to the benefits of healthy eating after moving to Los Angeles
Calvin also famously dated Taylor Swift in 2015, with their romance ending acrimoniously after 15 months
The transformation started around 2012 when Calvin had his eyes opened to the benefits of healthy eating after moving to Los Angeles.
‘The food is fantastic over here. You can eat healthily, there’s a lot more healthy options than in the UK – that’s a fact,’ he told The Sun about his stateside relocation.
It was around this time that he ditched the hair dye and began to embrace his height, which had been a source of embarrassment growing up.
‘It was hard being the tallest person in class,’ he said in 2009. ‘Especially when you are a teenager. You want to keep your head down. I did anyway.
‘When you are a spotty awkward teenager, you don’t want people to look at you. It’s a self-conscious thing. Everyone looks at you because you are extra gangly.
‘It’s only in the last five years that I have come to terms with the fact that I am a big tall b******.’
The Sun also reported that it was around the same time Calvin signed up for private pilates lessons and started hitting the gym regularly, while also opting to have his teeth straightened.
He also returned to his blonde hair roots, with the musician chalking his decision down to ‘growing up, coming to terms with myself as a human being and not doing that s*** any more… I prefer my more natural look,’ he told the newspaper.
By this point, he was taking over our radio waves with hits like We Found Love (feat Rihanna) and I Need Your Love (feat Ellie Goulding).
His music, textured with the relaxed techno vibe of the 2010s, was becoming emblematic of the era, and he appeared to immerse himself into the A-lister crowd.
UNDERWEAR MODEL
Looking good: The Ready For The Weekend hitmaker, who is the highest paid DJ in the world, has invested in his personal appearance over the years. Pictured in 2022
Pictured: Recording Artists Calvin Harris and Zedd attend the Universal Music Group’s 2018 After Party
By 2014, it was impossible to ignore Calvin’s physical transformation as the singer unveiled his toned physique – and it was all due to him cutting out booze and swapping out his hard-partying ways for a more disciplined lifestyle.
He was at this point impossible to ignore, a fixture on every playlist – especially following his success with the track Summer.
Replying to a fan on X/Twitter, who asked whether he was ‘pished’ in 2018, Calvin said: ‘Haven’t drank in 4 years big man.
‘Aye things are a bit less fun but haven’t had an arrhythmia since 2014,’ he added.
A milestone moment in the evolution of Calvin – from music nerd to Adonis – was when he was unveiled as face and body of fashion label Emporio Armani in 2014 at the age of 30.
No longer defined by his scruffy, school-boy looks, the 6’5 superstar DJ – with model good looks – had the most luck with ladies at this phase of his career, with Calvin most famously dating Taylor Swift in 2015.
As his celebrity grew, Calvin also hit refresh on his wardrobe – switching out basic tees and jeans for designer suits and high-end casual wear.
‘SERIOUS BEARDED PRODUCER’
It is a departure from his more polished, EDM persona that defined Calvin’s aesthetic from 2015 onwards. Pictured in 2019
During his 15-month relationship with Swift, which was followed by affairs with Rita Ora and Ellie Goulding, the singer’s five o’clock shadow gave him a slight edge as he travelled the world performing his biggest hits at some of the world’s biggest festivals.
However, the musician admitted, he altered his appearance and grew out his beard in 2017 in a bid to be ‘taken seriously’ by the Recording Academy, which organised the Grammy Awards.
‘Last year I grew a big ol beard in order to be taken seriously by the Grammys as a producer,’ Calvin tweeted.
‘It worked to an extent – my Producer of the Year nomination came through and I was happy the beard was performing as well as I had hoped,’ he added.
In a second tweet, Calvin admitted that ‘even the beard has its limitations’ while reflecting on his category loss to ‘the incredible Greg Kurstin’.
‘A big ol beard can only take you so far,’ he concluded. ‘An important lesson learned that i am happy to pass forward to all of you good people.
It was during this era that he released Funk Wav Bounces (Vol 1.) – which showed his more experimental side as he slowed down his music from party hits to more soulful R&B remixes.
COUNTRY BOY
He has now unveiled a new look to accompany his country music rebrand after Calvin teased his latest track Smoke The Pain Away on Monday, March 10
A look at Calvin’s Instagram over the past few months might suggest he is giving the beard another go, as he crosses over to country with the release of Smoke The Pain Away later this week. Pictured in 2024
In 2018, Calvin tweeted that he had grown a beard in order to be taken more seriously in the industry. Pictured in 2021
Calvin and wife Vick Hope at the 2025 Brit Awards ahead of him revealing his melancholic, country-esque avatar
A look at Calvin’s Instagram over the past few months might suggest he is giving the beard another go, as he crosses over to country with the release of Smoke The Pain Away later this week.
It appears the much fuller beard, and more rugged appearance, has been a constant feature since the beginning of 2022 – as seen in photos taken in Calvin’s studio, during DJ sets, and during leisurely strolls on holiday in Ibiza with his wife Vick.
The full extent of his transformation was debuted on Monday, March 10, as Calvin revealed his new, more sombre country-ified aesthetic as he signals to the world that a new chapter has begun.
‘When embarking on something new or different, such as a new genre of music, people often feel a need to redefine themselves and signal to the world that they’re stepping into a new phase of their life or a new chapter,’ clinical psychologist, Dr Lalitaa Suglani told FEMAIL.
It is similar, she continued, to how some people might get a drastic haircut after a big breakup.
‘Celebrities, in particular, are under constant public scrutiny, and altering their appearance can be a strategy to stay relevant, maintain attention, or reflect a shift in personal growth or creative direction,’ she continued, referring to the change in Calvin’s look.
And the change is audible through his music too – his latest hits, which came out in 2022’s Funk Wav Bounces (Vol. 2) show a more groovy tilt, laden with funky production rather than anthemic summer tunes.
However, whether a country album is on the horizon or not remains unknown for now…
