Harder (Tiësto and Kshmr song)
"Harder" is a song by Dutch DJ Tiësto and American record producer KSHMR, featuring vocals from British singer Talay Riley. The song was written by Niles Hollowell-Dhar, Tijs Verwest, Talay Riley and Digital Farm Animals, with production handled by Kshmr and Tiësto.[1] It was released on June 16, 2017, via Musical Freedom.
"Harder" | ||||
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Single by Tiësto and KSHMR featuring Talay Riley | ||||
Released | June 16, 2017 | |||
Recorded | 2017 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:13 | |||
Label | Musical Freedom, Spinnin' Records | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | ||||
Tiësto singles chronology | ||||
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Kshmr singles chronology | ||||
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Talay Riley singles chronology | ||||
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Background
The song debuted during Tiësto's performance at Ultra Music Festival 2017 in Miami.[2] It was also performed at Kshmr's "Welcome to KSHMR Vol. 8" live show. Tiësto first confirmed that the song will be released on May 26, 2017 during his Club Life radio show.[3] However, Kshmr denied this statement through a tweet on May 26, 2017, and said that the song will be released "soon".[4] On the same day, Tiësto announced via a tweet that the song will be released on June 16, 2017, alongside the single's artwork, in which the song's featured artist was confirmed to be Talay Riley.[5][6] On May 31, 2017, Musical Freedom uploaded a minute teaser of the song on SoundCloud.[7] Tiësto also shared the teaser through a tweet on the same day.[8] The initial preview version of the track was featured on Don Diablo's Hexagon Radio show.[3][9][10]
Critical reception
Kat Bein of Billboard magazine said: "Despite its title, it's not a bombastic, face melting tune. It's high-energy, but it's somewhat chill, like the haze that hangs over the moments just before sunrise. Vocalist Talay Riley feeds into the vibe, asking the listener to hang on a little longer and party all night. 'Harder' has KSHMR's musicality and Tiesto's rhythmic lean. It's cute, it's romantic."[11]
Karlie Powell of Your EDM said that the song "blends musical stylings of both artists and is nothing short of magical" and "contains male and female parts, that lead up to a euphoric drop with a heavy kick and little vocal blips that hit you right in the feels."[2] Christian Naccarato of the same publication said "'Harder' starts with KSHMR's signature Indian-influenced vocal chops. Moving forward, the track is driven by a guitar riff and an extremely emotional vocal. Quickly taking a darker turn, the track builds up to a sound that is much more "2017" than "Secrets" is. The chorus, carried by a vocal chop, tropical percussion, and a light bass line, is filled with feelings of euphoria."[12]
Ryan Harcourt of EDMTunes said "The track starts off with vocals from Los Angeles singer Talay Riley. This tune is highlighted by a build into upbeat tropical style track that screams Summer vibes."[9] Rajrishi Murthi of the Bangin Beats said that the song is "poised to be one of the hottest tracks during the ongoing festival season." He also regarded the song as a "tropical-inspired single" that "plays out as a delightful blend of Indian-influenced vocal chops, airy synths, infectious vocals and a smooth percussion work."[3] Paola Maria Farina of AllSongs said that the track "turns out to be more fluid and softer than the previous collaboration "Secrets" and, thanks to the growing chorus and melody, is charged with elements becoming a full and enveloping piece."[13] Ross Goldenberg of We Rave You said "The track is definitely a lot more mellow than its counterpart 'Secrets,' but elicits a much stronger summer-type sound with its melodic progression combined with a vocal chopped chorus. You can clearly hear influences from both of the artists' styles as 'Harder' is primed to be another hit from the two producers."[10]
Track listing
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Harder" (featuring Talay Riley) | 3:13 |
Charts
Chart (2017) | Peak position |
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US Dance/Mix Show Airplay (Billboard)[15] | 28[16] |
References
- "Harder / Tiësto TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- Karlie Powell (March 29, 2017). "Tiësto and KSHMR Share New, Euphoric ID With Ultra And We Need It Released Now [LISTEN]". Your EDM. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- Rajrishi Murthi (May 22, 2017). "Tiësto & KSHMR's Highly Awaited Collaboration Is Set To Arrive This Friday!". Bangin Beats. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- Erik (May 25, 2017). "KSHMR Confirms His Massive Collab With Tiesto Will Not Be Released Today". EDM Sauce. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- Matthew Meadow (May 29, 2017). "Tiësto Confirmed The Release Date For His New KSHMR Collab, "Harder"". Your EDM. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- Aman Ellis (May 31, 2017). "Tiësto And KSHMR Set Release Date For Their Collaboration, 'Harder'". DJ Mag. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- Stevo (May 31, 2017). "Tiesto & KSHMR Give Sneak Preview Of New Single 'Harder'". EDM Sauce. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- Cover Media (June 4, 2017). "Tiësto and KSHMR: their collaboration is coming soon". NRJ. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- Ryan Harcourt (June 3, 2017). "Tiësto & KSHMR feat. Talay Riley – Harder [PREVIEW]". EDMTunes. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- Ross Goldenberg (May 22, 2017). "Tiësto And KSHMR's Anticipated Collaboration "Harder" Gets A Release Date". We Rave You. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- Kat Bein (June 16, 2017). "Tiesto and KSHMR Go 'Harder' Into Sunrise Vibes: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
- Christian Naccarato (May 21, 2017). "Tiësto And KSHMR Confirm "Secrets" Follow-up [LISTEN]". Your EDM. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- Paola Maria Farina (May 26, 2017). "Tiësto and KSHMR together again: released the track Harder". AllSongs. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
- "Harder (feat. Talay Riley) – Single by Tiësto on Apple Music". iTunes Store (US). Retrieved June 16, 2017.
- "DJ Tiësto Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
- "Dance/Mix Show Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved July 30, 2017.