Under Control

Story of Song

Calvin Harris told BBC Radio 1 that the song came about because “Alesso sent me an unfinished track. I thought it was really good and so we worked on it. I wrote a bit of vocal, I tried to sing on it, but I sang it terrible, I sang it to Theo and I told Theo that I think this will really suit your voice…and he listened to it and he agreed, he changed like half of the lyrics and then we all got in the studio together and finished the track.” The theme of the song is fear and how it can control us, how sometimes people wait for the perfect moment to do something, but sometimes that perfect moment never comes.  To be free is to live without fear.

Release date

October 7, 2013

Songwriter/s

Calvin Harris – Alessandro Lindblad – Theo Hutchcraft

Label

Deconstruction – Fly Eye – Columbia

Chart Rankings

“Under Control” debuted on the UK Singles Chart in the number one spot, becoming Calvin Harris’s fifth number one single. Besides the UK, the song reached number one in Scotland, and the top ten in Australia Dance, Belgium, Czech Republic, Europe, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Scotland, Sweden, and US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles. “Under Control” reached 2x Platinum in Sweden, Platinum in Australia and Italy, and Gold in Germany, Mexico, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The song was also certified Platinum in Denmark.

Artist’s age on release date

Calvin Harris was 29 when “Under Control” was released.

Cover Versions

Very few amateur artists covered this song on YouTube.