Ready for the Weekend (album)

Harris had been working on the album since the release of his debut album, I Created Disco, with the first tracks being recorded in 2008. In April 2008, Harris stated that the only existing copy of his then-upcoming album was lost when his laptop was misplaced during the baggage handling problems at the opening of London Heathrow Terminal 5.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/south_of_scotland/7328513.stm |title=DJ loses album in baggage backlog |work=BBC News |date=4 April 2008 |access-date=30 July 2014}} He later stated on the BBC's Glastonbury Festival 2008 coverage that he got his baggage back including the album within a few days. However, Harris ultimately admitted in April 2009 that this was a lie as the album was not in his luggage at all, and that he hoped that what he said would give him more time to finish recording the album.{{cite web |last=Robinson |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Robinson (journalist) |url=https://www.popjustice.com/articles/calvin-harris-interview-2/49883/ |title=Calvin Harris interview |website=Popjustice |date=21 April 2009 |access-date=20 August 2020}} The album track, "Yeah Yeah Yeah La La La", was used in a Coca-Cola advertisement in mid-2009.{{cite web |last=Sweney |first=Mark |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/may/07/coca-cola-ad-calvin-harris |title=Calvin Harris soundtracks Coca-Cola ad |work=The Guardian |date=7 May 2009 |access-date=30 July 2014}}

Harris described the single "I'm Not Alone" as a "stadium dance tune", with Mike Diver from the BBC praising "its transition from sombre lyric and acoustic strum to massive big beats is complete" and said "it’s easy to visualise thousands of people absolutely losing their minds to it".{{cite web |last1=Diver |first1=Mike |title=BBC - Music - Review of Calvin Harris - Ready For The Weekend |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/ppp2/ |website=www.bbc.co.uk |access-date=24 May 2025}} It became Harris's first number one single in the United Kingdom, and was later certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in the United Kingdom, indicating sales in excess of 600,000 copies.{{cite web |title=Calvin Harris "I'm Not Alone" - The BPI |url=https://www.bpi.co.uk/award/10939-3374-1 |website=BPI |access-date=24 May 2025 |language=en}} It subsequently finished 2009 as the 23rd best selling single of the year in the United Kingdom.{{cite web |title=End of Year Singles Chart on 4/1/2009 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/end-of-year-singles-chart/20090104/37501/ |website=Official Charts |access-date=24 May 2025 |language=en |date=18 November 2019}} It also achieved commercial success in his native Scotland, peaking at number two on the national singles charts,{{cite web |title=Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 19/4/2009 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/20090419/41/ |website=Official Charts |access-date=24 May 2025 |language=en}} as well as reaching the top ten in Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium.{{cite web |last1=Top 40 |first1=Stichting Nederlandse |title=Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone {{!}} Top 40 |url=https://www.top40.nl/calvin-harris/calvin-harris-i-m-not-alone-20711 |website=Top40.nl |access-date=24 May 2025 |language=nl}}{{cite web |title=The Irish Charts - All there is to know |url=http://irishcharts.ie/search/placement?page=1&search_type=title&placement=I%27m+Not+Alone |website=irishcharts.ie |access-date=24 May 2025}} The albums title track was released as the second single the week prior to the albums release.

In 2009, "I'm Not Alone" was nominated for the Popjustice £20 Music Prize in the Best Contemporary Song category, and in 2010, Ready for the Weekend was nominated for Dance-Pop Album of the Year at the Hungarian Music Awards.{{cite web |title=The 2009 Popjustice Twenty Quid Music Prize: a roundup • Popjustice |url=https://www.popjustice.com/briefing/the-2009-popjustice-twenty-quid-music-prize-a-roundup/ |website=Popjustice |access-date=24 May 2025 |date=9 September 2009}}

"I'm Not Alone" was released as the album's lead single on 6 April 2009. The song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, knocking off Lady Gaga's "Poker Face".{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Alan |url=http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/gaga-edges-it-in-albums-chart/039753 |title=GaGa edges it in albums chart |work=Music Week |date=14 April 2009 |access-date=30 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726000313/http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/gaga-edges-it-in-albums-chart/039753 |archive-date=26 July 2014}} It spent two weeks atop the chart, before dropping to number three in its third week.{{cite web |last=Williams |first=Paul |url=http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/number-one-is-number-one/039826 |title=Number One is number one |work=Music Week |date=27 April 2009 |access-date=30 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203182629/http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/number-one-is-number-one/039826 |archive-date=3 February 2014}} "Ready for the Weekend" was released as the album's second single on 9 August 2009. The song peaked at number three in his native Scotland, as well as in the United Kingdom.{{cite web |title=Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 16/8/2009 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/20090816/41/ |website=Official Charts |access-date=24 May 2025 |language=en}}{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/2141/calvin-harris/ |title=Calvin Harris |publisher=Official Charts Company |access-date=26 May 2016}} It reached the top ten in both Ireland and the Netherlands,{{cite web |title=The Irish Charts - Ready for the Weekend |url=http://irishcharts.ie/search/placement?page=1&search_type=title&placement=Ready+for+the+Weekend |website=irishcharts.ie |access-date=24 May 2025}} whilst it peaked at number one on the Dance Singles Charts in the United Kingdom.{{cite web |title=Official Dance Singles Chart on 23/8/2009 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/dance-singles-chart/20090823/104/ |website=Official Charts |access-date=24 May 2025 |language=en}} It was subsequently certified Silver in the United Kingdom for sales in excess of 200,000 copies,{{cite web |title=Ready for the Weekend (single) - The BPI |url=https://www.bpi.co.uk/award/8511-3374-1 |website=BPI |access-date=24 May 2025 |language=en}} whilst in Australia it earned a Gold certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for sales in excess of 35,000 copies.{{cite web |title=ARIA Certifications |url=https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/orr9fphn3kyhykimwm11l/AExzyTkHniRw2CkE2G9HX6Y/2023%20Accreds.pdf?rlkey=b5et6u9n5p7f3gkxgmqhivbyf |website=www.dropbox.com |access-date=24 May 2025}}

"Flashback" was released as the third single from the album on 2 November 2009. It peaked at number two on the UK Dance Singles Charts, number sixteen in his native Scotland, as well as number eighteen on the UK Singles Chart.It also achieved commercial success in Australia, Belgium and Ireland,{{cite web |title=Ireland Singles Top 100 - Music Charts |url=https://acharts.co/ireland_singles_top_100 |website=acharts.co |access-date=24 May 2025}} and was certified Platinum in Australia for sales in excess of 70,000 copies.{{cite web |title=Dropbox - ARIA Certifications |url=https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/orr9fphn3kyhykimwm11l/AExzyTkHniRw2CkE2G9HX6Y/2023%20Accreds.pdf?rlkey=b5et6u9n5p7f3gkxgmqhivbyf |website=www.dropbox.com |access-date=24 May 2025}} The album's fourth and final single, "You Used to Hold Me", was released on 8 February 2010, peaking at number twenty-one in Scotland and twenty-seven on the UK Singles Charts. An extended version of Harris's 2008 chart-topping collaboration with Dizzee Rascal, "Dance wiv Me", is also included on the album.

The Metacritic score for the album was 65/100. Several reviewers drew on Harris’ comment that he was intending to make a “stadium dance” album and noted the bigger scale and greater sense of a party crowd atmosphere in Ready for The Weekend compared to Harris's previous album I Created Disco. James McMahon of NME for example referred to the “music-for-the-people philosophy embodied at the core of Harris’ anthem-heavy new record”. {{cite web |last=McMahon |first=James |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/10776 |title=Album review : Calvin Harris – 'Ready for the Weekend' |work=NME |date=25 August 2009 |access-date=15 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015212530/http://www.nme.com/reviews/10776 |archive-date=15 October 2012}}

Neil McCormick called the album “big, bold and colourful”, describing how the album’s songs “start out simple and organic” before evolving closer to electronic dance music over the course of the track. McCormick writes about how “The pop genius is in the way these develop and mutate, rather than settling into obvious, dumb grooves”.

{{cite web |last=McCormick |first=Neil |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/5979213/Calvin-Harris-Ready-for-the-Weekend-pop-CD-of-the-week.html |title=Calvin Harris: Ready for the Weekend, pop CD of the week |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=6 August 2009 |access-date=14 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112065301/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/5979213/Calvin-Harris-Ready-for-the-Weekend-pop-CD-of-the-week.html |archive-date=12 November 2012}}

Ready for the Weekend debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, selling 36,308 copies in its first week.{{cite web |url=http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/dance-dominates-charts-with-harris-and-guetta-at-the-peak/040607 |title=Dance dominates charts with Harris and Guetta at the peak |work=Music Week |date=24 August 2009 |access-date=22 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730175236/http://www.musicweek.com/news/read/dance-dominates-charts-with-harris-and-guetta-at-the-peak/040607 |archive-date=30 July 2014}} The album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 16 October 2009, and by November 2014, it had sold 274,786 copies in the United Kingdom.{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Alan |url=http://www.musicweek.com/businessanalysis/read/official-charts-analysis-ed-sheeran-pips-calvin-harris-to-no-1-on-albums/060086 |title=Official Charts analysis: Ed Sheeran pips Calvin Harris to No.1 on albums |work=Music Week |date=10 November 2014 |access-date=7 March 2015 |url-access=subscription}} The album was also successful in Ireland, where it peaked at number six on the Irish Albums Chart. In the United States, it reached number 12 on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart and number 22 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. Ready for the Weekend attained moderate success elsewhere, reaching number 39 in Australia, number 74 in Belgium (Wallonia) and number 139 in France.

{{Track listing

| all_writing = Calvin Harris, except where noted

| title1 = The Rain

| length1 = 4:36

| title2 = Ready for the Weekend

| length2 = 3:37

| title3 = Stars Come Out

| length3 = 4:28

| title4 = You Used to Hold Me

| length4 = 3:51

| title5 = Blue

| length5 = 3:41

| title6 = I'm Not Alone

| length6 = 3:31

| title7 = Flashback

| length7 = 3:49

| title8 = Worst Day

| note8 = featuring Izza Kizza

| writer8 = {{hlist|Harris|Izza Kizza}}

| length8 = 3:46

| title9 = Relax

| length9 = 3:49

| title10 = Limits

| length10 = 3:42

| title11 = Burns Night

| writer11 = {{hlist|Harris|Mark Irving}}

| length11 = 2:20

| title12 = Yeah Yeah Yeah La La La

| length12 = 3:17

| title13 = Dance wiv Me

| note13 = Dizzee Rascal featuring Calvin Harris and Chrome

| writer13 = {{hlist|Dylan Mills|Harris|Nick Detnon|Tyrone Paul}}

| length13 = 4:24

| title14 = 5iliconeator

| length14 = 3:29

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = iTunes Store bonus tracks

| title15 = Greatest Fear

| length15 = 6:20

| title16 = I'm Not Alone

| note16 = deadmau5 Mix) (France and US only

| length16 = 8:15

| title17 = Ready for the Weekend

| note17 = Fake Blood Remix) (France only

| length17 = 5:40

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Japanese edition bonus tracks

| title15 = Ready for the Weekend

| note15 = High Contrast Remix

| length15 = 5:42

| title16 = Ready for the Weekend

| note16 = Fake Blood Remix

| length16 = 5:40

| title17 = I'm Not Alone

| note17 = Tiësto Remix

| length17 = 6:41

| title18 = I'm Not Alone

| note18 = ☆Taku Takahashi Remix

| length18 = 5:50

}}

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Ready for the Weekend.{{cite AV media notes |title=Ready for the Weekend |others=Calvin Harris |year=2009 |type=liner notes |publisher=Columbia Records |id=88697571912}}

• Calvin Harris – production, arrangement, vocals, instruments, design concept
• Snake Davis – saxophone {{small|(track 1)}}
• Mary Pearce – additional vocals {{small|(track 2)}}
• Ayah Marar – additional vocals {{small|(tracks 3, 7, 10)}}
• Izza Kizza – vocals {{small|(track 8)}}
• Mark Irving – guitar {{small|(track 11)}}
• Dizzee Rascal – vocals {{small|(track 13)}}
• Chrome – vocals {{small|(track 13)}}
• Brian "Big Bass" Gardner – mastering
• Matthew Shave – sleeve photography
• Spiros Politis – inside photography
• Steve Stacey – design

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{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|artist=Calvin Harris|title=Ready for the Weekend|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2009|certyear=2019|access-date=6 November 2019}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|artist=Calvin Harris|title=Ready for the Weekend|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2009|certyear=2020|source=radioscope|access-date=25 December 2024}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Calvin Harris|title=Ready for the Weekend|award=Platinum|type=album|certyear=2019|id=8511-1976-2|access-date=20 December 2019|salesamount=274,786|salesref=|refname="BPI"}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Calvin Harris}}

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Category:2009 albums

Category:Albums produced by Calvin Harris

Category:Calvin Harris albums

Category:Columbia Records albums

Category:Ultra Records albums