Posted by Katherine St Asaph on 09/19/2011 at 10:21 AM News

The Popdust Files: rihanna

The last time Calvin Harris appeared on these pages, he was Twitter-feuding with Katy Perry, whose tour he pulled out of due to he-said-she-said. This has not yet happened for the Scottish producer with his appearance on Rihanna’s tour; to the contrary, JustJared reports that Harris will produce the next single off Rihanna’s album.

What does this mean? First, a quick summary. Harris is a star in the U.K. both thanks to his solo work and collaborations with the global likes of Kylie Minogue and rapper Dizzee Rascal. His intersections with U.S. pop include the aforementioned working then emphatically not working with Katy Perry, turning down the chance to produce for Lady Gaga because of her name, and accepting a song by LMFAO.

Now for the news: it’s scant. The only other thing we know about Rihanna’s single is that it’s a “fun club banger”–no surprise there, it’s a lead single. But we’re optimistic. Harris, like lots of dance producers, is better at sequencing at singing; a featured vocalist would just play to his strengths. Case in point: “Bounce,” with Kelis. And it’s nice to throw some new names into the not-entirely-mixed mix that’s the States’ radio lineup. We hope we won’t have to eat those words.