From Geek To Sleek

Why do we need our hit makers to look like Adonis? And is it possible to buy the perfect body?

- Chris Lochery

It was almost certainly a first in the history of celebrity underwear endorsements. As Calvin Harris stripped to his skivvies for Emporio Armani last month, barely a bit of public attention was directed at his bulge. Instead, the world’s collective eye fixed itself about five inches higher – somewhere around those thick bands of muscle that bisect his belly button – as we whispered, “ When did Calvin Harris get so ripped?”

Muscle-bound men in pop are by no means a new phenomenon. We’ve had them for decades now – be they tough-guy gangsta rappers (50 Cent), smooth R&B sex machines (Usher) or Chippendales who can just about hold a tune (Peter Andre).

But, up until recently, no-one really knew, or cared, what DJ-producer types looked like. They would put their name to a bi-annual compilation of club classics, stick out one or two singles with a bunch of sexy ladies in the video, do the odd Essential Mix for Radio 1. That was it. That was all that was expected of them.

In the last five years though, things have changed. Where Jive Bunny and Fatboy Slim paved the way, knob twiddlers like Mark Ronson, David Guetta, Skrillex, and Avicii have all stepped out from behind the decks to become fully fledged global popstars in their own right.

Calvin Harris has always been the poster boy of the producer popstar crossovers. He sang his own songs, starred in his own videos – so it does make sense that he would be the first to make the transition from bedroom dwelling music maker to blonde beefcake cover star. But why has this only just happened?