Fire up the Lambo – it’s time to cruise the streets of Miami circa 1987.

That’s how I feel when I hear the pulsing 80s synths, echo-y drum claps and electronic bass in the 2017 Calvin Harris single, “Faking It.” I admit it…I like a lot of Calvin’s music and, as a DJ myself, I’m especially appreciative of DJ/producers who get to put their name to their work…not just a fine-print mention inside the CD booklet.

(Columbia Records)

That notwithstanding, the Scottish songwriter gets some fantastic assists on this track, notably the lead vocal by 22-year-old Oakland, California native Kehlani, a former member of the teen band PopLyfe, which you might remember from season 6 of NBC’s America’s Got Talent back in 2011 (they finished fourth)…and a bridge by 20-year-old Atlanta rapper Lil Yachti.

“Faking It,” the fifth single from Harris‘ 2017 Columbia album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1, is a brilliant throwback to a slinky, sexy time in modern history, when smooth synths and “Miami bass” made 80s pop music cool. Considering today’s fickle musical tastes, this all but guarantees the song won’t chart nearly as high as I’d like it to (it topped out at #94 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 and #25 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Top 40; it’s highest US charting was a #6 showing on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs Chart).

Written by Adam Wiles, Jessie Reyez, and Miles McCollum, “Faking It” tells a universal story about how “I say I’m okay but I guess I’m a liar” and “you say you’re okay but I saw that you liked it,” as sung by Kehlani.

2 A.M. and faded
I know that’s when you like it
Know that’s when you miss me
Know that’s when you’re crying.

We’ve all been through it –  we care and we don’t care, but can’t entirely let go. What does that mean…? We fake it to get by, and it’s a two-way street. Kehlani‘s heartfelt vocal on the chorus adds weight to the raw emotion of the track, pulling the listener in to her plight.

Why you checking, if you’re over it
Why you say, “Let go, ” if you’re still holding it?
Just a little bit better at faking it than me, baby

If there’s a polarizing element to the song (aside from its 80s-inspired production), it’s the mid-song rap at the bridge by Lil Yachti. Some online reviewers and commenters don’t like this inclusion, and at first listen, the sometimes-goofy lyrics did pull me out of the moment (“Remember that time I put those pepperonis on your face / made you a creature / Now I think ’bout you every single time I eat pizza“)…until Kehlani comes back to finish out strong. But after repeat listens, I’ve grown to like the rap segment more – his character’s a young, successful dude remembering the good times and wishing he didn’t have to “fake it” along with her, who’s a “stone cold diva / I had to get counseling from my mom, she’s a heartbreak teacher.”

Of course, Yachti‘s involvement is just as much a part of the marketing package as it is to the song itself (smart thinking, Columbia suits). But there are plenty of Yachti fans out there who enjoy the song specifically for his small part.

Fans of smooth, modern R&B with a retro flair (I can’t get enough of the synth line and that simple, syncopated synthetic bass), you’ll enjoy “Faking It,” and you’ll enjoy getting lost in the emotion of Kehlani‘s vocal, which ends with a powerful falsetto on the album version of the track: “Why you holding me? Why you holding me?”