Continuing the French theme from the last two Throwback Thursdays, I now bring you a monster throwback – David Guetta’s entire “One Love” album. Released in mid 2009, this is an extremely important album for the current EDM phase as it threw one of the most well known names in EDM past the limelight and into superstardom. It’s also an extremely important album to me as it was the first EDM album that I ever bought, and brings back a lot of memories as I listened to it on repeat on my first international family holiday to New Zealand. The album had three major hits – When Love Takes Over, Sexy Bitch and Memories. It was good enough to get a bonus version (One More Love), with Gettin’ Over You and Who’s That Chick also becoming mega hits.
“When Love Takes Over” was the first single off the album, co-produced by Nervo and with vocals by Kelly Rowland. It became an international mega-hit in a short time frame after its release, hitting the top 10 in 27 countries. Its catchy piano melody and impressive vocals were what made it so popular, however the beat and euphoric style also helped this.
“Gettin’ Over” is up next, a collaboration with frequent vocalist Chris Willis. It starts off with upbeat and somewhat soulful vocals, but develops into a dancefloor crusher and stays that way. It was re-released as a single off One More Love (as Gettin’ Over You), with extra vocals by Fergie and LMFAO, and hit the top 10 in 13 countries.
Guetta didn’t let anyone rest, with yet another mega hit next. Sexy Bitch (or Sexy Chick for the clean version) had Akon on vocals, and the top-notch beat makes a great first impression along with Akon’s memorable vocals. It’s another banger that the vast majority of EDM fans (and even general population) will have gone wild to. And rightly so – it hit the top 10 in 22 countries.
The fourth single off One Love is next up, Memories with Kid Cudi. It’s not as hard as the previous two songs, with an old-timey cultural vibe that is still very easy to dance to. I can still remember singing “Hey hey, ooh ooh ooh ooh oooh oooh, yeah yeah, ooh ooh ooh ooh oooh oooh” in the car on a long road trip back when I was 13, and that is one of those memories that will stay with me for a long time.
The mega-hits end with Memories, but the dancing doesn’t as will.i.am and Apl de Ap bring the fire On the Dancefloor, along with an insane beat that you just have to go hard to. It’s The Way You Love Me (with Kelly Rowland) and Missing You (with Novel) are more emotional and less hard than the previous songs, but again are very danceable.
Choose (with Ne-Yo and Kelly Rowland) was underrated as it smashed the dancefloor and never let up, but was still given life by the two vocalists dueting. How Soon Is Now (produced with Sebastian Ingrosso and Dirty South) took on a progressive house style, and marked the first significant departure from the banging kick that had been present in every previous song.
A remix of the most popular song of 2009, The Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” is up next, and carries on the album’s theme of pop-style songs that went hard. Album namesake and third single One Love is next up with Estelle, and was more vocal instead of dance oriented. Will.i.am is back next and wants to go crazy all around the world to a techno-inspired beat in I Wanna Go Crazy, and Chris Willis comes back too with Tocadisco in Sound of Letting Go. Afrojack joins the party with Wynter Gordon in Toyfriend with a basic beat and Wynter Gordon laying down some sexy vocals. If We Ever closes an epic LP, and is the only downbeat song on the album. It’s also worth mentioning Who’s That Chick? (the second single off One More Love), which hit the top 10 in 18 countries through its catchiness and star power with Rihanna on vocals.
All in all it’s a classic album not only for electronic music in general, but for the entire EDM phase. It influenced many artists and changed the way that people thought about electronic music – it proved that pop music could indeed be EDM, and it was possible to become a superstar DJ in a world of divas and bands. Have a listen to an iconic album below.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zudbz4hOcbc&w=560&h=315]
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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btypPwyjFIU&w=560&h=315]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOdmf4N5aPE&w=560&h=315]