"What Is Love (Baby Don't Hurt Me)" is a song recorded by Trinidadian-German
Eurodance
Euro-Dance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG, Euro-electronica or Euro) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of hip hop, techno, Hi-NRG, house music, and Euro-Disco. This ...
artist
Haddaway
Nestor Alexander Haddaway (born 9 January 1965) is a Trinidadian-born German singer best known for his 1993 hit single "What Is Love", which reached number 1 in 13 countries.
Early life
Nestor Alexander Haddaway was born in Trinidad and Tobago ...
for his debut album, ''
The Album'' (1993). The song was released in 1993 as the album's lead single. It was a hit in Europe, becoming a number-one hit in at least 13 countries and reaching number two in Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Outside Europe, the single was a hit worldwide, reaching number 11 in the United States, number 12 in Australia, number 17 in Canada, and number 48 in New Zealand. The song earned Haddaway two awards at the German 1994
Echo Award
Echo Music Prize (stylised as ECHO, ) was an accolade by the , an association of recording companies of Germany to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The first ECHO Awards ceremony was held in 1992, and it was set up to hono ...
, in the categories "Best National Single" and "Best National Dance Single".
Background
"What Is Love" was written and produced by German music producer and composer Dee Dee Halligan (Dieter Lünstedt a.k.a.
Tony Hendrik
Tony Hendrik (born Dieter Lünstedt, 4 March 1945 in Bad Bederkesa, a.k.a. Dee Dee Halligan, Jimmy Tarsus) is a German music producer, composer, and owner of a record label. The most known artists and bands he has produced and composed for are Ba ...
) and his partner/wife Junior Torello (Karin Hartmann-Eisenblätter a.k.a. Karin van Haaren) of
Coconut Records
Coconut Records is a German record label formed in 1981 by producers Tony Hendrik and Karin Hartmann. The label has released multiple genres of music, including dance, schlager, eurodance, electronica, Hi-NRG, Dance-pop and R&B.
Artists
...
in
Hennef (Sieg)
Hennef (Sieg) () is a town in the Rhein-Sieg district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the river Sieg, approx. south-east of Siegburg and east of Bonn. Hennef is the fourth-biggest town in the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis (i.e. distri ...
near
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
. They had previously produced songs for successful groups like
Bad Boys Blue
Bad Boys Blue are the German pop group formed in Cologne in 1984. The group performed many international hits including "You're a Woman", " Pretty Young Girl", " I Wanna Hear Your Heartbeat", and "Come Back and Stay".
The group became massive ...
and
Londonbeat
Londonbeat is a British dance-pop band who scored a number of pop and dance hits in the early 1990s. Band members are American Jimmy Helms (who also had a successful solo career and sang radio jingles for Radio Hallam and Hereward Radio in th ...
, and were waiting for the right singer for their new song.
Trinidadian-born singer Nestor Alexander Haddaway was then chosen to sing it. He used to work as a producer, dancer and choreographer before he was signed to the label. The producers wanted Haddaway to try singing the song like
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...
. He told them, "I love Joe Cocker, but I'm no Joe Cocker." He then came up with his own idea on how to sing it and after the producers let the singer try it his way, "What Is Love" was created. Hendrik would lock himself in the studio, and eight or nine days later he came out with the song as we know it.
The female vocal on the track, meanwhile, was a stock sample released on the
Zero-G
Weightlessness is the complete or near-complete absence of the sensation of weight. It is also termed zero gravity, zero G-force, or zero-G.
Weight is a measurement of the force on an object at rest in a relatively strong gravitational fie ...
sample compilation CD "Datafile 1" (tracks 62-64), which was produced in 1991 by Zero-G co-founder and
Jack 'N' Chill member Ed Stratton, aka
Man Machine, and was aimed at dance producers, DJs, programmers and artists.
Release and legacy
"What Is Love" reached number one in 13 countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Zimbabwe. In Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom, it peaked at number two. In the latter, the song reached that position on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in its fifth week on the chart, on 27 June 1993.
Additionally, "What Is Love" was a number three hit in Iceland, and it made it to the top spot also on the
Eurochart Hot 100
The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...
. Debuting at number 87 on 28 August 1993, the song reached number 11 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States. But on the US
''Cash Box'' Top 100, it reached number nine. The song also peaked at number 12 in Australia. By March 1994, worldwide sales of "What Is Love" had already reached 2.6 million.
Critical reception
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
editor Jose F. Promis called "What Is Love" "one of the 1990s' quintessential
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
tunes". In an 2015 retrospective review, Victor Beigelman from ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' declared it as a "
Europop
Europop (also spelled Euro pop) is a style of pop music that originated in Europe during the mid-to-late 1960s and developed to today's form throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with revivals and ...
banger that more than 20 years later remains relentlessly catchy and far more profound than it ever had any right to be."
Larry Flick
Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...
from ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' described it as a "glorious
pop/
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
ditty", and stated that "wildly catchy
chorus
Chorus may refer to:
Music
* Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse
* Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound
* Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
is complemented by a slick, synth-happy arrangement. Haddaway will conjure up images of
Seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...
and
Sydney Youngblood with his worldly
baritone
A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...
delivery. A sure-fire dance hit that has the muscle to push its way onto pop formats with ease." Milo Miles from ''
The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' wrote, "He pours such delicacy and anguish into the short phrases they become loud whispers that stay in the ear. With perfectly lubricated synthesizers bouncing away behind him, Haddaway gets precious mileage out of minimal lyrics." Student newspaper ''
Columbia Daily Spectator
The ''Columbia Daily Spectator'' (known colloquially as the ''Spec'') is the student newspaper of Columbia University. Founded in 1877, it is the oldest continuously operating college news daily in the nation after ''The Harvard Crimson'', and has ...
'' said it "will transport you instantly to the golden age of house music." Jim Farber from ''
Daily News'' noted that "What Is Love" "uses every sound it has to punch the beat: a stabbing synth line, a tense bass, an uplifting lead vocal and an encouragingly frantic female voice to back it up. It's a sound at once insinuating and insistent, sensual and wild." He also deemed it "the world's natural followup" to
Robin S.
Robin Stone (born April 27, 1962) is an American singer and songwriter, who scored success in the 1990s with such house music singles as " Show Me Love" (which was her debut single) and " Luv 4 Luv". She has had three number ones on the ''Bi ...
' "
Show Me Love". Dave Sholin from the ''
Gavin Report
The ''Gavin Report'' was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs. The pu ...
'' commented, "Try sitting still seconds after this upbeat entry kicks in." He also noted that Haddaway's style is "reminscent of the
Fine Young Cannibals
Fine Young Cannibals (FYC) was a British pop rock band formed in Birmingham, England, in 1984, by bassist David Steele (musician), David Steele, guitarist Andy Cox (both formerly of The Beat (British band), The Beat), and singer Roland Gift (fo ...
and just as exciting."
Mike Wood from ''
Idolator
An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry.
Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books
*''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music
* Idolator (website), an American music blog
* ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
'' called it a "catchy" anthem, that "permeated our collective consciousness given the heavily-repeated airplay".
James Masterton
James Masterton (born 2 September 1973) is a music writer and columnist, his work focusing on the UK Singles Chart having been an online fixture on various sites since the 1990s. Masterton is also a producer for talkSPORT, and has worked on air ...
stated in his weekly UK chart commentary, that the song "is undoubtedly one of the best soul releases of the year." Pan-European magazine ''
Music & Media
''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...
'' remarked that it has a "fast house beat augmented by Nestor Haddaway's deeply soulful vocals. This is definitely on par with anything that has come out of Chicago's
deep house
Deep house is a subgenre of house music that originated in the 1980s, initially fusing elements of Chicago house with the lush chords of 1980s jazz-funk and touches of soul music. Its origins are attributed to the early recordings of Larry Heard ( ...
scene for quite some time." Wendi Cermak from ''The Network Forty'' described the track as "splendiferous", and noted that "the eargasmic synth stabs in the extended mix are pulling even odds in
Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
for dance-floor-filling capability and the edit screams for radio airplay..." Luke Turner from ''
The Quietus
''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics.
Content
''The Quiet ...
'' felt that "What Is Love" "bangs because it manages to be two things—a terrific
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
tune but also rather stern as well, with infernally naggy synth lines and drilled repetition in the rhythms." Tony Cross from ''
Smash Hits
''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...
'' gave it four out of five, writing, "Haddaway's attempt at producing something along the lines of Seal's
Crazy
Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or t ...
hasn't quite been pulled off, but this foot-friendly dance track is still stonking dance-floor stuff. You don't find out what love is, but that doesn't mean you'll be disappointed." Another editor, Pete Stanton declared it as "a disco-dancing, ass-grooving, tum-churning corker of a song."
Music video
The accompanying
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
of "What Is Love" was directed by German music video director Volker Hannwacker. It features Haddaway in a mansion pursued by three
femme fatale
A ''femme fatale'' ( or ; ), sometimes called a maneater or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of ...
s, one of whom is a
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
. The video received
heavy rotation
In broadcasting, rotation is the repeated airing of a limited playlist of songs on a radio station or satellite radio channel, or music videos on a TV network. They are usually in a different order each time. However, they are not completely sh ...
on
MTV Europe
MTV Global (formerly as MTV Europe) is the international version of the American TV channel MTV, a 24-hour music and entertainment TV channel that began broadcasting on August 1, 1987, as part of the worldwide MTV network.
Initially, MTV serve ...
.
Accolades
(*) indicates the list is unordered.
In popular culture
"What is Love" experienced a revival as the song from the ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' "
Roxbury Guys" sketches later expanded into the 1998 feature film ''
A Night at the Roxbury
''A Night at the Roxbury'' is a 1998 American comedy film based on a recurring sketch on television's long-running ''Saturday Night Live'' called "The Roxbury Guys". ''Saturday Night Live'' regulars Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, Molly Shannon, Mark ...
'', where two brothers (played by
Chris Kattan
Christopher Lee Kattan () (born October 19, 1970) is an American actor and comedian. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1996 to 2003. He played Doug Butabi in '' A Night at the Roxbury'', Bob on the first four seasons of '' The ...
and
Will Ferrell
John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. He first established himself in the mid-1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', where he performed from 1995 to 200 ...
) frequently went to dance clubs with a third person (including actors such as
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...
and
Jim Carrey
James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy te ...
), credited as "Barhop". It was also used in the 2013 video game ''
Saints Row IV
''Saints Row IV'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Volition and published by Deep Silver. It is the sequel to 2011's '' Saints Row: The Third'', the fourth installment of the ''Saints Row'' series, and the final main installment i ...
'' and included as one of the tracks in ''
Just Dance 2017
''Just Dance 2017'' is a 2016 dance video game developed and published by Ubisoft. It was unveiled on June 13, 2016, during its E3 press conference as the eighth main installment of the series, and was released in October 2016 for PlayStation 3 ...
''. The song was also sung by
Ulysses Klaue (played by
Andy Serkis
Andrew Clement Serkis (born 20 April 1964) is an English actor, director, and producer. He is best known for his performance capture roles comprising motion capture acting, animation, and voice work for computer-generated characters such as Goll ...
) while being interrogated by
Everett K. Ross
Everett Kenneth Ross is a character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Primarily an ally of superhero Black Panther (character), Black Panther, the character exists within Marvel's main shared ...
(played by
Martin Freeman
Martin John Christopher Freeman (born 8 September 1971) is an English actor. Among other accolades, he has won an Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Freeman's most no ...
) in the 2018 film ''
Black Panther
A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been d ...
''. The song was also featured and in the animated series ''
Close Enough
''Close Enough'' is an American animated sitcom created by J. G. Quintel. Originally intended to air on TBS in 2017, the project faced various delays and setbacks before eventually premiering on HBO Max on July 9, 2020. The series has received ...
'', with Emily Ramirez (voiced by
Gabrielle Walsh
Gabrielle Walsh is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Marisol in the found footage supernatural horror film '' Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones'' (2014), and as Jess in the science fiction thriller '' The Hive'' (201 ...
) and Bridgette Hashima (voiced by
Kimiko Glenn
Kimiko Elizabeth Glenn (June 27, 1989) is an American actress and Broadway performer known for portraying Brook Soso in the Netflix series ''Orange Is the New Black'', for which she received three ensemble Screen Actors Guild Awards. She also st ...
) sing a
Weird Al Yankovic
Weird derives from the Anglo-Saxon word Wyrd, meaning fate or destiny. In modern English it has acquired the meaning of “strange or uncanny”. It may also refer to:
Places
* Weird Lake, a lake in Minnesota, U.S.
People
*"Weird Al" Yankovic (b ...
-styled parody version of it.
Formats and track listings
;"What Is Love"
* CD single / 7"
#"What Is Love" – 4:28
#"Sing About Love" – 3:12
* 12" maxi-single
#"What Is Love" (12" mix) – 6:40
#"What Is Love" (7" mix) – 4:27
#"What Is Love" (club mix) – 5:00
#"Sing About Love" – 4:40
* CD single, United Kingdom
#"What Is Love" (radio edit 7" mix) – 3:57
#"What Is Love" (club mix) – 5:00
#"What Is Love" (12" mix) – 6:40
#"What Is Love" (tour de trance mix) – 6:00
#"What Is Love" (refreshmento Extro Mix) – 5:42
* CD maxi, France
#"What Is Love" (7" mix) – 4:29
#"What Is Love" (12" mix) – 6:40
#"What Is Love" (club mix) – 5:02
#"Sing About Love" – 4:36
;"What Is Love" – remix
* CD single, France
#"What Is Love" (eat-this mix – radio edit) – 4:19
#"What Is Love" (refreshmento extro mix) – 3:52
* CD maxi
#"What Is Love" – remix (eat-this mix) – 6:54
#"What Is Love" (tour de trance-mix) – 6:00
#"What Is Love" (7" mix) – 4:27
;"What Is Love" – reloaded
* CD maxi
#"What Is Love" – reloaded (video mix) – 3:16
#"What Is Love" – reloaded (reloaded mix) – 6:09
#"What Is Love" – reloaded (what is club mix) – 6:39
#"What Is Love" – reloaded (Jens O.'s hard remix) – 5:32
#"What Is Love" – reloaded (Nathan Jolly's NRG remix) – 6:48
#"What Is Love" – reloaded (radio edit) – 2:56
#"What Is Love" – reloaded (lunaris remix) – 6:21
Charts
Weekly charts
Original version
"What Is Love" – Remix
"What Is Love" – Reloaded
Other reissues
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
Certifications and sales
Release history
Cover versions and sampling
*In 2007, the song was covered by indie band
The Gossip
Gossip (or The Gossip) was an American indie rock band formed in Searcy, Arkansas, originally active from 1999 until 2016. For most of their career, the band consisted of singer Beth Ditto, multi-instrumentalist Brace Paine, and drummer Hannah ...
, with lead singer
Beth Ditto
Mary Beth Patterson (born February 19, 1981), known by her stage name Beth Ditto, is an American singer and songwriter most notable for her work with the indie rock band Gossip. Her voice has been compared to Etta James, Janis Joplin and Tin ...
changing the lyrics to "When Is Lunch?, Baby I'm Hungry, I'm Hungry, For More".
*In 2009, singer and songwriter
Diane Birch
Diane Birch (born January 24, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter.
Early life
Birch was born in Michigan. At the age of seven she began studying piano using the Suzuki method. While growing up she listened to opera, classical and church musi ...
completely rearranged the song, that later was featured on ''Billboard'' magazine's Mashup Monday in 2010.
*In 2010, Swedish
boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform Love song, love songs marketed towards girls and young ...
E.M.D.
E.M.D. was a Swedish boyband consisting of Erik Segerstedt, Mattias Andréasson and Danny Saucedo. All three members had participated on the Swedish version of ''Idol'', with Erik as a finalist and Danny at 6th place on Idol 2006. Mattias was el ...
released a piano ballad version of "What Is Love" as the second single from their sophomore
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
''
Rewind''.
*In 2010, American rappers
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
and
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman (rapper), ...
sampled the song for the single "
No Love
"No Love" is a song by American rapper Eminem, featuring fellow American rapper Lil Wayne, from Eminem's seventh studio album '' Recovery'' (2010). It was released as the third official single from the album. It impacted radio on October 5 ...
" from Eminem's seventh studio album, ''
Recovery
Recovery or Recover may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Books
* ''Recovery'' (novel), a Star Wars e-book
* Recovery Version, a translation of the Bible with footnotes published by Living Stream Ministry
Film and television
* ''Recovery'' (fil ...
''.
*In 2014, Canadian singer
Kiesza
Kiesa Rae Ellestad (born January 16, 1989), known professionally as Kiesza ( ), is a Canadian singer and multi-instrumentalist from Calgary.
In 2017, she was involved in a car accident in Toronto, suffering severe injuries that required her to ...
did a "piano-and-synth cover" of the song.
*In 2016, Belgian DJ
Lost Frequencies
Felix De Laet (born 30 November 1993), known by his stage name Lost Frequencies, is a Belgian DJ and record producer. He is best known for his singles "Are You with Me" in 2014, "Reality" in 2015, and " Where Are You Now" with Calum Scott in ...
did his own cover.
Klaas version
In 2009, German DJ
Klaas
Klaas is a Dutch male given and surname. It is the Dutch short form of Nicholas, a Greek name ultimately meaning ''victory of the people''. A traditionally common name in the Netherlands, its popularity declined some 20-fold since 1950. remixed the song under the title "Klaas meets Haddaway – What Is Love 2K9". This remix charted in several European countries.
Lost Frequencies version
In 2016, Belgian DJ
Lost Frequencies
Felix De Laet (born 30 November 1993), known by his stage name Lost Frequencies, is a Belgian DJ and record producer. He is best known for his singles "Are You with Me" in 2014, "Reality" in 2015, and " Where Are You Now" with Calum Scott in ...
released a cover titled "What Is Love 2016", as a single from his debut album ''
Less Is More''. It was actually already produced back in 2014 as a remix for Jaymes Young's cover version of "What is Love". This version was remade for the album and became a hit on a number of European singles charts and topped the Belgian
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium. Ultratop is a non-profit organization, created on the initiative of the Belgian Entertainment Association (BEA), the Belgian member organization ...
Official Singles Chart.
Music video
An official music video was released directed by Soulvizion. It features the Dutch professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player
Don Rigters who plays the role of David Rose, a basketball player who is severely injured trying to make a comeback to the game with encouragement from his girlfriend, (played by Melissa Kanza), his three teammates, (Alkenah Wansing, Jeroen Jansen and Lindy Chippendel) and by his basketball coach (played by J E Rigters).
Track listing
*Armada / Mostiko, 7 October 2016
#"What Is Love 2016" – 2:52
*Armada / Mostiko, 28 October 2016
#What Is Love 2016" (
Regi & Lester Williams Remix) – 4:21
*Lost & Cie / Armada, 11 November 2016
#"What Is Love 2016" (Regi & Lester Williams Remix) – 3:08
#"What Is Love 2016" (Regi & Lester Williams Extended Remix) – 4:10
*Armada / Mostiko, 6 January 2017
#"What Is Love 2016" (
Mike Mago
Michiel Thomassen, stage name Mike Mago, is a Dutch DJ, music producer and record label owner.
Biography
In 2010, Mago founded independent dance label BMKLTSCH RCRDS in his hometown of Utrecht, releasing EPs from electronic artists such as Mason.
...
Remix) – 3:29
#"What Is Love 2016" (
Zonderling
Noisia (stylised as NOISIΛ; "VISION" turned upside down) was a Dutch electronic music trio consisting of members Nik Roos, Martijn van Sonderen and Thijs de Vlieger from Groningen, Netherlands. They produce a wide variety of music including ...
Remix) – 3:11
#"What Is Love 2016" (Galactic Marvl Remix) – 2:54
#"What Is Love 2016" (Rose Remix) – 3:08
#"What Is Love 2016" (Mike Mago Extended Remix) – 5:49
#"What Is Love 2016" (Zonderling Extended Remix) – 4:27
#"What Is Love 2016" (Rose Extended Remix) – 4:08
#"What Is Love 2016" (
Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike
Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike are a Belgian–Greek DJ duo composed of brothers Dimitri Thivaios and Michael Thivaios. They were ranked No. 1 on ''DJ Mag''s Top 100 DJs list in 2015 and 2019, and were ranked No. 2 in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020 ...
Remix) – 3:29
Charts
=Weekly charts
=
=Year-end charts
=
Certifications
See also
*
List of Dutch Top 40 number-one singles of 1993
These hits topped the Dutch Top 40 in 1993 (see 1993 in music).
See also
*1993 in music
{{Dutch Top 40
1993 in the Netherlands
1993 record charts
Lists of number-one songs in the Netherlands, 1993 ...
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List of number-one hits of 1993 (Austria)
This is a list of the Austrian Singles Chart number-one hits of 1993.
See also
*1993 in music
References
{{Reflist
1993 in Austria
1993 record charts
Lists of number-one songs in Austria ...
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List of number-one hits of 1993 (Italy)
This is a list of the number-one hits of 1993 on Italian Hit Parade Singles Chart.
References
{{FIMI
Lists of number-one songs in Italy, 1993
1993 in Italian music, One
1993 record charts ...
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List of number-one singles of 1993 (Finland)
This is the list of the number-one singles of the Finnish Singles Chart in 1993.
Chart history
References
{{Finnish Singles Charts
Number-one singles
Finland
1993
File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is s ...
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List of number-one singles of 1993 (France)
This is a list of the French SNEP Top 100 Singles number-ones of 1993.
Summary
Singles Chart
See also
*1993 in music
* List of number-one hits (France)
*List of artists who reached number one on the French Singles Chart
List inclus ...
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List of number-one singles of 1993 (Spain)
This is a list of the Spanish PROMUSICAE Top 20 Singles number-ones of 1993.
Chart history
See also
*1993 in music
*List of number-one hits (Spain)
References
{{Spanish number-one hits
1993
File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwis ...
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List of number-one singles of the 1990s (Switzerland)
This is a list of singles that reached number one on the Swiss Hitparade during the 1990s by week each reached the top of the chart.
Number-one singles
See also
* 1990s in music
References
{{SwissNumber1s
Number-one singles
Switzerland
...
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VG-lista 1964 to 1994
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VRT Top 30 number-one hits of 1993 These hits topped the Ultratop 50 in the Flemish region of Belgium in 1993.
References
See also
*1993 in music
{{Ultratop 50 (Flemish)
1993 in Belgium
1993 record charts
1993
File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I ...
References
External links
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{{Authority control
1993 debut singles
1993 songs
2009 singles
2016 singles
Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles
Haddaway songs
Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
Kiesza songs
Lost Frequencies songs
Number-one singles in Austria
Number-one singles in Denmark
Number-one singles in Finland
SNEP Top Singles number-one singles
Number-one singles in Italy
Number-one singles in Norway
Number-one singles in Portugal
Number-one singles in Spain
Number-one singles in Switzerland
Number-one singles in Zimbabwe
Songs written by Tony Hendrik
Ultratop 50 Singles (Flanders) number-one singles
Music videos directed by Volker Hannwacker
Armada Music singles
Arista Records singles