As we all should know, the everchanging music scene didn’t always look the way it does today. What’s widely accepted and considered mainstream music today isn’t what used to be considered mainstream 15 years ago. With that said, today marks a significant milestone in the world of electronic dance music as we highlight a crucial part of music history by celebrating the 15th anniversary of David Guetta’s album ‘One Love’.
Around the late 2010’s, mainstream music was mainly dominated by a mix of pop, hip-hop and R&B, while the sounds of electronic music had only started to emerge. This was also the time when David Guetta decided to make somewhat of a controversial move, by releasing ‘One love’ on the August 24th 2009, which represented a fusion of house music and pop that back then rarely had been executed on such a grand scale.
Featuring collaborations with top-tier pop and R&B artists such, Akon, Kid Cudi and Estelle, contributed to the creation of a sound that was both innovative and accessible to a broader audience. The lead single ’When Love Takes Over’ featuring Kelly Rowland became a global hit that topped charts world wide and earned a Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical. Together with ’Sexy Bitch’ featuring Akon, and ‘Memories’ featuring Kid Cudi, these tracks became anthems of an era that are still celebrated until this very day.
Critically, ‘One Love’ received a range of different reviews where some raised its innovative fusion of dance beats with pop hooks, while others found it overly commercial and repetitive. A review by The Guardian stated that while the album was packed with ‘’upbeat electropop and electro- rap’’, much of it was ‘’too catchy for its own good’’. All Music on the other hand, praised the albums crossover appeal, noting that ‘One Love’ successfully blended EDM with mainstream pop elements, making it accessible to a wider audience.
The success of ‘One Love’ that sold over 3 million copies worldwide and received numerous platinum certifications, did however speak for itself and wasn’t only impressive in terms of its chart performance but also in terms of the significant impact it made on the music industry. It paved the way for the global EDM boom that during the following decade was characterized by artists who blended electronic beats with mainstream pop.
Fifteen years later, ‘One Love’ remains a landmark album in EDM’s evolution, showcasing David Guetta’s vision and talent as a producer, and solidifying his position as one of the key figures in modern music. The tracks from the album continue being beloved, played and remixed, reflecting its enduring legacy and influence on the genre. The fact that David Guetta himself was crowned the World’s #1 DJ in 2023 (for the second year in a row) by the DJ Mag, also speaks volumes about his enduring talent, versatility and influence in the global music scene.
The music industry is dynamic, everchanging and constantly evolving as new technologies, cultural influences and audience preferences change. This change is often met with skepticism and resistance from segments of the audience that may prefer the familiarity of established sounds over new and experimental directions. This evolution is however crucial for the vitality and longevity of music as an art form and industry, which is something that David Guetta clearly already understood when releasing ‘One Love’ in 2009.
On that note, let’s celebrate ‘One Love’, David Guetta and his courage to be different in the name of growth and change, by listening to the full album below. Just don’t be surprised if you end up feeling like dropping whatever it is that you’re doing in the process and getting the urge to go clubbing all night instead – these definitely have a way of making you want to dance!
