David Guetta ft. Kelly Rowland - 'When Love Takes Over'
When it comes to making new songs, working to a formula can be a dangerous thing. On the one hand, you've got all the benefits of decades of musical wisdom, each lesson hard-won in front of a discerning audience, so you KNOW what's going to work and what won't. On the other, if your song sounds exactly like nine other new songs which are all vying for attention at the same time, you're going to struggle to get anywhere.
The trick is to only use the very best ideas, and to coat them in so much fairy-dust that they shine as if freshly minted at the very moment you first hear them. This will make people think you're a production genius.
(Here's the video. WHAT is floating in the sea at 1:56?)
In the case of this song, the genius ingredients include a thinly-reworked go at the piano riff to 'Clocks' by Coldplay, handclaps - and regular ChartBloggerers should know how we feel about THOSE, right? - and best of all, a proper 'Ray Of Light' style hands-in-the-air pop song, courtesy of Ms Rowland's golden throat.
And the fairy dust is...well...it's your standard dance-pop production, actually. A nice bed of synthistrings, a skippy beat, a breakdown, some riffing glassy electronics and a dramatic, cinematic bottom end drone. All done very tastefully to make sure the good bits are not spoiled.
Meanwhile, Kelly sounds entirely unlike herself, so that even SHE is all buffed up and shiny. She's got a spiralling, sky-scraping melody to sing too, which helps a lot, and did I mention those handclaps? OK, they're a bit weedy and sampled, but always good to have around.
All it needs is something which breaks the formula into tiny fragments out of sheer insanity, and who knows, this could even be perfect.
Download: Out now
CD Released: June 15th
www.davidguetta.com
BBC Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
Generation-HipHop says: "Kelly really shines on this record. I love her vocals, very strong and powerful."
Popjustice says: "'When Love Takes Over' is never not amazing."
MuuMuse says: "My only criticism would be not enough screen time for that ridiculously fierce dress on K. Rowland."
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~13~RS~)
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
spot on review.
Complain about this comment
Heard this a few months ago in a club and instantly knew itd be great. This, Bonkers and Raindrops = the stand out dance tracks this few months I think.
Complain about this comment
Well actually pushing it to call Raindrops a dance track..
Complain about this comment
Inadvertent ChartBlog-born random band/album name number 4:
Golden Throat.
Complain about this comment
Video from the link has been withdrawn. search 4 David Guetta ft. Kelly Rowland and you'll find it. OK, tune not like, OMG! special.
Complain about this comment
When love takes over....
Liam you were, and are absolutely right....... this will be a massive Summer hit for 2009 !
Radio 1 have had it playlisted for at least 6 weeks before release.... that is always a big, sign of a potential hit.
Top 10 for sure..
Complain about this comment
Oh, Liam... I am sure you already know... but the new Arctic Monkey's album will be called.....
Humbug..
Complain about this comment
Oh and Liam ... another bit of news that may interest you... but you won't appreciate me tellin you....
Poker Face by Lady Gaga is now officially the biggest selling single so far of 2009.....outselling the previous best...
Just Dance by Lady Gaga !
And come on we all just know Paparazzi is heading for the top 5 as well...
lol
Complain about this comment
Cant wait. Im off travelling for a month soon, so hopefully Ill miss the buzz of Paparazzi.
I quite like Just Dance for the recorcd. Especially some of the remixes that were out there. I just thing Gaga is an annoying bint and PokerFace was an awful track.
Complain about this comment
Well I have been a Gaga supporter from the start, I could see the appeal , the quality of the songs, the dedication and the hard work ethic, the mystery and the vision.... on sayin that however... I can understand many people not gettin it... that's music of course.....
Anyway.... where are you travellin and will you be stayin in touch with your chart blog family ?
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS