Two years after releasing an easily digestible trance-lite artist record, Pop Life, David Guetta returns with One Love – easily the best record of his career and one of the best dance records of 2009.
From the first piano cracks mirroring “Clocks” from Coldplay, the energy mounts until Kelly Rowland harks in and belts out her best performance (as a solo artist or one third of Destiny’s Child) on the sizzling summer smash “When Love Takes Over”.
Every summer one song defines the hot months. This track not only defines the dance scene of summer 2009, it secures a place among club classics destined to flourish in club life for years to come.
When Love Takes Over There’s No Sound of Letting Go
Guetta follows up this masterpiece with “Getting Over” featuring gospel singer Chris Willis on vocal, his first of two appearances – he shows up again at the end of the record on the buzzing “Sound of Letting Go”. No stranger Guetta collaborations, Willis’s distinct vocals feature prominently on Pop Life as well as some of Guetta’s biggest hits to date.
Getting Over” mirrors another Guetta/ Willis collaboration “Love is Gone” featuring an instantly recognizable opening keyboard pounce before veering off in a Middle Eastern- on-acid direction. On an album where every second track features a guest star, this track easily stands out as one of the album’s highlights. Guaranteed floor filler, it puts the trip back into trance.
While on paper the teaming of Guetta with rap flavor du jour Akon sounds like another example of a dance artist trying to gain grounds with the Hip Hop crowd, the club-ready “Sexy Chick” finds Akon tackling the genre with pastiche. With the exception of the Black Eyed Peas’s Guetta-produced “I Gotta Feeling” (also featured on One Love), “Sexy Chick” has finally vaulted David Guetta into American top 40.
David Guetta teams with Kid Cudi, Ne-Yo and Estelle
Culling another Hip Hop guest spot, Kid Cudi lends his chops to “Memories”. Unlike his sleepwalking solo effort Man on the Moon, Kid Cudi sounds alive and poised on the dancefloor, even if he continues to work out his issues throughout.
Novel drops by the dancefloor to weep over a lost lover on “Missing You”. Using the now familiar trance formula that begins with a tough lyric then spins in the air before crashing into a hard floor banger, there’s nothing original here, but as far as formula goes, this one keeps the album’s momentum flowing.
Returning for a second spin, Kelly Rowland belts out “It’s The Way You Love Me” mid record followed by the mesmerizing tribal “Choose” (featuring Ne-Yo). While Rowland may have made her name in R&B and Pop, the fusion of her voice with Guetta’s keyboard tinkling strikes gold every time – time for a career change Kelly, your disco needs you.
One Love
After 10 floor blasting tracks, One Love’s title track brings the notch down slightly. Featuring Estelle on lead vocals, this truly inspired (should be number one) song showcases the singer’s throaty vocals over a reggae-meets-trance vibe. This is dance music with soul and though hinged on the end of the album, one of the package’s stand out tracks.
Will.i.am makes two appearances on One Love, first as part of the Black Eyed Peas on the Guetta-produced “ I Gotta Feeling ” and again on “I Wanna Go Crazy”. The Peas may have bombed the competition out of the water with their summer smash, but on his own, will.i.am just bombs – “I Wanna Go Crazy” must have been some crazy favor Guetta did for the Peas’ frontman as this track in no way hold it’s own with the rest of the album.
Closing the album, “If We Ever” featuring Makeba takes the Guetta sound as close to balladry as this Frenchman has ever dared. A great finale that steers clear of the sap.
David Guetta took chances hooking up with the Hip Hop world. This could have been a disaster of Timberland heights – instead One Love is by far the best trance/dance/pop record to emerge in a very long time. It’s without any doubt one of the best dance albums of 2009.
David Guetta – One Love is available now.
James W. Coates - A nomad at heart, James W. Coates has been combining his passion for music, writing and traveling ever since his father packed the family ...
