“When Love Takes Over” by David Guetta ft. Kelly Rowland

Most days, this song is my pick for the greatest electronic track ever recorded.

It's the end of the week, and I want to send everyone off into the weekend with the best vibes possible. That’s why the Daily Music Picks newsletter features a weekly segment called Fun Song Fridays! Regardless of era, genre, or style, the criterion is simple: it must deliver the joy and excitement we all need in our lives.

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Hello! 😊👋

Welcome to a new edition of the Best Music of All Time newsletter!

Today’s music pick is, most days, my favorite EDM track of all time. It’s that simple.

Genre: Electronic, House

Label: Virgin

Release Date: April 21, 2009

Vibe: 💯

It starts with that piano riff.

Rising and resetting, rising and resetting. Gently. Effortlessly. Like you’re levitating or in the middle of Superman and Lois Lane’s ascension into the clouds over Metropolis. Then, if those first few seconds open intrigue’s door enough of a crack for you to peek inside, Kelly Rowland’s vocals kick the door all the way in and roar into the mix. “It's complicated, it always is. That's just the way it goes.” Two sentences out of her mouth, and you’re locked in. She couldn’t be talking about anything else that humankind’s most sought-after high, the kind you can’t buy, drink, or ingest in any other fashion. It’s love, baby. As Rowland says later: “I wouldn't stop it if I could.” I get you, girl. I know the feeling. We all do.

Released in 2009, this hit single was a major turning point for two of the 21st century’s most consequential music careers. Let’s start with David Guetta. Before this song topped charts worldwide, he was only starting to make a name for himself outside of France. “Love is Gone” charted on the Hot 100 but didn’t do crazy numbers in North America. Two years later, “When Love Takes Over” would be well on its way to selling 5.5 million copies globally and kickstarted Guetta’s trajectory to becoming one of the most beloved DJ/producers on the planet. For Kelly Rowland, the single inspired her to pursue more dance-leaning production, a decision she parlayed into plenty of commercial success, particularly in the UK. Perhaps most importantly, it shaped EDM’s sound (and financial viability) for a decade. There’s a before-after picture that wouldn’t exist without this track.

Then there’s how irrevocably it changed my musical interests and tastes. When this came out, I was smack in the middle of its target audience: twentysomethings in full-on “eat, sleep, rave, repeat” mode. Well, as much of that as my liver and wallet could handle back then, anyway. However, to that point in my life, despite slowly growing my profile as a DJ (and I do mean slowly—at that time, I was mostly making mixed CDs for friends and, deep down, terrified of actually playing out in public), I wasn’t as into big, broad electronic music. Hip-hop and R&B, yes. Rock and punk, check and check. More disco-flavored house music, you bet. But I wasn’t an EDM fan before “When Love Takes Over.” But, with that first listen, everything changed. I can’t explain it any other way other than to say it took me to a different place. Another universe where you felt like anything was possible.

Now, Guetta and the scene he created are memes. Maybe they’re a bit passe. Back in that moment, it felt like the world was changing right there in my headphones.

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