Release of the Week 6/12: Armin van Buuren “Unlove You” ft. Ne-Yo
International powerhouse and recent Festival X headliner Armin van Buuren has released another huge track as he tours the globe. As one of the world’s most highly praised DJs, Armin was an innovator and pioneer of the trance genre. However, becoming the top DJ in the world has forced van Buuren out of his comfort zone and into new territory. His latest single, “Unlove You” ft. Ne-Yo, is yet another example of this. The track takes Armin’s heavy, trance production style and adds some pop elements to make it accessible and radio-friendly.
Right from the opening piano melody, Armin makes it clear that this short but sweet song is a pop hit. His heavy techno rolling basslines are replaced with Ne-Yo’s bright, digitized vocals and the dark melodic drones are replaced with energetic trumpets and keys. Many of the elements are highly conventional to the pop genre. This includes the basic love story lyrics, simple verse to chorus structure and Ne-Yo’s emotional performance. While these elements could bleed into obscurity as just another pop song, it is Armin’s versatility as a producer that allows the track to stand on its own. From the tight kick and snare drum, that provides a slick beat, to the reverb and echo synth effects, which bounce bass notes between left and right channels, van Buuren makes this pop song distinctly his own. While uncharacteristically emotional, soft and slow, relative to his heavy trance live sets, this short radio-play track still carries the iconic Armin van Buuren sound. Special note of Drop G’s remix must be made. It is still a fun pop song, but the changes to Ne-Yo’s vocal line and some deeper low ends make the track feel more dubby and less commercial.
This track is not a good indication of Armin van Buuren’s style, but it is a good indication of his quality. As an accessible pop hit, “Unlove You” ft. Ne-Yo is both a great introduction to one of the world’s finest DJs and a fun, easy-to-listen-to song.
