What Is Love? (Clean Bandit album)

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What Is Love?
File:CleanBanditWhatIsLove.png
Studio album by Clean Bandit
Released November 30, 2018 (2018-11-30)
Recorded 2016–2018[1]
Genre
Length 42:54
Label Atlantic
Producer
Clean Bandit chronology
New Eyes
(2014)		 What Is Love?
(2018)
Singles from What Is Love? (Clean Bandit album)

What Is Love? is the second studio album by British electronic music group Clean Bandit. It was released on 30 November 2018 by Atlantic Records.[3] It includes the singles "Tears" (featuring Louisa Johnson), "Rockabye" (featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie), "Symphony" (featuring Zara Larsson), "I Miss You" (featuring Julia Michaels), "Solo" (featuring Demi Lovato), "Baby" (featuring Marina and Luis Fonsi) and "Mama" (featuring Ellie Goulding).[3] In addition, the album also features collaborations with Rita Ora, Charli XCX and Tove Styrke.[4]

Background

Speaking about the gap between albums, bassist and saxophone player Jack Patterson told Fault magazine in late 2017: "It just takes us so much longer to create each piece of music. But our second one is nearly done – hopefully early next year." Cellist and vocalist Grace Chatto also explained that the album would be "more serious" as well as more "dancey" than 2014's New Eyes, saying: "I think the first album was a lot more light-hearted. While our second album, with the lyrics anyway, are more serious. Some of them are about breaking up, like 'I Miss You' and 'Tears', which are both on the album."[5]

Chatto also explained that the group had written a song for Harry Styles, and during the recording sessions, also worked with Rhodes, Elton John and Gallant.[6] Jack later told The Guardian that the collaboration with John did not make the album because the band "realised there was a sound developing in a certain part of the Venn diagram of the album and we wanted to push that. It was kind of this tropical, plastic-y, mournful sound, whereas his songs were more from the Rather Be world."[7] A track was also recorded featuring Chatto's "childhood idol" Gwen Stefani but it "fell through", which Chatto called "devastating".[7]

The album was part-recorded at The Crypt Studio, London.

Promotion

In September 2018, the group revealed through their social media accounts that they had been working with Rita Ora, and that recording for the album was finished.[8] Several days later, they announced the title, track listing and artwork, as well as a statement on the themes: "The album looks at many different kinds and stages of love. We've been making it over three years, during which time we've all experienced love in our lives in different ways [...] brotherly love; family love; romantic love; crazy all-consuming love; the pain of love turning into something different or dishonest; and, of course, in Rockabye, unconditional motherly love."[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 66/100[9]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 4/5 stars[10]
The Guardian 2/5 stars[11]
The Independent 2/5 stars[2]

Since release, What Is Love? has received generally positive reviews from music critics. According to review aggregation site Metacritic, the album has received an average score of 66/100 based on four reviews.[9] Neil Z. Yeung reviewing for AllMusic gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, saying it was "worth the long wait" and that it took "the promise of Rather Be and [topped] it many times over."[10]

Mark Beaumont of The Independent called What Is Love? "another album of formulaic EDM pop and Latino R&B dance floor grinders," while praising "Baby" as the record's stand-out track.[2]

Track listing

Standard edition
No. Title Producer(s) Length
1. "Symphony" (featuring Zara Larsson)
3:32
2. "Baby" (featuring Marina and Luis Fonsi)
3:25
3. "Solo" (featuring Demi Lovato)
  • Patterson
  • Chatto
  • Ralph
  • FRED
 3:43
4. "Rockabye" (featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie)
4:10
5. "Mama" (featuring Ellie Goulding)
  • Patterson
  • Chatto
  • Ralph
 3:09
6. "Should've Known Better" (featuring Anne-Marie)
  • Patterson
  • Chatto
  • Ralph
  • Romans
 3:35
7. "Out at Night" (featuring Kyle and Big Boi)
  • Patterson
  • Chatto
  • Ralph
 3:54
8. "Last Goodbye" (featuring Tove Styrke and Stefflon Don)
  • Patterson
  • Chatto
  • Ralph
  • Ilya
 3:19
9. "We Were Just Kids" (featuring Craig David and Kirsten Joy)
  • Patterson
  • Chatto
  • Ralph
 3:29
10. "Nowhere" (featuring Rita Ora and Kyle)
3:46
11. "I Miss You" (featuring Julia Michaels)
  • Patterson
  • Chatto
  • Ralph
 3:25
12. "In Us I Believe" (featuring Alma)
  • Patterson
  • Chatto
  • Ralph
 3:27
Total length:
 42:54
Deluxe edition bonus tracks[1]
No. Title Producer(s) Length
13. "24 Hours" (featuring Yasmin Green)
3:02
14. "Playboy Style" (featuring Charli XCX and Bhad Bhabie)
3:40
15. "Beautiful" (featuring Davido and Love Ssega)
  • Patterson
  • Chatto
  • Ralph
 3:44
16. "Tears" (featuring Louisa Johnson)
  • Patterson
  • Ralph
 3:45
Total length:
 57:05

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of What Is Love?.[12]

<templatestyles src="Div col/styles.css"/>

  • Jack Patterson – producer, mixing, piano, synths, vocals engineer, MIDI guitar, keyboards, trumpet, guitar synth, bass synth, flute, baritone saxophone, accordion, programming, electronic wind instrument
  • Mark Ralph – producer, mixing, rhythm acoustic guitar, guitar, programming
  • Grace Chatto – producer, cello, bass, synths, backing vocals, mixing, grand marimba
  • Drew Smith – engineer
  • Tom AD Fuller – engineer
  • Zara Larsson – vocals
  • Luke Patterson – percussion, drums, additional drum programming
  • Kirsten Joy – backing vocals, vocals
  • James Boyd – viola
  • Stephanie Benedetti – violin
  • Beatrice Philips – violin
  • Liam Nolan – strings engineer
  • Ray Charles Brown Jr – engineer, vocals engineer
  • Greg Eliason – assistant engineer, assistant vocals engineer
  • Ross Fortune – engineer
  • Marina – vocals
  • Luis Fonsi – vocals
  • Mike Horner – vocals engineer, strings engineer
  • Alex Robinson – assistant vocal engineer
  • Nakajin – acoustic guitar
  • FRED – producer, keys, synths, drum programming
  • Demi Lovato – vocals
  • Mitch Allan – vocals engineer
  • Camille Purcell – backing vocals
  • Steve Mac – producer, keyboards
  • Sean Paul – vocals
  • Anne-Marie – vocals
  • Caroline Ailin – backing vocals
  • Kelly Barnes – additional vocals
  • Chris Laws – vocals engineer
  • Dann Pursey – vocals engineer
  • Hal Ritson – vocals engineer
  • Braimah Kanneh-Mason – violin
  • Anthony Leung – strings engineer
  • Ellie Goulding – vocals
  • Jason Elliott – vocals engineer
  • Mark Knight – assistant vocals engineer
  • Yasmin Green – backing vocals, vocals
  • Romans – vocal production, backing vocals
  • Sam Skirrow – fretless bass
  • Kyle – vocals
  • Big Boi – vocals
  • Keith Gretlein – vocals engineer, engineer
  • Collin Kadlec – assistant vocals engineer
  • Renegade El Rey – vocals engineer
  • John Ryan – backing vocals, guitar, producer, programming
  • ILYA – producer, drums, keys, guitar
  • Tove Styrke – vocals
  • Stefflon Don – vocals
  • Simon Nordberg – vocals engineer
  • Rymez – vocals engineer
  • Bradley Giroux – assistant engineer
  • Craig David – vocals
  • Lotus IV – producer, keys, shire flute
  • Rita Ora – vocals
  • David Simpson – assistant vocals engineer
  • Julia Michaels – vocals
  • Rob Cohen – vocals engineer
  • Alma – vocals
  • Kalle Keskikuru – vocals engineer
  • LaDonna Harley-Peters – backing vocals
  • Sharlene Hector – backing vocals
  • Vula Malinga – backing vocals
  • MNEK – backing vocals
  • Julian Bunetta – producer, drum programming, programming
  • Jeff Gunnell – engineer
  • The Invisible Men – producer
  • Salt Wives – producer
  • Charli XCX – vocals
  • Bhad Bhabie – vocals
  • John Costello – assistant vocals engineer
  • Jon Shave – vocals engineer, keyboards, programming
  • Josh Collins – vocals engineer
  • George Astasio – keyboards, programming
  • Alex Oriet – keyboards, programming
  • Jason Pebworth – keyboards, programming
  • David Phelan – keyboards, programming
  • Davido – vocals
  • Love Ssega – vocals
  • Guy Kastav – vocals engineer
  • Liam Mugwanya – vocals engineer
  • Adam Stokes – assistant strings engineer
  • Maxwell Cook – additional strings arrangement
  • Louisa Johnson – vocals
  • AWA – backing vocals
  • Neil Amin-Smith – violin
  • Stuart Hawkes – mastering

Charts

Chart (2018–19) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] 48
Australian Dance Albums (ARIA)[14] 3
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[15] 56
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[16] 131
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[17] 50
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[18] 47
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[19] 9
French Albums (SNEP)[20] 141
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[21] 9
Irish Albums (IRMA)[22] 24
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[23] 29
Latvian Albums (LAIPA)[24] 19
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[25] 33
Scottish Albums (OCC)[26] 17
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[27] 77
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[28] 58
UK Albums (OCC)[29] 9
US Billboard 200[30] 141
US Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[31] 1

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
Canada (Music Canada)[32] Platinum 80,000
Netherlands (NVPI)[33] Platinum 50,000
Poland (ZPAV)[34] 2× Platinum 40,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[35] Gold 100,000
United States (RIAA)[36] Gold 500,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales/streaming figures based on certification alone

Release history

Region Date Format Label Edition
Various 30 November 2018
Atlantic
  • Standard
  • deluxe

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Clean Bandit – What Is Love?". Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Clean Bandit – What Is Love?" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  16. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Clean Bandit – What Is Love?" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  17. ↑ "Clean Bandit – Chart history" Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for Clean Bandit. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  18. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Clean Bandit – What Is Love?" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  19. ↑ "Clean Bandit: What Is Love%3F (Deluxe)" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  20. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Clean Bandit – What Is Love?". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  21. ↑ "Top 40 album DVD és válogatáslemez-lista – 2018. 49. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  22. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Clean Bandit – {{{album}}}". Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  23. ↑ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2018-12-10" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Clean Bandit – What Is Love?". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  26. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  27. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Clean Bandit – What Is Love?". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  28. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Clean Bandit – What Is Love?". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  29. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  30. ↑ "Clean Bandit – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Clean Bandit. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  31. ↑ "Clean Bandit – Chart history" Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums for Clean Bandit. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter What Is Love? in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
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