What Is Love

The harmony of 'What Is Love' is deceptively simple yet masterfully effective. Built on just three to four chords cycling in D minor, it employs the quintessential Eurodance progression (i-VI-VII) that defined the genre. The key harmonic moment is the introduction of A major as a true dominant in the chorus, borrowing from D harmonic minor to create the leading tone that propels the music forward with urgency. The relentless repetition of this progression serves the song's purpose: the unanswered question of 'What is love?' finds its musical analog in a harmonic loop that never fully resolves, always returning to seek the answer.

The song was written by German music producer and composer Dee Dee Halligan (born Dieter Lünstedt, also known as Tony Hendrik) and his partner and wife Karin Hartmann-Eisenblätter (also known as Junior Torello / Karin van Haaren). The duo had previously produced hits for groups like Bad Boys Blue and Londonbeat, and were looking for the right vocalist for their new composition. Trinidadian-born Nestor Alexander Haddaway, who had been working as a producer, dancer, and choreographer, was chosen to perform it. Haddaway later recalled the creative process was swift, telling The National: 'The song came really fast. I had the idea for the melodies in about 45 minutes and the total structure of the song was done in a day and a half.' However, he also told Melody Maker in 1994 that the song was originally conceived as a ballad and took shape over a year in a basement studio: 'In the beginning it was like five different pies, then those five pies became one pie.'

Released in January 1993 by Trinidadian-born singer Haddaway, 'What Is Love' became a global phenomenon, reaching number one in 13 countries and defining the Eurodance sound of the early 90s. Its pulsating synth riff and passionate vocal delivery transcended the dancefloor to become a permanent fixture of pop culture, immortalized by the 'Night at the Roxbury' sketch on Saturday Night Live.