Although it took four years for
Clean Bandit to issue a sophomore follow-up to their breakthrough debut, they'd slowly been building up to
What Is Love? with a series of chart-topping singles that all found their way onto this set. Joined by an impressive roster of high-profile guests from the worlds of pop and hip-hop, the trio took big steps away from the underground-house-meets-classical-crossover sound of their early work and leaned into crowd-pleasing, island-inspired grooves designed for the dancefloor. Like a modern-day
Ace of Base,
Clean Bandit borrow those reggaeton and dancehall flavors, weaving in their signature cello and violin for emotional sweep, and slapping heavy percussion into the mix for good measure. Front-loaded with the hits,
What Is Love? starts as strong as they come, propelling through the joyful "Symphony" with
Zara Larsson; the throbbing "Baby" with
Marina and the Diamonds and
Luis Fonsi;
Demi Lovato's empowering "Solo," and the urgent ode to a single mother's love, "Rockabye," with
Sean Paul and
Anne-Marie. Additional highlights include
Ellie Goulding's "Rockabye" extension, "Mama"; "Last Goodbye" with
Tove Styrke and
Stefflon Don; the touching "We Were Just Kids" with
Craig David and Kirsten Joy, and "Nowhere" with
Rita Ora and KYLE. While the energy tapers off on the second half of the album, these midtempo jams are as addictive as the euphoric singles, providing contemplative balance and additional opportunities to showcase each inspired collaboration.
What Is Love? was worth the long wait, taking the promise of "Rather Be" and topping it many times over. ~ Neil Z. Yeung