Haddaway, What Is Love | 1 Hit WONDERful

In the 15th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2025), we highlight “What Is Love” performed by Haddaway. 

It only takes ONE hit to solidify a musical legacy 💯! On 1 Hit WONDERful, we highlight songs that were the SOLE hit by a given musician.  It is possible that the artists appearing on this list earned a minor hit or two, BUT for the most part, that ONE hit earned them recognition. So, in the 15^th edition of 1 Hit WONDERful (2025), we dive into “What Is Love”, the one-hit wonder by Haddaway.

“What is love? / Oh, baby, don’t hurt me / Don’t hurt me, no more.” Iconic. Trinidad-born, German-bred singer Haddaway (Nestor Alexander Haddaway) dropped a dance bop for the ages with “What Is Love”.  The most memorable section is excerpted above: the timeless chorus! The lyrics aren’t deep, but they are relatable to the nth degree. “What Is Love” is the opener from The Album (titled Haddaway elsewhere), released in 1993. Dee Dee Halligan (Tony Hendrik) and Junior Torello (Karin Hartmann) wrote and produced this enduring ‘90s bop, which reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was certified gold by the RIAA.  But this was Haddaway’s only top 40 hit in the United States.  To be fair, “Life”, his only other single to chart on the pop charts, just missed the top 40.

The chorus is the crème de la crème of “What is Love.” Undoubtedly, it is the section to beat – the part everyone remembers! But, there are plenty of reasons beyond the chorus why this song is the sugar honey iced tea.  Halligan and Torello put in work behind the boards.  The production is colorful, catching the ears from the onset with its slick, driving synths. The beat is sick, the perfect catalyst for the dance floor. Haddaway brings ample energy with his vocals.  He possesses a lovely instrument that was tailor-made for this song. Not only is the melody tuneful during the chorus, but it shines in the verses, too. “No, I don’t know why you’re not there / I give you my love, but you don’t care,” he sings in the first verse, continuing,  “So, what is right and what is wrong? / Give me a sign.” The second verse is penned simply as well, finding Haddaway hurt. Oh, the plight of love, particularly unrequited love! Haddaway is the star, but shout out Lisa Noya for her stellar vocal ad-libs.  Those runs are sweet! More than three decades later, “What Is Love” by Haddaway still slaps.  It has been sampled many times, including by Eminem (“No Love”) and David Guetta, Anne-Marie, and Coi Leray ( “Baby Don’t Hurt Me”). This is a dance bop for the ages.

Haddaway // The Album // BMG Rights Management GmbH // 1993

Haddaway, What Is Love: 1 Hit WONDERful No. 15 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; BMG Rights Management GmbH; Antoni Shkraba, KoolShooters, Pavel Danilyuk, Photo By: Kaboompics.com, RDNE Stock project from Pexels; AcatXIo, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]