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Joshua Beckmann

Slye

ENG 1201 English Composition II

20 February 2022

Love is Unreciprocated

What is love? This question is answered variably by those who have intimately loved

and/or been loved. Furthermore, this question can be answered through the lens of artistic song.

Both versions of the song, "What Is Love" by Haddaway and Jaymes Young use pathos to posit

that love is not always reciprocated back; however, Haddaway does it in a quick rhythm through

the lens of seduction and visible settings, props, and attire while Young uses a standstill picture

of the album cover and includes a slower rhythm that perpetuates a deeper conviction that

appeases a smaller, less seductive, and more personally wounded audience. 

The lead single of the album, The Album,  is the song, "What is Love" by Haddaway.

Released in 1993, the song portrays Haddaway having love for a woman, but she will not love

him the same way back. The music video itself expresses this through the artistic creativity of the

singer as well as the subtle nuances of the early 90's that included seduction, developing CGI,

and quick camera shots.

The music video, “What Is Love” by Jaymes Young was released in 2018 and has the

same lyrics as the original music performed by Haddaway. This song similarly posits that love is

not always reciprocated, but the song is not seductive as Haddaways’s is. Young asserts this

through his unique artistic approach. His style of artistry includes not having an official
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published music video. There are no props, attire, extra characters, and setting. This makes his

song more open to interpretation yet boiled down to a more specific audience.

The main character of the 1993 version includes Haddaway as he portrays himself as

having the dual identity of a gentleman who loves a woman through his formal attire as well as a

transformed hardcore go-getter through his shirtless vest and jeans. Haddaway seductively

expresses how he loves a woman, but that love is not reciprocated back. We see a few female

back-up dancers who contribute to the seduction of the video. We also see a long-haired brunette

woman who wears a black exterior and red interior cape and black, netted, skin-tight clothing.

Her attire reflects the seduction demonstrated in the video as well as for the theme of the song.

After Haddaway gets bitten by this woman, he is electrified into his second identity. This

demonstrates that love can transform one’s appearance as well as demeanor.

Presumably, Jaymes Young is the main character of his remake as he posits his head as

the cover of his own piece. This leaves the viewer with a clearer interpretation of who is

negatively affected by love in the song; it is clearly Jaymes Young himself. Because the photo

shows his head as his only visible body part, there can be varied room for interpretation on his

attire, but the attire is not the artist’s focus point as Haddaway’s is.

The setting in Haddaway’s version is situated in a large, gothic home that gives the

ambiance of a darkened and seductive theme. We see rooms that are barely lit which are

enclosed by walls with designs spanning from lit fireplaces, red curtains, and white trim. The

props include Roman sculptures of women as well as lit candles in darkened hallways.

Contrarily, Young does not have a setting for his song. He uses lighting and shadowing

of the cover picture to portray and present his deep and sorrowful tone for his song. He has a
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drop of water running down his face as though he were out in the rain which demonstrates the

cliché of being at his wits end. Furthermore, the closer to the center of his face the viewer gets,

the lighter the image becomes. This demonstrates Young’s journey to self and the freedom he

experiences when he loves himself instead of expecting love from someone else.

The music style for Haddaway’s song is fast-paced pop music that uses echoes after the

words. It also does not have a large variety of lyrics, but the chorus itself is repeated to place

emphasis on the theme of non-reciprocated love. The bridges in the song express the sentiment

of his love as the video itself is simultaneously expressive of the seduction.

Young’s version places more emphasis on each line of the lyrics via his singing in a slow

rhythm accompanied by strings as background instrumentals. This artistry gives a pathway for

the deeper, more hurtful conviction and wound that love instills into his long-term life.

The audience of Haddaway’s music video encompass the broad spectrum of those who

had loved someone physically and emotionally but did not have any love reciprocated. In his

lyrics, Haddaway demonstrates how he loves someone, but there is a disconnect that he is trying

to pinpoint, and that disconnect spans from his discovery that his love isn't reciprocated. This is

seen in the lyrics, “I give you my love, but you don't care” (Haddaway). The seductive nature of

the video brings about a geared audience of the younger generation. This generation could be

geared toward those aged 20-30. Haddaway is more comprehensive to a larger audience who

experiences love in a more seductive manner.

Similarly, Young’s song is geared toward those who do not have love reciprocated to

them. However, his song speaks heavier and is pinpointed to those who have had a deeper

conviction of not feeling loved back. Young’s song leaves a more lasting impact and caries more
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emphasis of a deep sorrow and misery that unreciprocated love brings. Because Young’s song is

more reflective on self-healing through his standstill imagery, the audience encompasses those

who have been able embark on the journey toward self-love.

Though there exist differences and similarities in styles of publishing, the singers both

answer the question, “what is love?” in qualitative manners. They both find that love is

unreciprocated through their unique artistic style of music and imagery. To conclude, how would

you answer the question, “what is love?” Would you demonstrate it through song, or would you

present a new form of publication?

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Works Cited

CoconutMusicGermany. “Haddaway - What Is Love [Official].” YouTube. 18 June 2014,

Retrieved 12 February 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEXWRTEbj1I.

Young, James. “What Is Love.” Youtube. 2 March 2018, Retrieved 12 February 2022.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRP3Cqgpd6Q.