"I Loved You" is a deep houseremix of the song "More" by Canadian singer-songwriter Tamia,[1] from her album More (2004), and features vocals by singer Melissa Steel.[2] It was announced by Blonde as their second single, following on from "Foolish" and "Higher Ground".[citation needed] "I Loved You" received its debut airplay on BBC Radio 1 by DJ MistaJam on 28 August 2014.[citation needed] On 31 October, Radio 1 made it their "Track of the Day".[3]
KALTBLUT Magazine gave the song a very positive review: "Reiterating Blonde's summery cocktail of upbeat sounds and positive vibes, 'I Loved You' updates the classic attributes of nineties cross over house with an intoxicating blend of piano-focused melodies, sublime beats and a soulful vocal."[4]
The official music video was directed by Jack Laurance.[5] It was first released onto YouTube on 17 September 2014 at a total length of three minutes and seventeen seconds. Inspired by the 1991 film Thelma & Louise, it is set in Mexico City, Mexico, and features two young women (one of whom is played by Mexican actress Estrella Solís).[6] The video has over 93 million views as of October 2023[update].[7]
The video begins with Solís entering a large house, while dressed in a leather jacket, a short black skirt and a black hat. She meets a young woman who has just won a beauty pageant, is wearing a tiara, and is crying. Solís removes her hat (which later turns out to actually be a balaclava) and tosses it to her friend. A flashback then occurs: it is revealed that the two girls used to be best friends, terrorising and causing destruction wherever they went, including smashing cars, spraying cans of pink paint on a bus, robbing a diner, setting a pool table on fire and flashing the city from a rooftop. This continues until the girls meet a man who invites them to come to his house. There, he tells Solís' friend that she should be a model and photographs her. She ends up becoming famous, leaving Solís without her best friend, and continuing a humble, lonely, everyday life working in a diner. Towards the end of the video, it returns to the present day. The other girl takes off her tiara in her lavish dressing room, contrasting sharply to Solis' home, and with tears still in her eyes, the video ends with Solís putting the balaclava on, preparing to go back to causing chaos.[8][7]
Talking about the video, Laurance told Promonews, "I was interested in contrasts. Being 'bad' vs being 'good'. Total freedom vs the trappings of fame/celebrity, and all the vacuousness that goes with it. All framed within a little story about two best friends who drift apart. The idea of contrast really drove the way we told that story. Art direction and colour were obviously a big part of this. DOP Ben Kitchens really did a fantastic job. Most importantly I wanted you to feel like the girl that gets left behind is actually the real 'beauty' and doesn't need a tiara on her head to prove it."[5]
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 201515 into search.
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