Some dance records are designed for the club. Others are made for festivals. Then there are songs like “Thing Called Love”—tracks that connect on a much deeper level and stay with listeners long after the music fades.
Released in 2011, “Thing Called Love” saw Above & Beyond once again team up with longtime collaborator Richard Bedford. The result was a record that perfectly captured what made Above & Beyond one of the most beloved acts in electronic music: the ability to combine uplifting production with genuine human emotion.
Built around Bedford’s heartfelt vocals and a melody that gradually unfolds into an euphoric crescendo, “Thing Called Love” tells a story of vulnerability, uncertainty, and the risks we take when opening ourselves up to someone else. While many dance tracks of the era relied on big drops and festival-sized moments, Above & Beyond focused on something far more timeless—songwriting.
The track became one of the standout records from the trio’s acclaimed album Group Therapy, an album that many fans still regard as one of the defining releases in modern trance and progressive electronic music. Alongside classics like Sun & Moon and You Got to Go, “Thing Called Love” helped establish Group Therapy as an album that transcended genre boundaries and connected with listeners on a deeply personal level.
Over the years, the song became a staple of Above & Beyond’s live performances. Whether played during a festival sunset, inside a packed arena, or at an intimate Anjunafamily gathering, its opening chords are instantly recognizable to fans around the world. Few records capture the emotional essence of Above & Beyond quite like this one.
What makes “Thing Called Love” so enduring is its honesty. More than a decade later, the lyrics still resonate, the melody still lifts spirits, and the song continues to remind listeners why dance music can be about so much more than just dancing.
For this week’s Friday Flashback, we’re revisiting a track that remains one of Above & Beyond’s most treasured recordings—a song that proved electronic music could touch the heart just as powerfully as any pop or rock ballad.
