Armin Van Buuren has been a trance trailblazer for years though it’s his venture into progressive house that stands as one of his most successful tracks. In 2013 he wanted to express himself in a different way which led to an absolute progressive house classic, ‘This Is What It Feels Like.’
The Dutch DJs mastery of trance earnt him the top spot on DJ Mags Top 100 DJs list in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012. This devotion to trance meant that when Pete Tong debuted ‘This Is What It Feels Like’ on BBC Radio 1 there was a lot of negative feedback from fans due to the change of genre. While some Armin Van Buuren fans didn’t like this different style it quickly found its audience and blew up beyond what anyone could have imagined.
It fired into the charts around the world and earned wide radio play spreading Armin Van Buuren’s name beyond the dance music scene and into the mainstream. ‘This Is What It Feels Like’ earned a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording in 2014 and has since gone on to receive over 380 million Spotify streams. As well as this the song took on a new life in 2023 with a trance remix from Armin Van Buuren to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
From the very opening moment of the track ‘This Is What It Feels Like’ is emotional and iconic with its unforgettable chords that have drawn us all in for years. It embodies the very essence of what a festival anthem is and will forever be legendary.
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