Love Don't Hate It

"Love Don't Hate It"
Single by Duncan Laurence
from the album Small Town Boy and the EP Worlds on Fire
Released	23 October 2019 (2019-10-23)
Length	2:51
Label	Spark
Songwriter(s)	Duncan de Moor Michelle Buzz Robert Gerongco Sam Farrar Samuel Gerongco
Producer(s)	Tofer Brown
Duncan Laurence singles chronology
"Arcade" (2019) "Love Don't Hate It" (2019) "Someone Else" (2020)
Music video
"Love Don't Hate It" on YouTube

"Love Don't Hate It" is a song by Dutch singer-songwriter Duncan Laurence. It was released as a digital download on 23 October 2019 by Spark Records as the second single from his debut studio album Small Town Boy, the song also features on his debut EP Worlds on Fire.[1] It is the follow-up to "Arcade", Laurence's winning entry at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019.[2]

Background

Laurence previously stated that he did not want to rush out a follow-up to "Arcade", but rather take his time and wait until he found the right song.[2][3] De Telegraaf announced on 14 October that fans that had attended Laurence's performance in Nijmegen were told the follow-up single would be "Love Don't Hate It".[3] Laurence called it "a song about fighting for who you are and who you choose to love" and his "answer against the hate in the world, that will always keep trying to break down what we crave most: love".[4][5]

Live performance

Duncan premiered the song on Dutch television during De Wereld Draait Door on 23 October.[6]

Music video

A music video for "Love Don't Hate It" was released on 8 November. Directed by Ed Sayers of Seven Productions, it features Laurence in a dark area, singing amongst red lights and celluloid film effects. Bryan Kress of Billboard wrote, "With so much on the line, [Laurence] looks every bit prepared to lead the way and fight to the end."[7] In an interview with Promonews, Sayers explained the process to achieve the video's effects: "A pretty singular approach with a mix of hard and soft dynamic lighting using white and red lights and a host of special flare lens to fire firey light down the barrel and onto Super 16mm film and a little Super 8mm."[8]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[9]

• Tofer Brown – Producer, associated performer, background vocalist, engineer, guitar, piano, programmer, studio personnel
• Duncan de Moor – Composer, lyricist, associated performer, vocals
• Michelle Buzz – Composer, lyricist
• Robert Gerongco – Composer, lyricist
• Sam Farrar – Composer, lyricist, associated performer, guitar, programmer
• Samuel Gerongco – Composer, lyricist
• Ilse DeLange – Associated performer, background vocalist
• Tijmen Zinkhaan – Engineer, studio personnel
• Frank Arkwright – Mastering engineer, studio personnel
• Cenzo Townshend – Mixer, studio personnel
• Andy Selby – Studio personnel, vocal editing

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2019–2020) Peak position Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[10] 3 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11] 6 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] 41

Year-end charts Chart (2019) Position Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 99 Chart (2020) Position Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] 53

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Netherlands (NVPI)[15]	Gold	40,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "Love Don't Hate It – Single by Duncan Laurence". Apple Music. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
2. "Dit is de nieuwe single van Duncan Laurence: 'Love Don't Hate It'". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 14 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
3. "'Dit wordt nieuwe single Duncan Laurence'". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 14 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
4. "𝕯𝖚𝖓𝖈𝖆𝖓 𝕷𝖆𝖚𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖈𝖊 (@itsduncanlaurence) • Instagram photos and videos". 23 October 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved 24 October 2019 – via Instagram.
5. "Duncan Laurence Fights With a Different Kind Of Power in 'Love Don't Hate It' Visual: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
6. "De Wereld Draait Door – Komende uitzending". BNNVARA (in Dutch). 23 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
7. Kress, Bryan (2019-11-07). "Duncan Laurence Fights With a Different Kind Of Power in 'Love Don't Hate It' Visual: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
8. Ulitski, Rob (29 November 2019). "Duncan Laurence 'Love Don't Hate It' by Ed Sayers | Videos". Promonewstv. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
9. "Credits / Love Don't Hate It / Duncan Laurence – TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
10. "Duncan Laurence – Love Don't Hate It" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
11. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 9, 2020" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
12. "Duncan Laurence – Love Don't Hate It" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
13. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2019". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
14. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2020" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
15. "Dutch single certifications – Duncan Laurence – Love Don't Hate It" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Love Don't Hate It in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2020 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".