HUGEL and Topic Reflect on their Chart-Topping Single, “I Adore You”

French-born DJ and producer HUGEL has been a staple on Beatport’s Top 100 - Today playlist in 2024. “Andalucia”, “La Verdolaga”, and “CORAÇAO” are all currently within the top 100 most played and purchased songs on Beatport. More than three years after the release of his hit single “Morenita,” HUGEL continues to pioneer the Latin house movement, bringing his unmatched summer style to clubs and festivals across the world. Recently, HUGEL has expanded his discography even further, experimenting with Afro house and distinctly progressing the rising genre. He’s spent his summer on some of the biggest stages in the world, playing sets at Tomorrowland, EDC Las Vegas, and much more.

Topic is a German-Croatian DJ and producer who was voted the 57th best DJ worldwide in the 2023 DJ Mag Top 100. Achieving international success with his 2016 breakout track “Home,” he has since collaborated with notable artists such as Bebe Rexha, Lil Baby, Becky Hill, and more. His 2020 single “Breaking Me” garnered 5 billion streams worldwide, and in 2022, he was ranked as the third most streamed German artist abroad on Spotify. Topic also performed at Tomorrowland this summer, and he was able to perform at Parookaville as “Topic & friends,” inviting Loreen, Hayla, A7S, FAST BOY and Daecolm on stage alongside him.

Together, alongside platinum-selling Swedish artist Arash, Topic and HUGEL used their producing prowess and DJ dexterity to put together one of the songs of the summer, “I Adore You” — a massively successful tune featuring Afropolitan vocalist/producer Daecolm  We caught up with them to learn more about how the track came to be and how they plan to finish a strong year.

What is one of the first times you remember realizing that the electronic music space was going to have a big impact on your life?

Topic: At the beginning I used to produce hip hop with influences from Timbaland and co. Little by little, electronic music became a bigger part of my life, especially after I saw the Tomorrowland aftermovie of 2012 and discovered Avicii and Swedish House Mafia. Those had a huge impact on me and inspired me a lot later on.

HUGEL: I first realized the impact this music would have on me when I was around 16 years old. I was at a club in Marseille (my hometown) called Bazar and Carl Cox was performing. This was really the first time I experienced the hypnosis of electronic music. I didn’t know any of the songs he was playing - I was literally like, ‘What is this?’ - but I danced for three hours straight. I was completely mesmerized by the shamanic power of electronic music and knew right then that this is what I wanted to do.

Give us some insight on your creative process with “I Adore You.” How did you two link up with Arash and Daecolm for the track?

Topic: The basic structure of the track was created in a session between Daecolm, A7S, Arash and me. I already had the idea of going a little more in the Afro house direction and brought it into the session, but it hadn't yet been worked out. Daecolm then contributed the lyrics in his typical style and the whole thing slowly took shape. HUGEL reworked and completed the production, gave the track this very special vibe and made the track the summer hit it now is. It was teamwork on all levels and you can feel that when you hear the song.

HUGEL: I heard the topline of “I Adore You” through a close friend of mine, and I was like, ‘damn, there is something here.’ The production was originally very pop, but I could hear the potential in the vocal elements. From there, I produced the beat to bring to life the final version of the track you hear now. There was actually another version of the track I had done, but I didn’t love it just yet - it needed more drums to keep people dancing. So I went back into the studio and made a second version where the drums never stopped. I played that track for the first time at a show in Germany and the crowd reaction was wild. I could see people holding up their phones, shazaming the song as I was playing, and I knew this was going to be a special one.

What was the inspiration behind the artwork for the track?

HUGEL: The artwork for “I Adore You” was actually inspired by XXXTENTACION’s album cover style.

⁠Following the success of your joint track, if you two had the opportunity to tap any vocalist in the world for your next collaboration, who would it be?

Topic: To be honest, this is the hardest question to answer. There are so many interesting vocalists. I got this question a few times in the past and the answers have changed over the years, but right now it would probably be The Weeknd or Chris Brown.

HUGEL: For me, probably someone like The Weeknd or Justin Bieber who is able to sing and share their vocals in a really cool way.

⁠With recent performances at Tomorrowland, EDC, and so many other massive stages across the globe, what have been some of your most memorable performances this summer?

Topic: I have to say Tomorrowland is always super special as that has been a huge milestone for me playing there and now being able to do so the third year in a row. But Parookaville this year has been extra special as I was able to host the stage as "Topic & friends" and have Loreen, Hayla, A7S, FAST BOY and Daecolm perform live alongside me. I had never done something like this before and seeing this come together was very memorable!

HUGEL: Tomorrowland was definitely the most memorable moment of the summer for me. When I arrived on stage, I could see the crowd arriving with me. It was crazy and so impressive - not to mention a bit over capacity - to see this massive group showing up to see me play at one of the biggest festivals in the world. Just like they arrived with me, I also watched the crowd leave with me as I ended my set. It was very special.

You recently brought your Father to a show where he seemed to be vibeing to your recent “I Adore You” single — can you tell us a bit about this moment?

-> HUGEL: My dad is 76, almost 77 years old. He only speaks French and is not on social media or the internet, so he is a bit disconnected from the digital world, even when it comes to my music. But we’re very close - he is my best friend - and he comes to a lot of my shows. This moment in Ibiza was funny, my dad was in the booth with me and all around us you could see people going crazy for the track, pulling out their phones to film. He was watching the crowd reacting and said to me ‘Nice track is it yours?’ and I laughed and said ‘Yeah, dad and it’s number one’. People around us were like how do you not know this, but that’s just my dad!

This summer, you got to fulfill a “childhood dream” of yours a drive an original Formula 1 car! What was that experience like? If you were not a DJ/producer, you think you’d give professional racing a shot?

Topic: Driving an original Formula 1 car was an unbelievable experience! To feel the forces impact your body makes you appreciate the sport and the effort of the racing drivers even more. I'd give it a shot, but I think I wouldn´t be very good at it, so it's probably best to stick to producing and DJing, haha!

What’s next for the two of you? Are you working on anything new for later this year? And can we expect to see any new collaborations soon?

Topic: As a matter of fact, I am currently just outside the studio, having another session with Daecolm - so stay tuned for future releases that will lean more in that sonic direction. I'd better end this interview to make some more new music now. Thank you for having me!

HUGEL: Definitely. On the music side, I have a new release coming out with Diplo this fall that we know you’ll love. I am also getting ready to announce an exciting new collaborative project that will give my fans a new way to experience and share in my personal style.

Listen to Hugel's 'I Adore You' chart below, or check it out on Beatport!