Must Be Love (Cassie song)

In 2007, it was revealed that Cassie had begun recording material for her sophomore album.[1] In August 2008, she released a new single "Official Girl," featuring Lil Wayne and produced by Danja.[2] Later that year, she noted being most excited about putting another single and video out before the project's release and "people getting it a bit more every time they see [her]."[3] The album was then scheduled for a spring 2009 release and Cassie talked about its production and mentioned other collaborators also included Pharrell Williams, Darkchild, Kanye West, Ryan Leslie, Bryan-Michael Cox, and Mario Winans.[4] On March 12, 2009, Diddy shared footage from a mixing session with Cassie working on a collaborative track between the two called "Must Be Love," with Diddy referring to it as a "Bad Boy classic."[5] Cassie reacted in an interview stating: "When people say that, it's an honor. I really fought for the record, it was kind of like lingering around in Bad Boy and I was like 'Can I please have it?' They said ok and we tried it out. I really fell in love with that record."[6] The full song, produced by Winans, surfaced online the following day.[7] She elaborated, "I've never like really had a soulful R&B record, something that just gave a good Bad Boy vibe. [...] So I tried it and it worked. Puff got on it, which is really an honor to have him on the record or want to be on the record."[8]

It was made available for digital download on April 14, 2009.[9] That same month Cassie debuted a new look by shaving the right side of her head. Diddy confirmed on his video blog that her new album would be called Electro Love and was slated to be released later that year, with Cassie telling MTV News: "You're definitely going to see more independence [...] a difference in vocals, a little bit more personality. And it's definitely a sensual album."[10][11] Bad Boy Records serviced it to urban contemporary radio stations on April 27, 2009.[12] Cassie said the track is "about finding yourself in unexpected love and how strong the feeling is, that it takes over you and you can't control it but you love [the feeling]. That's all love should be."[13] She explained why Diddy was credited as Puff Daddy for the release, "It was funny when he was doing the rhyme, when he was recording it, he sounded like himself back in the '90s, so we were like 'that's Puff Daddy,' and so he was like 'alright cool, that's what we're putting on the record'."[14]

Puff Daddy appears as a featured artist.

Bill Lamb of About.com called Cassie the "queen of minimalist soul" and remarked "Must Be Love" to be almost as "effortlessly catchy" as her debut single "Me & U." He wrote that the "warm guitar" is hypnotic and that "there is just enough of a groove to make you want to move."[15] According to a writer for Rap-Up, the song recalls "Bad Boy circa the '90s,"[7] and, at MTV, it was referred to as a "minimal R&B slow-burner with a beat that sounds like rain" and that "[Diddy's] rhymes definitely beef up the track."[16] Tom Lea of Local Action Records stated the song is "pure heartbreak" and praised Cassie's vocal performance, adding: "if the "I think about you all the time" line doesn't make you melt on sight, you've been on the internet too long."[17] Wonderland defined it as being "insidious" and "enchanting."[18]

The Guardian's Eleanor Morgan named "Must Be Love" one of Cassie's "essential tunes" in 2012, describing it as a "flamenco-kissed love-in with Diddy."[19] BET also ranked it one of Cassie's best collaborations, adding "Diddy was so into it that he felt like using his original moniker, "Puff Daddy" for the track. It must really have been love from the start!"[20] Billboard listed it as one the twenty best love songs by real-life couples in 2014.[21]

A remix of "Must Be Love" was released featuring Busta Rhymes, Day26 (who had recorded a demo of the track) and Red Café.[22][23] N.O.R.E. recorded a remix of the song.[24] Diddy posted his own remix on Twitter in June 2009 saying, "Attn all DJ's! I did a special CLUB remix for Cassie's "Must Be Love" just for you." His club remix is a mashup of the song with The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Gimme the Loot". Aasim (who co-wrote the track) and E Ness recorded their version of the remix.[25][26] Trey Songz also released a remix of the track during that month.[27] Cassie and Diddy then shared another remix to "Must Be Love" produced by Rob Holladay in late July 2009.[28][29]

Jacques Greene released his reworked "Marriage Proposal Mix" in December 2010, as a part of Skydiver, a remix compilation album by independent British label Local Action showing appreciation to Cassie,[30] and was later included on Jamie xx’s mix for Benji B on BBC Radio 1.[31] J. Cole freestyled over the song in "Back to the Topic," included on his 2010 mixtape Friday Night Lights.[32] It was also sampled by Snakehips on their version titled "Miss U Always,"[33] and by producer Rupert Taylor, otherwise known as xxxy, on "I Know This Can't Be Love," from his 2012 Everything EP.[34] Producer Ed Flis known as Duran Duran Duran released a remix that same year.[35] Riton also shared his remixed version of the song in 2013.[36]

• Digital download[9]

1. "Must Be Love" (featuring Puff Daddy) – 4:34

Credits adapted from Qobuz[49] and ASCAP.[50]

• Cassie – vocals, primary artist
• Aion David Clarke – songwriter
• Puff Daddy – vocals, featured artist, songwriter
• Mario Winans – producer, songwriter
• Leroy Watson – songwriter
• Michael Carlos Jones – songwriter
• Kristal Oliver – vocal producer
• Shannon Jones – vocal producer
• Matthew Testa – mixing
• Neal Pogue – mixing
• Steve Dickey – assistant engineer

• "Must Be Love" music video on Vimeo
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics