Written by Joe Belmaati, Michaela Breen, Vince Clarke, Mich Hansen, Alison Moyet, John Reid, Remee and Ina Wroldsen.
Produced by Joe Belmaati and Cutfather.
Lead single from The Sats' debut album Chasing Lights (2008).
Peaked at #8 on the UK Official Chart.
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The song has prominent electropop and dance-pop genre characteristics. It contains lyrical influences from love-hate relationships, the definition of love and its complications that can result in situations of stalking.
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On 3 August 2008, the single debuted and peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart with a total of just under 15,000 copies sold in its first week of release. It has since sold a total of 107,000 copies in the United Kingdom to-date. The single also garnered charting success for the group in Europe, where it reached number thirty-three on the European Hot 100 Singles chart.
Popjustice included the song in its list of the top hundred and four singles of 2008, ranking it at number forty-five. About.com ranked "If This Is Love" in their list of the best dance songs of 2008 at number twenty-eight.
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"If This Is Love" received mainly positive reviews from contemporary music critics. It garnered comparisons with the music produced by the likes of Girls Aloud, Depeche Mode, Sugababes, Robyn and Rachel Stevens, and was praised for its Yazoo sample and catchy chorus.
Nick Levine of Digital Spy reviewed the song: "This debut single is nothing that Rachel Stevens couldn't have given us three or four years ago: a midtempo electropop tune with a memorable chorus and a crafty Yazoo sample slipped in for bonus street cred. It's a solid, promising effort, but not really in the same league as the best debuts by British girl groups: 'Sound of the Underground', 'Overload', 'Wannabe' [...]". Evening Standard said: "'If This Is Love' is a slick electro-soul number. [...] The vocals are a little shrill in places, but the overall feel is upbeat and feisty."
Fraser McAlpine of the BBC gave the single a four out of five star rating, saying: "It's infectious and melodically strong, and mature [...] this is an impressive debut - The Saturdays have gone with the trick of releasing a song that doesn't sound like a first single, but sounds like they have in fact been doing this sort of thing for years and aren't even considering that this might not be a hit."