He has been named number one in the prestigious DJ MAG Top 100 poll four times in a row, from 2007 till 2010 and for the 5th time in 2012. He's the first DJ in the history of the DJ Magazine to achieve that and an indication of his prolific output over more than 14 years he’s been dj’ing and producing. Being the official World’s Most Popular DJ is just one of his many achievements, but the driving force behind his success is an overriding passion for electronic dance music.
2008 began with the success that the number one DJ seems to attract; he was awarded with the prestigious Buma Cultuur Pop Award in January. This was followed by being voted as the Best Trance Artist in the Beatport Music Awards in March; judged on the musician’s artistic achievements, national and international success, it is evident that Armin van Buuren has become one of the decade’s most influential trance acts.
Even a basic list of recent successes reads like a lifetime of work: ‘Best Album’ for artist album ‘Shivers’ at both the Dutch Release Dance Awards and the prestigious Edison Awards; ‘Best Compilation’ for ‘A State Of Trance’, in 2006, claiming the ‘Best European DJ’ award in 2007 and ‘Best Mix Radio Show’ at the Miami Winter Music Conference in 2006 and 2007, for radio show ‘A State Of Trance’ – now broadcasting on a massive 40 FM stations as well as satellite and internet radio, with over 26 million listeners a week; a 5th year residency in Ibiza at Amnesia and over 50,000 downloads every week from podcasting high end chart-bothering positions all over the world for singles, albums and compilations , with single “Rush Hour” used as the theme tune to the UEFA European Youth Championship; the #1 entry in the Dutch album charts with his artist album ‘Imagine’, the #1 entry of the DVD registration of ‘Armin Only ‘ Imagine’ – the landmarks just keep coming!
The 350th episode and the 7th year of the hit radio show ‘A State of Trance’ was celebrated in May 2008 with an eight hour live broadcast from Antwerp in Belgium to over 40 radio stations internationally. Fans were invited to a free party with a line up that had been voted for by the show’s listeners; another example of the importance the DJ places on the satisfaction of his fans. Considering the popularity of the radio show the introduction of ‘A State of Trance Podcast’ was a natural progression. The weekly podcasts which contain highlights and Armin’s favourite tracks from the previous episode ensure that trance lovers across the world will never miss another episode!
Sold-out shows for Armin Only in 2005 and 2006 created eager anticipation of the third edition, which kicked off in a sold-out Jaarbeurs in Utrecht in 2008; over 16,000 fans attended and were enthralled by the DJ’s nine hour set. The theme of the night was ‘Imagine’, described by Armin as “the celebration of our sensations both in life and in clubland.” Fans all around the world should not despair, as ‘Armin Only’ tour dates have also been set for Romania, Poland, Belgium and Australia; the DJ will also be touring in England, Scotland, Ibiza, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and the USA, with expected dates in, for an example, the Czech Republic.
Born in Leiden, Holland (on December 25, 1976) to a musical family, Armin indulged his passion for music from a young age. He spent all the money he earned with his paper round on records. His mum won a computer when he was 10, gaining Armin’s interest. “So as a little nerdy kid I was writing my own basic programmes, and learnt about the technology from there.” He progressed from making low-profile mix tapes for friends to higher profile mixes when he discovered experimenting with different sequences on his computer through his uncle. “I was so stunned by what I saw him doing on the computer, that I got addicted to creating music right there and then!”
“I loved dance music immediately – this great rebellious sound that was so different to the ‘beautiful’ songs of the years before”. Armin cites electronic pioneer Jean Michel Jarre as a major influence (famed for his awesome visuals as well as his groundbreaking synth sounds), as well as Dutch producer Ben Liebrand, who later mentored him in his mixing and producing.
In the early days, Armin thought it was wise to have something extra in case the DJ’ing didn’t work out. So he studied for a law degree. The final year of his course was inevitably stretched as he juggled his studies with his increasingly hectic schedule; his rise to fame included lots of productions and remixes, as well as playing out to packed clubs every weekend. It took him three years to graduate, but his determination made him succeed!
Armin’s own productions have all made a huge impact and quickly gain worldwide acclaim; his latest artist album titled ‘Imagine’ entered the Dutch Album Top 100 Chart at number one; this is the first time a dance producer has ever accomplished such a feat in the history of Dutch music. The first single to be taken from this album, ‘Going Wrong’ with DJ Shah featuring Chris Jones, entered the Dutch Singles Chart at number five. The ‘Armin Only DVD’ was also released and reached the acclaimed number one spot in its second week. His back catalogue includes Blue Fear, Communication, Sound of Goodbye, Shivers, Rush Hour, Burned With Desire, Exhale, Love You More, This World Is Watching Me, and Yet Another Day. While the remix offers flood in, Armin only takes on tracks that he really loves. He uses exactly the same criteria for his compilations, meaning that every release from Armin or his long-running Armind label is a bone fide stormer that’s earned its place. His output includes tracks for the cult TV series 24, and the likes of Motorcycle’s As The Rush Comes.
Armin is a dedicated trance lover, but isn’t imprisoned by a single genre, saying “What makes trance work so well is that it doesn’t stick to one style, and can incorporate electro, minimal, whatever it likes.” His desire to showcase more of the great music he hears, along with the number of people sending him tracks they wanted to release, led to the obvious step of starting his own label, Armada, in 2003.
The label is a joint venture between Armin, Maykel Piron (former head of A&R for Warner Music) and David Lewis, who'd previously managed Armin. "What we wanted was a company that could offer everything for an artist: representation, a booking agency, and a record company. Artists can choose full management, or to just release a record or play out at gigs. Armada lets the artists choose what they want without telling them what to do".
Armin is now a fully-fledged artist in his own right, having made his songwriting debut on his album, the award-winning Shivers; The events continue to get bigger and bigger, and Armin regularly headlines the likes of Sensation White, Global Gathering, Dance Valley, ZoukOut, Mysteryland, Coachella, Beats In Brazil, Trance Energy, Fort Dance, Summer Days – basically whether you’re in Australia, Russia, the Middle East, the US or Europe, you can catch Armin van Buuren at a club or festival near you!
"This is just what I really want," says Armin. "It’s not just love for music, it’s my passion. It goes beyond liking, and beyond a hobby, it’s about a way of living. Music is essential to my life”.
Unforgiveable
Armin van Buuren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With your unrelenting spark
It always put a fire in me
You use to say I'm the one
The only ray of sun you could touch without the fear of burning
Well you use to try to please me
Never said this would be easy
Never said this would be easy
Well now, you tell her now
While you hold her in your arms
Are you pretending shes me?
Just alone I go
Before you realize shes the one that you're going to lose anyway
You just got there now you're leaving
You just got there now you're leaving
Your sweet notes are deceiving
Your sweet notes are deceiving
Well it ain't over till its over and my world shuts down
But this comes close I'll have you know
Its just a matter of time
But it ain't over till its over but I won't be made a fool
'Cause leaving me the way you did was just so
Unforgivable....
The lyrics to Armin van Buuren's song "Unforgivable" are emotional and introspective. The song reflects on a past relationship and the feelings of betrayal and hurt that followed. The first verse speaks of the light that the other person brought into the singer's life, "you use to light up the dark with your unrelenting spark," and how that presence always put a fire in them. The next lines, "you use to say I'm the one, the only ray of sun you could touch without the fear of burning," reveal how much the other person relied on the singer and how important they were to each other. But the chorus reveals a change in the relationship, with the other person finding someone new and leaving the singer behind. The lines "just alone I go, before you realize she's the one that you're going to lose anyway" show the singer's understanding that the new relationship won't work out and that the other person will eventually regret leaving them.
The second verse shows the singer's disappointment in how the other person acted and how they tried to make things work. The lines "you use to try to please me, yeah you use to try to please me, never said this would be easy, never said this would be easy" show how the other person wasn't fully committed to the relationship and didn't put in the effort that the singer did. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the unforgivable nature of the other person's actions and how much the singer has been hurt. The final lines of the song, "but I won't be made a fool, 'cause leaving me the way you did was just so unforgivable," show the singer's resolution to move on from the relationship and how they won't let the other person make them feel like a fool for loving them.
Line by Line Meaning
You use to light up the dark
You were the light that brightened up my dark days
With your unrelenting spark
Your energy and passion always motivated me
It always put a fire in me
Your presence always stirred up my emotions
You use to say I'm the one
You used to express your love and devotion to me
The only ray of sun you could touch without the fear of burning
I was the only one you could trust and not be afraid of getting hurt
Well you use to try to please me
You always went out of your way to make me happy
Never said this would be easy
We both knew that our relationship would have its challenges
Well now, you tell her now
You are now confessing your feelings to someone else
While you hold her in your arms
You are currently physically intimate with this other person
Are you pretending shes me?
Are you trying to imagine that she is me to justify your actions?
Just alone I go
I am left feeling lonely and rejected
Before you realize shes the one that you're going to lose anyway
You will soon realize that you are going to lose this other person as well
You just got there now you're leaving
You just started this new relationship and now you are already ending it
Your sweet notes are deceiving
Your kind words were not honest or genuine
Well it ain't over till its over and my world shuts down
Our relationship may have ended, but my grief and pain will not fade easily
But this comes close I'll have you know
This experience is one of the closest things to truly breaking my heart
Its just a matter of time
I know that I will eventually move on and heal
But it ain't over till its over but I won't be made a fool
Our break up may not be completely over, but I will not allow you to keep playing games with my heart
'Cause leaving me the way you did was just so
Your abandonment of me was such a hurtful and disappointing action
Unforgivable....
I cannot forgive you for how you hurt me
Contributed by Hannah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@johnnytsalavoutas9015
You used to light up the dark
With your unrelenting spark
It always put a fire in me
You used to say I'm the one
The only ray of sun you could touch
Without a fear of burning
Well you used to try to please me
Yeah you used to try to please me
Never said this would be easy
What are you telling her now
While you hold her in you arms
Are you pretending she's me?
And just how long will you go on
Before you realize you know she's
The one but you're gonna lose her anyway?
You just got there now you're leaving
Your sweet nothings are deceiving
Well it ain't over till it's over
And my world shuts down
But this comes close, I'll have you know
It's just a matter of time
But it ain't over till it's over
But I won't be made a fool
Cuz leaving me the way you did was just so
Unforgivable.
@armadamusictv
Join Armin van Buuren on Discord! ➡ https://discord.gg/arminvanbuuren
@mechanic1567
I think this is one of Armin's best songs with a featured artist. Jaren's voice is so good with this song
@teo6765
Come back and listen to it !!! You comment is 14 years old 😮😮🎉
@lerira87
Perfect combination between vocals, sound, emotion, culmination. In 30 years that song will still be a great hit, one of the few dance hits that will live forever.
@sandraisoleneharidas9340
👍 thanks 😀❤️🤗💟🌟👨👧👋👏🏽
@ReyvaxDuared
2023... & Still remains
@alinman4935
Like at maximum 😊
@teo6765
Hello, my god your comment is 11 years old 😮❤
@rekatorok.0701
So ot's mean classic trance song 😊
@bakarev
Такая ностальгия от этой песни👍 вокал и Музыка шикарны👍👌 спасибо армину 👍