L’amour toujours — Gigi D’Agostino
A 1999 album track, an English vocal by Ola Onabule and a long afterlife in stadiums and remakes: the story of Gigi D’Agostino’s L’amour toujours.
- Title track of Gigi D’Agostino’s 1999 album L’Amour toujours, sung by Ola Onabule.
- Released as a single in 2000; No. 1 in the Netherlands, Denmark and Romania.
- Reworked as “In My Mind” with Dynoro in 2018, a No. 1 in Germany.
“L’amour toujours” by Gigi D’Agostino is a dance record that keeps finding new crowds. It appeared on the Italian DJ’s 1999 album of the same name, became a European hit in 2000 and 2001, and almost two decades later its hook was back at No. 1 in Germany inside a Dynoro remake.
An album track with an English vocal
L’Amour toujours, D’Agostino’s second studio album, came out on 21 August 1999 as a double: “Chansons for the Heart” and “Beats for the Feet”. The title track, also called “I’ll Fly with You”, runs 6:56 on the first disc. D’Agostino co-wrote it with Carlo Montagner, Paolo Sandrini and Diego Leoni, produced it, and gave the vocal to Ola Onabule, who sings on every version. The French title never appears in the lyrics, which are entirely in English.
From clubs to the charts
NoiseMaker and Media sent the song to American clubs and dance radio in July 2000 and released it as a European single in October 2000. It went to No. 1 in the Netherlands, Denmark and Romania, No. 2 in Flanders, No. 3 in Germany and Austria and No. 6 in Italy. In the US it reached No. 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 2001. The video uses footage of D’Agostino’s live shows set to the shorter “Small Mix”. The album went to No. 1 in Austria and triple platinum there.
Remakes: Tiësto and Dynoro
In September 2015 Tiësto released an edit performed by Dzeko & Torres with Delaney Jane on vocals; it reached No. 4 on US dance airplay and went gold in Sweden. A bigger second life came in 2018. Dynoro and D’Agostino reworked the hook into Ivan Gough and Feenixpawl’s “In My Mind”, released on 8 June 2018 on B1 Recordings. It reached No. 1 in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden and No. 5 in the UK.
Stadiums and a 2024 controversy
Football grounds adopted the melody long ago: Heracles Almelo uses it as its goal tune, and it is a regular at Anderlecht, Lazio and Celtic. In 2024 it made headlines for a darker reason. German media reported that far-right groups had been singing an anti-immigrant chant over the melody since at least November 2023, and a video filmed at a club on Sylt in May 2024 sparked outrage. ZYX, which holds the copyright, had already filed a criminal complaint in March. Oktoberfest and the Austrian football association banned the song, and UEFA pulled it from its Euro 2024 playlist.
D’Agostino condemned the far-right use and described the song as apolitical, a song about love. “You can’t stop racism by banning music,” he said. The original re-entered the German chart at No. 8.
In the mix
The riff is the whole story: one melody, instantly recognised, that survives any tempo or rework. For more Italian dance music from the same decade, dig into “The Rhythm of the Night” by Corona, and for the German side of late-1990s club music, “Meet Her at the Love Parade” by Da Hool.
FAQ
Who sings L’amour toujours?
Ola Onabule sings on all versions. Gigi D’Agostino co-wrote and produced the track.
Is L’amour toujours sung in French?
No. Despite the French title, the lyrics are entirely in English. The alternative title, I’ll Fly with You, comes from the refrain.
What is In My Mind by Dynoro and Gigi D’Agostino?
A 2018 rework that combines Ivan Gough and Feenixpawl’s “In My Mind” with the hook of “L’amour toujours”. It reached No. 1 in Germany and No. 5 in the UK.
