100% Pure Love

The song is inspired by her relationship at the time. The singer says she chose the stylings of the song as a reaction to the popularity of gangsta rap during the mid-1990s in the United States.{{Citation|last=Glitterbox Ibiza|title=Glitterbox Radio Show 011: w/ Crystal Waters|date=June 14, 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAHqcE7jhEI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/mAHqcE7jhEI| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|access-date=August 29, 2017}}{{cbignore}}

Looking to write a positive song, she sent an early draft to her production team Basement Boys who "hated the hook" but "loved the verses." Originally the song was built on the lyrics, "the beat goes boom," before she went back to the drawing board and considered the reasons she was writing the song in the first place. "From the back to the middle and around again, I'm going to be there 'til the end, 100% pure love," emerged as the next draft and became the lyrics in the completed version of the song.

Crystal Waters also signed and debuted as a model with the Ford Modeling Agency in August 1994. They included her as a special guest in fashion collections in both Europe and the United States. And "100% Pure Love" was the theme of Ford's “Supermodel of the World" contest that year.{{cite magazine|first=M.R.|last=Martinez|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1994/CB-1994-08-13.pdf|title=Urban — The Rhythm|magazine=Cash Box|date=August 13, 1994|page=|accessdate=March 6, 2022}}{{cite magazine|first=Larry|last=Flick|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1994/BB-1994-08-13.pdf#page=20|title=Dance Trax: Secret Of Kris Needs' Success; Prescription's 'Gift'|magazine=Billboard|date=August 13, 1994|page=22|access-date=May 30, 2025|author-link=Larry Flick}}

Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote that here, the "enigmatic voice" behind the 1991 smash "Gypsy Woman" "returns with a percussive pop/dance twirler from her new Storyteller opus. Though it seemed impossible to come up with a hook as catchy as {{'}}la-da-di, la-di-da{{'}}, Waters and cohorts the Basement Boys have done exactly that, and wrapped it with dramatic strings and butt shagging cowbells." M.R. Martinez from Cash Box felt that Waters' "smokey vocals" worked best on uptempo material, like "100% Pure Love".{{cite magazine|first=M.R.|last=Martinez|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1994/CB-1994-06-11.pdf|title=Urban — Reviews|magazine=Cash Box|date=June 11, 1994|page=|accessdate=February 28, 2022}} Anderson Jones from Entertainment Weekly stated that the "hip-swaying infectious grooves" of the track "can't be denied."{{cite magazine|first= Anderson |last= Jones |title= Storyteller |magazine= Entertainment Weekly |date= May 20, 1994 |access-date= November 11, 2020 |url= https://ew.com/article/1994/05/20/storyteller/}} Bradley Stern from Idolator noted that it is "armed with a real subtle earworm of a chorus", calling it a "campy house anthem".{{cite web|author=Stern, Bradley|title=The 50 Best Pop Singles of 1994 (Featuring New Interviews with Ace of Base, TLC, Lisa Loeb, Real McCoy & Haddaway)|work=Idolator|date=November 20, 2014|access-date=April 7, 2020|url=https://www.idolator.com/7569924/50-best-pop-singles-1994-interview-ace-of-base-tlc-lisa-loeb-real-mccoy-haddaway}} Howard Cohen from Knight-Ridder Newspapers commented, "Waters' jazz-inflected voice merges with hard-edged house instrumentation, while the song's dark and heady synthesizer intro is a hard-to-decline signal to hit the dance floor."Cohen, Howard (August 6, 1995). "Can't duck disco". p. 4E. Wisconsin State Journal. Chuck Campbell from Knoxville News Sentinel felt the "smoky grooved" song showed that Waters vocal is "stronger and more confident" than on her previous hit "Gypsy Woman".Campbell, Chuck (June 10, 1994). "David Byrne': Talking Head Repeats Himself". Knoxville News Sentinel.

In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote, "The lady with possibly the most unusual voice in dance music is back." He also described the song as "more of the same kind of left-field nonsense".{{cite web|last=Masterton|first=James|title=Week Ending April 23rd 1994|url=https://chart-watch.uk/archives/1994/week-ending-april-23rd-1994|website=Chart Watch UK|date=April 17, 1994|accessdate=September 6, 2021|author-link=James Masterton}} Andy Beevers from Music Week gave it a score of four out of five, complimenting it as "an impressive comeback", stating that "boasting a strong garage production from The Basement Boys and a catchy vocal hook, this could cross over."{{cite magazine|first= Andy |last= Beevers |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-04-09.pdf |title= Market Preview: Dance |magazine= Music Week |date= April 9, 1994 |page= 15 |access-date= April 16, 2021}} Wendi Cermak from The Network Forty said it is "100% fierce!"{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Archive-Network-40/94/Network-40-1994-05-06.pdf|first=Wendi|last=Cermak|title=Crossover|magazine=The Network Forty|date=May 6, 1994|page=26|access-date=March 29, 2020}} Sam Steele from NME wrote, "'100' is a clubby house stomper with big beats and a huge catchy chorus. A breezy backdrop to a drunken evening in an Ibiza/Essex discotheque." Orla Swift from Record-Journal deemed it a "bright, dynamic number", that is "displaying a knack both for catchy melodies and innovative arrangements".{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N61HAAAAIBAJ|first=Orla|last=Swift|title=Off the Record|magazine=Record-Journal|date=April 15, 1994|access-date=March 16, 2020}} Tim Jeffery from the Record Mirror Dance Update noted that it "features a catchy 'Back to the middle and round again' hook that should be enough to propel it into the charts."{{cite magazine|first= Tim |last= Jeffery |url= https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-04-02.pdf |title= Hot Vinyl |magazine= Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert) |date= April 2, 1994 |page= 7 |access-date= April 16, 2021}} In his weekly Record Mirror dance column, James Hamilton named it a "catchily chorused jiggly chugger".{{cite magazine|first=James|last=Hamilton|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1994/Music-Week-1994-04-16.pdf|title=DJ directory|magazine=Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert)|date=April 16, 1994|page=7|access-date=May 7, 2025|author-link=James Hamilton (DJ and journalist)}} Jonathan Bernstein from Spin viewed it as a "potential successor" to Waters' signature singles.{{cite magazine|first=Jonathan|last=Bernstein|title=Spins|magazine=Spin|date=June 1994|page=99|accessdate=January 27, 2023|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fT3PkoU5ylcC}} Eddie B. Allen Jr. from Toledo Blade considered it the "most forceful" of the dance singles on the album.{{cite magazine|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8_tS2Vw13FcC&dat=19940703&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|first=Eddie B.|last=Allen Jr.|title=Sounds: "Storyteller" Crystal Waters |magazine=Toledo Blade|date=July 3, 1994|access-date=March 16, 2020}}

The single reached number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and number 38 on the Billboard R&B chart. It spent a total of 45 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming one of the longest charting singles in the US to date. The song won a Billboard Music Award for Top-Selling Hot Dance Music Club Play Single at the 1994 Billboard Music Awards. The song was certified gold in the United States. In Europe, it entered the top 20 in Finland (14), the Netherlands (11), Scotland (19), Switzerland (20), and the United Kingdom. In the latter, the single peaked at number 15 during its second week at the UK Singles Chart, on April 24. On the Music Week Dance Singles chart, it reached number one. Additionally, it was a top-30 hit in Austria (26) and Iceland (25) and a top-40 hit in Belgium (31) and Germany (33). On the Eurochart Hot 100, "100% Pure Love" hit number 49, and it also topped the European Dance Radio Chart in the same period.

The song proved to be most popular in Australia. It first entered the ARIA Singles Chart at number 40 on June 26, 1994, then reached number three three weeks later. On July 31, the song reached its peak position of number two. It dropped to number three the next week, then spent four more weeks at that position before falling to number four on September 11. Afterwards, it remained in the chart for a further seven weeks before dropping out of the top 50 on November 6. It finished 1994 as Australia's 11th-best-selling single and has since received a platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments exceeding 70,000 copies.

The accompanying music video for "100% Pure Love" was directed by German director Marcus Nispel. The choreography was done by then-unknown Michael K. Williams. The video was nominated for Best Dance Video at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards and for Best Clip of the Year in the category for Dance at the 1994 Billboard Music Video Awards.{{cite magazine|first=Deborah|last=Russell|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1994/BB-1994-10-15-P.pdf#page=12|title=Music Video Award Nominees Named|magazine=Billboard|date=October 15, 1994|page=12|access-date=May 30, 2025}} It was later made available remastered in HD by Vevo on YouTube in 2009,{{cite web|title=Crystal Waters - 100% Pure Love (Official Music Video)|publisher=YouTube|date=October 9, 2009|access-date=February 29, 2024|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQX2q6WCrbE}} having generated more than 33 million views as of early 2025.

ASCAP awarded "100% Pure Love" the prize for Top ASCAP Dance Song in 1995. Australian music channel Max included it in their list of the "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2011.{{cite web |title= Top 1000 Greatest Songs Of All Time – 2011 |publisher= Max |date= 2011 |access-date= April 26, 2020 |url= https://www.maxtv.com.au/top-1000-greatest-songs-of-all-time-3 |archive-date= April 25, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200425183513/https://www.maxtv.com.au/top-1000-greatest-songs-of-all-time-3 |url-status= dead }} Idolator ranked it one of "The 50 Best Pop Singles of 1994" in 2014. Matt Stopera and Brian Galindo of BuzzFeed ranked it number nine in their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s" in 2017.{{cite web|first1=Matt|last1=Stopera|first2=Brian|last2=Galindo|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/jump-to-the-rhythm-jump-jump-to-the-rhythm-jump|title=The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s|publisher=BuzzFeed|date=May 11, 2017|access-date=October 7, 2018|author-link=Matt Stopera}} In 2021, the same publication ranked it number five in their list of "The 50 Best '90s Songs of Summer", naming it "the greatest '90s dance song of the '90s dance genre".{{cite web|first1=Matt|last1=Stopera|first2=Brian|last2=Galindo|title=The 50 Best '90s Songs Of Summer|publisher=BuzzFeed |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/1990s-songs-of-summer|date=June 29, 2021|accessdate=August 23, 2021|author-link=Matt Stopera}} Billboard magazine ranked "100% Pure Love" number 500 in their list of the "Top Songs of the '90s" in 2019 and number 81 in "The 100 Greatest LGBTQ+ Anthems of All Time" in 2025.{{cite magazine|title=Greatest of All Time: Billboard's Top Songs of the '90s|magazine=Billboard|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/greatest-billboards-top-songs-90s/|date=2019|accessdate=April 22, 2022}}{{cite magazine|first1=Joe|last1=Lynch|first2=Stephen|last2=Daw|first3=Hannah|last3=Dailey|first4=Glenn|last4=Rowley|first5=Hannah|last5=Jocelyn|first6=Lucas|last6=Villa|url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/lgbtq-anthems-queer-pride-songs/|title=The 100 Greatest LGBTQ+ Anthems of All Time|magazine=Billboard|date=June 4, 2025|access-date=June 20, 2025}}

British band Years & Years released a cover of the song in 2022 that Target would use for its holiday campaign that year.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/listen-to-years-years-liberating-cover-of-crystal-waters-100-pure-love-3341173|title=Listen to Years & Years' "liberating" cover of Crystal Waters' '100% Pure Love'|website=NME|last=Skinner|first=Tom|date=2 November 2022|access-date=5 November 2022}}

• CD maxi

1. "100% Pure Love" (radio mix) – 3:06
2. "100% Pure Love" (club mix) – 8:15
3. "100% Pure Love" (Gumbo mix) – 5:22

• US CD maxi-single (858711-2)

1. "100% Pure Love" (Club Mix) – 8:15
2. "100% Pure Love" (Radio Mix) – 3:06
3. "100% Pure Love" (Gumbo Mix) – 5:22
4. "100% Pure Love" (Hump Mix) – 5:33
5. "100% Pure Love" (DJ EFX's Tribal Pump Mix) – 6:41
6. "100% Pure Love" (PG Tips Anthem Mix) – 7:42
7. "100% Pure Love" (Trance Vox) – 6:40

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{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for "100% Pure Love"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|award=Platinum|relyear=1994|certyear=1994|certref=|access-date=October 27, 2018}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Crystal Waters|title=100% Pure Love|award=Gold|relyear=1994|certyear=1994|access-date=April 14, 2018|refname=certus}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

On November 1, 2022, Olly Alexander-helmed Years & Years released a cover of the song.{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/100-pure-love-single/1650435559|title=100% Pure Love - Years & Years|website=Apple Music|date=November 1, 2022|access-date=November 5, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/listen-to-years-years-liberating-cover-of-crystal-waters-100-pure-love-3341173|title=Listen to Years & Years' "liberating" cover of Crystal Waters' '100% Pure Love'|website=NME|last=Skinner|first=Tom|date=November 2, 2022|access-date=November 5, 2022}}

In December 2023, actress and singer Keke Palmer teamed up with search engine Google to promote black owned businesses with a modified cover of Crystal Waters’ 100% Pure Love titled for the occasion “100% Black Owned”.

A music video was shot for the occasion with appearance and vocals by Crystal Waters. The performance promoted a new search engine highlighting small black owned businesses on the internet.{{cite web|url=https://sacobserver.com/2023/11/keke-palmer-keeps-minding-her-black-owned-business/|title=Keke Palmer Keeps Minding Her Black-Owned Business|access-date=23 November 2023|date=2 September 2024|language=en|publisher=The Sacramento Observer}}

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Category:1993 songs

Category:1994 singles

Category:A&M Records singles

Category:Crystal Waters songs

Category:Mercury Records singles

Category:Music videos directed by Marcus Nispel

Category:Music Week number-one dance singles