The track you’ll still be raging to, come the end of this clubfloor year is already with us. Sarah de Warren puts 2026 on notice through the lean techno thunder of ‘What U Like’.
Having already delivered club KOs’ alongside heavyweights like Kaskade, Layton Giordani, Eli Brown, Hardwell, Maddix, and numerous others, Sarah de Warren now unleashes her first solo record of 2026.
‘What U Like’ is the first of a six-track onrush of releases that’ll blaze the trail through to high Summer. Harnessing the cutting-edge mainstage and peak-time techno sound she has become synonymous with, ‘What You Like’ carries her unmistakable hypnotic vocals, an addictive mainline melody and high power drops. Tested across the world on her 2025 tours, this track is a certified banger for any dancefloor.
She dominates the Beatport charts with almost every release - Dark Skies (Hilomatik, #22), Act of God (Experts Only, #2), All The Things She Said (#1) and Psycho (#3 Beatport) - proving that she cannot miss.
Getting to its peaktime point fast and staying there, ‘What U Like’s a track that doesn’t so much ask the question, as answers it … Where? Here!
Tracklist:
01: Sarah de Warren – ‘What U Like’ (Original Mix)
02: Sarah de Warren – ‘What U Like’ (Extended Mix)
Dimitris Kechagias Review:
[review top="1"]
[item value="10"]Sarah de Warren - What U Like [/item]
[content title="Summary" label="Overall Score"]Sarah de Warren’s “What U Like” is a peak-time mainstage anthem that encapsulates the essence of high-energy electronic dance music. Clocking in at 140 BPM, this track is engineered to drive massive festival crowds into a frenzy. Its production is a masterclass in modern psy-trance and big-room techniques. The driving, pulsating basslines work in perfect tandem with punchy, tightly compressed drums to maintain relentless momentum. Layered with wonky yet harmonically rich synths and spatial effects, the sound design demonstrates professional-level attention to detail. Each element sits precisely in the mix, offering a wide stereo image and immersive texture that feels both commanding and inviting. From a technical standpoint, the melodic hooks and harmonic layers are crafted to create an engaging emotional arc. Sarah de Warren’s sultry and captivating vocal performance, delivering lines like “I know how to keep a secret better than u know,” adds a human touch that fuses seamlessly with the electronic instrumentation. The transitions and build-ups have been meticulously programmed, utilizing risers, filters, and rhythmic automation to propel the energy upward until the drops hit with satisfying force. The dynamic range is balanced to maximize loudness without fatiguing the listener, making it perfect for both live sets and casual listening. Beyond its musical and technical brilliance, “What U Like” has notable positive effects on mental health and fitness. Energetic electronic music, particularly at 120–140 BPM, has been linked to improvements in mood, increased motivation, and enhanced focus during exercise (Karageorghis & Priest, 2012). Its rhythmic drive and pulsating basslines can elevate heart rate and encourage movement, making it an excellent choice for high-intensity workouts, cycling classes, or dance-based wellness programs. The track’s immersive sound design engages the brain’s reward system by stimulating dopamine release, contributing to feelings of euphoria and stress reduction (Zatorre & Salimpoor, 2013). In a festival or club context, “What U Like” not only excites but also unites. Music of this nature has been shown to enhance social bonding and collective emotional experiences, often referred to as “musical entrainment” (Clayton et al., 2020). Its hypnotic energy flow and fluid BPM consistency make it DJ-friendly and highly effective for seamless transitions, while cue points and looping potential allow for extended builds that heighten audience anticipation. The result is a track that checks every box—technical excellence, emotional impact, fitness utility, and pure dancefloor potency. #PureGold Love it. [/content]
[item value="10"]Rhythm, Groove & Drive[/item][item value="10"]Melodic Hooks & Harmonic Layers[/item]
[item value="10"]Transitions, Drops & Build-Ups [/item]
[item value="10"]Energy Flow & Momentum [/item]
[item value="10"]Sound Design & Production Quality[/item]
[item value="10"]Originality of Arrangement & Structure[/item]
[item value="10"]Use of Effects & Spatial Design[/item]
[item value="10"]Dynamic Range & Loudness Balance[/item]
[item value="10"]Atmosphere & Immersion[/item]
[item value="10"]Emotional Resonance[/item]
[item value="10"]Creativity & Artistic Identity[/item]
[item value="10"]Cohesion & Storytelling[/item]
[item value="10"]Vocal Performance & Lyrical Impact[/item]
[item value="10"]Catchiness & Replay Value[/item]
[item value="10"]Club / Festival Suitability[/item]
[item value="10"]Track Intro/Outro Structure[/item]
[item value="10"]BPM Consistency & Sync Ease[/item]
[item value="10"]Cue Points & Loop Potential[/item]
[item value="10"]Dynamic Energy for Set Flow[/item]
[item value="10"]Crowd Reaction Potential[/item]
[/review]
Suggested Bibliography:
Karageorghis, C. I., & Priest, D.-L. (2012). Music in the exercise domain: A review and synthesis (Part I). International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 5(1), 44–66.
Zatorre, R. J., & Salimpoor, V. N. (2013). From perception to pleasure: Music and its neural substrates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(Supplement 2), 10430–10437.
Clayton, M., Jakubowski, K., Eerola, T., Keller, P. E., Camurri, A., Volpe, G., & Alborno, P. (2020). Interpersonal entrainment in music performance: Theory, method and model. Music Perception, 38(2), 136–194.
