This Time I Know It's for Real
Song DNA
Misophonia Triggers
A hopeful, catchy dance-pop song about finding true love, produced by Stock Aitken Waterman with uplifting synths and Donna Summer's emotive delivery.
Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: energetic, joyful, uplifting
Traditions: dance-pop, disco
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 6/10 means this song moves. Expect a real volume climb between quiet sections and the loudest part of the arrangement — enough that you may want to set the initial volume below where you'd normally land.
Sudden changes: mild. There are one or two transitions worth knowing about, though they're musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
Texture: smooth.
Predictability is high — the song telegraphs what it will do next. A sensory-sensitive listener can usually guess where it's going without close attention.
Vocal style: dynamic vocals.
Where this sits in Donna Summer's catalog
We have 18 songs from Donna Summer in the library. Of those, 1 are rated Safe, 13 Moderate, and 4 Intense. This song's dynamic range of 6/10 sits below the artist average of 7.0, making it the #17 most dynamic track of theirs in our library.
1989 context
Released in 1989. We have 219 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.5/10. This track is about average than the year average. Explore more from the 1980s.
Explore by mood and tradition
Why this rating
We rate this song Safe because its dynamic range stays within our low-variance band, there are no unsignaled changes, and the texture and vocal style are both in the low-fatigue range. Our methodology uses an AND rule for Safe — a song has to clear every dimension to earn the rating.
Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-15. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Email the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
Frequently asked about "This Time I Know It's for Real"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the sensory intensity of "This Time I Know It's for Real" by Donna Summer?
"This Time I Know It's for Real" by Donna Summer rates as Low-Intensity. Dynamic range 6/10, mild sudden changes, smooth texture. Our Low-Intensity rating means no single dimension triggers the higher-intensity thresholds.
How loud is "This Time I Know It's for Real" — what is its dynamic range?
"This Time I Know It's for Real" has a dynamic range of 6/10. Noticeable climb from quiet sections to loudest point. Set opening volume slightly lower than your preferred peak.
Does "This Time I Know It's for Real" have sudden or surprising changes?
"This Time I Know It's for Real" has mild sudden changes — one or two transitions worth knowing about, but they are musically resolved rather than surprise-driven.
What is "This Time I Know It's for Real" best for?
In our library "This Time I Know It's for Real" is recommended for: dance, energy, workout. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "This Time I Know It's for Real" released?
"This Time I Know It's for Real" is from 1989, on the album "Another Place And Time". It appears in our 1980s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "This Time I Know It's for Real"?
We tag "This Time I Know It's for Real" as energetic, joyful, uplifting. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "This Time I Know It's for Real"?
The vocal style is dynamic vocals.
Should I listen to "This Time I Know It's for Real"?
If you want gentle, low-arousal music, "This Time I Know It's for Real" is a solid pick — Low-Intensity across every sensory dimension.
Songs with the same DNA
smooth texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
What this song means to people
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