Could I Have This Kiss Forever

"Could I Have This Kiss Forever"
Single by Whitney Houston and Enrique Iglesias
from the album Enrique and Whitney: The Greatest Hits
B-side"If I Told You That"
ReleasedMay 15, 2000 (2000-05-15)
Studio
  • Chartmaker (Los Angeles)
  • Sound Studio N (Cologne)
  • Sony (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length3:55
LabelArista
SongwriterDiane Warren
Producers
Whitney Houston singles chronology
"Same Script, Different Cast"
(2000)		 "Could I Have This Kiss Forever"
(2000)		 "If I Told You That"
(2000)
Enrique Iglesias singles chronology
"Be with You"
(2000)		 "Could I Have This Kiss Forever"
(2000)		 "Sad Eyes"
(2000)
Music video
"Could I Have This Kiss Forever" on YouTube

"Could I Have This Kiss Forever" is a mid-tempo duet performed by American singer Whitney Houston and Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias. It was written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster, Mark Taylor and Brian Rawling. The song first appeared on Iglesias's debut English-language album Enrique (1999) as a slow Latin-styled ballad. A re-recorded and remixed version of the song was later included on Houston's first compilation album, Whitney: The Greatest Hits (2000) and served as its lead single.

The song received mixed critical reception, with praise for its sensual Latin-influenced production and vocal chemistry, while some criticized its sentimentality and Iglesias' vocal delivery. Commercially, "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" was a major international success, reaching number one in several European countries and the Eurochart Hot 100, while also attaining top-ten positions in numerous other markets and earning gold or platinum certifications in several countries.

Background and release

"It was with Whitney Houston [on 1999's "Could I Have This Kiss Forever"]. I was so young and extremely nervous, but she made it so easy. She was so sweet, caring and loving. I remember that first hug. It was very genuine."

— Enrique Iglesias talking about what was his most special collaboration in his career.[1]

"Could I Have This Kiss Forever" was written by Diane Warren and initially produced by David Foster for Iglesias' English-language debut album, Enrique (1999).[2] The song was not originally conceived as a duet. According to Iglesias, he and Clive Davis discussed the song after Iglesias had heard and responded favorably to its demo.[3] Davis subsequently suggested recording it as a duet with Whitney Houston:[3] In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Iglesias recalled: "Clive Davis and I were talking about this song that I'd heard a demo of and loved. And he says, "Why don't you do it with Whitney?" So we did, and it turned out fantastic."[3] Iglesias also noted that Davis had been supportive of the collaboration despite Iglesias not being signed to Davis' label, Arista Records.[3]

Although the song became a duet, Houston and Iglesias initially recorded their vocals separately. Houston recorded her part in Hamburg, Germany, while Iglesias recorded his vocals in Los Angeles, California.[4] This meant that the two singers did not meet during the recording of the original album version.[4] They eventually met in the studio when the song was re-recorded and remixed by Mark Taylor and Brian Rawling from British production duo Metro for its subsequent single release. [4] The new version adopted a more pronounced mid-tempo dance-pop arrangement and was released as the lead single from Houston's compilation album Whitney: The Greatest Hits in 2000.[4]

Critical reception

Critical reception of "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" was mixed, with some critics praising its romantic atmosphere, Latin-influenced production, and the vocal interplay between Houston and Iglesias, while others criticized its sentimental tone and vocal performances. Billboard viewed the pairing of Houston, an established pop and R&B star, with Iglesias, then a rising Latin-pop artist, as initially unexpected but ultimately effective, praising the song's mid-tempo arrangement, Spanish guitar instrumentation, and sensual atmosphere. The magazine particularly noted Iglesias' relaxed and sensual delivery and Houston's restrained performance, which it felt suited the song's romantic character.[5] Michael R. Smith of The Daily Vault similarly praised the duet, arguing that Houston's presence brought out a stronger vocal performance from Iglesias.[6] Elysa Gardner of Vibedescribed the track as "sinuous" and "Latin-flavored", while also arguing that Houston ultimately overshadowed her duet partner.[7]

Other reviews were considerably less favorable. J. D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun felt that Houston appeared to be competing with Iglesias vocally,[8] while LA Weekly criticized Iglesias' delivery as lacking the intended sensuality.[9] Christine Galera of The Orlando Sentinel regarded the duet as a conventional Iglesias-style single and was unimpressed by Houston's contribution.[10] Jim Farber of the New York Daily News interpreted the song as a cynical attempt to capitalize on the Latin crossover trend that was prominent in mainstream pop music at the time.[11] NME gave the song a particularly negative assessment, criticizing its Latin-tinged arrangement, sentimental lyrics, and romantic clichés,[12] Digital Spy later singled it out as one of the weakest of Iglesias' collaborations.[13] In 2012, however, "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" was placed first on Idolator's list of "Whitney Houston's 10 Best Songs That Radio Forgot" because "this slow-burning mid-tempo number brims over with a sexy vibe, thanks to the singer's duet partner Enrique Iglesias and an understated-but-effective remix by then-hot production team Metro."[14]

Chart performance

Commercially, "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" was a major international success, particularly in Europe. The song reached number one in Croatia, the Netherlands and Switzerland, and topped the Eurochart Hot 100, giving Houston her fifth and final number-one single on the pan-European chart.[15] It also hit the top ten in many other countries, and attained gold status in Australia, Germany, and Switzerland. In Finland, it peaked at number 17.[16] In Iceland, it peaked at number two and also in Sweden, where the song spent 19 weeks on the chart.[17] It was certified platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association.[18] In Ireland, it peaked at number eight and spent seven weeks on the chart. In Austria, it peaked at number eight and spent 20 weeks on the chart. In Ireland, it debuted and peaked at number 8. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number seven, becoming Houston's 16th top-ten single, and had sold approximately 140,000 copies by 2012.[19]

In North America, the song achieved more moderate chart success. It peaked at number 52 on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it spent 19 cumulative weeks,[20] while reaching number 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Singles chart and number 34 on the Mainstream Top 40, becoming Houston's 24th top-ten hit on the former.[21][22] In Canada, it performed more strongly, reaching number eight on the singles chart and number two on the Adult Contemporary chart.[23][24] "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" also received gold certifications in Australia,[25] Belgium,[26] France,[27] Germany,[28] New Zealand and Switzerland,[29][30] in addition to its platinum certification in Sweden.[18]

Music video

The video for "Could I Have This Kiss Forever" was directed by Francis Lawrence.[31] Entertainment Tonight aired the world premiere of the video on June 22, 2000. Krysten Ritter and a young Dania Ramirez appear as extras in the video. The video was successful upon its release, reaching heavy rotation on both MTV and VH1. It has accumulated 215 million views on YouTube.

Formats and track listings

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Could I Have This Kiss Forever"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[25] Gold 35,000^
Belgium (BRMA)[26] Gold 25,000*
France (SNEP)[27] Gold 250,000*
Germany (BVMI)[28] Gold 250,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[29] Gold 5,000*
Sweden (GLF)[18] Platinum 30,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[30] Gold 25,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history and formats for "Could I Have This Kiss Forever"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States May 15, 2000 Arista [76]
May 16, 2000
Australia June 19, 2000 CD [77]
Sweden September 11, 2000 [78]
United Kingdom October 2, 2000
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [79]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Picks and Pans Review: Enrique Iglesias". People. April 14, 2014. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  2. ↑ Enrique Iglesias (1999). Enrique (CD liner). Interscope Records.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Singlair, Tom (October 22, 1999). "Hear And Now: Iglesias joins Houston". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Cepeda, Raquel (December 1, 1999). "Whitney Phones It In For Enrique Duet, Remix Of New Single". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  5. ↑ "WHITNEY HOUSTON & ENRIQUE IGLESIAS – Could I Have This Kiss Forever". classicwhitney.com. Billboard Singles Reviews. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  6. ↑ Smith, Michael R. (September 13, 2009). "Enrique – Enrique Iglesias". The Daily Vault. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  7. ↑ Gardner, Elysa (August 2000). "Whitney Houston: 'Whitney:The Greatest Hits' (Arista)". Vibe. p. 165. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
  8. ↑ J. D. Considine (May 25, 2000). "Whitney Houston The Greatest Hits". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on December 11, 2013. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  9. ↑ Ernest Hardy (June 28, 2000). "Saving It". LA Weekly. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  10. ↑ Galera, Christine (June 30, 2000). "Whitney Houston: The Greatest Hits". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
  11. ↑ Farber, Jim (May 16, 2000). "Whitney Goes Half-Wild: Latest album set is 1 part bad ballads, and 1 part boogie bliss". New York Daily News. Daily News, L.P. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  12. ↑ Segal, Victoria (September 25, 2000). "NME Track Reviews: Whitney Houston and Enrique Iglesias – Could I Have This Kiss Forever? (Arista)". NME. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
  13. ↑ Balls, David (November 3, 2008). "Enrique Iglesias: 'Greatest Hits'". Digital Spy. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
  14. ↑ Daw, Robbie (February 21, 2012). "Whitney Houston's 10 Best Songs That Radio Forgot". Idolator. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Musicline.de – Chartverfolgung – Whitney Houston". musicline.de. Archived from the original on October 3, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
  16. 1 2 "Whitney Houston & Enrique Iglesias: Could I Have This Kiss Forever" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
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  23. 1 2 "RPM Weekly Top Singles – July 24, 2000 (Volume 71, No. 21)". RPM Weekly. July 24, 2000. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  24. 1 2 "RPM Weekly Adult Contemporary September 18, 2000 (Volume 62, No. 7)". RPM Weekly. July 17, 2013. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  25. 1 2 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2000 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  26. 1 2 "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2000". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  27. 1 2 "French single certifications – Enrique Iglesias – Could i have this kiss forever" (in French). SNEP.
  28. 1 2 "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Whitney Houston & Enrique Iglesias; 'Could I Have This Kiss Forever')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  29. 1 2 "New Zealand single certifications – Whitney Houston & Enrique Iglesias – Could I Have The Kiss Forever". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  30. 1 2 "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Could I Have This Kiss Forever')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
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  32. ↑ "Whitney Houston & Enrique Iglesias – Could I Have This Kiss Forever (Australian Maxi Single)". Discogs. June 19, 2000. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  33. ↑ "Whitney Houston & Enrique Iglesias – Could I Have This Kiss Forever (Canadian Maxi Single)". Discogs. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  34. ↑ "Whitney Houston & Enrique Iglesias – Could I Have This Kiss Forever (CD Single)". Discogs. August 24, 2000. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  35. ↑ "Whitney Houston & Enrique Iglesias – Could I Have This Kiss Forever (European Maxi Single)". Discogs. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  36. ↑ "Whitney Houston & Enrique Iglesias – Could I Have This Kiss Forever (Vinyl Single)". Discogs. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  37. ↑ "Whitney Houston & Enrique Iglesias – Could I Have This Kiss Forever". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  38. ↑ "Whitney Houston & Enrique Iglesias – Could I Have This Kiss Forever" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
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  41. ↑ "HR Top 20 Lista". Croatian Radiotelevision. Archived from the original on October 19, 2000. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  42. ↑ "Hitparada radia – 39/2000" (in Czech). IFPI CR. Archived from the original on October 2, 2000. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  43. ↑ "Hits of the World: Eurochart". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 44. October 28, 2000. p. 73. Retrieved July 2, 2026.
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