I Still Believe (Brenda K. Starr song)

"I Still Believe"
Single by Brenda K. Starr
from the album Brenda K. Starr
Released February 17, 1988
Format CD single
Genre
Length 3:50
Label MCA
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Eumir Deodato
Brenda K. Starr singles chronology
"Breakfast in Bed"
(1987)		 "I Still Believe"
(1988)		 "What You See Is What You Get"
(1988)

"I Still Believe" is a song written and composed by Antonina Armato and Giuseppe Cantarelli, and originally recorded by pop singer Brenda K. Starr for her eponymous second studio album, Brenda K. Starr (1987). It is a ballad in which the singer is confident she and her former boyfriend will never be together again, but still believes that some day it may happen. It was Starr's biggest hit in the United States, reaching the top-twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 and being considered her signature song. "I Still Believe" was covered by American singer Mariah Carey, who was a backup singer on Starr's original version, for her Number 1's album, and cantopop singer Sandy Lam.

Background and authorship/composition

After releasing her first record, I Want Your Love (1985), in a small record label and not achieving success with it, Brenda K. Starr recorded "I Still Believe" as one of the songs for her self-titled second album, which was released in 1987. The song was written and composed by Antonia Armato and Giuseppe Cantarelli, and produced by Eumir Deodato. It is a pop ballad based on a real life relationship of one of its songwriters, Armato: Armato's former boyfriend had proposed to her, but she felt that the timing was not right. He was not pleased, and pushed her into an ultimatum: to get married or break up. Even though Armato loved her boyfriend at the time, she stuck to her convictions and the couple broke up. To deal with her emotional pain, Armato wrote anc composed the song in collaboration with Cantarelli.[1][2]

Reception

Justin Kantor of Allmusic praised the track for being "passionately dramatic and heartfelt".[3] It was released as the second single from Starr's self-titled album in 1988, and peaked at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming Starr's first--and only--top twenty single on the Hot 100.[4] Its music video comprises scenes of Starr singing the song in a warehouse intercut with scenes of her walking past many romantic couples.[5] Starr also recorded the song in Spanish, as "Yo Creo En Ti," which she released as a single. In 1998, she recorded a salsa version of the song on her album No Lo Voy a Olvidar, as "I Still Believe/Creo en Ti." The Spanish version peaked at number twenty on the Billboard Latin Tropical Airplay chart.[6]

Charts

Chart (1988) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[4] 13
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[7] 14
US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[8]
Spanish version: "Yo Creo En Ti"		 10
Chart (1999) Peak
position
US Tropical Songs (Billboard)[9]
"I Still Believe/Creo en Ti"		 20

Year-end charts

Chart (1998) Peak
position
US Top Pop Songs (Billboard)[10] 93

Mariah Carey version

"I Still Believe"

International cover
Single by Mariah Carey
from the album #1's
Released February 8, 1999
Format CD single, cassette single, 7" single
Recorded 1998
Genre
Length 3:54
Label Columbia
Writer(s) Antonina Armato, Giuseppe Cantarelli
Producer(s) Mariah Carey, Stevie J, Mike Mason
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"When You Believe"
(1998)		 "I Still Believe"
(1999)		 "Heartbreaker"
(1999)
Alternative covers
Alternate CD cover

Background and release

While choosing new material to record for her first compilation, Number 1's, Mariah Carey decided to cover "I Still Believe" as a tribute to Starr, as she had been Starr's backing singer in the late 1980s and Starr had helped jump-start Carey's career by handing a demo tape to CBS Records executive Tommy Mottola, who had then signed Carey to her first recording contract. She explained that the song "reminds me of the fact that not long ago I was a teenage girl with nothing to my name but a demo tape, my voice, and my ability to write songs. Brenda K. Starr treated me like a 'star' and gave me a shot."[11] During an interview for Entertainment Tonight, she further commented:

"I'm really glad that I got a chance to remake the song 'I Still Believe,' because the album is called '#1's' and this is the first song that I sang as a professional singer. I would go on the road with Brenda. I was a little skinny kid with no money that she took under her wing and she was so nice to me. I auditioned to be her back-up singer and she hired me and she used to bring me clothes and food, and she really took care of me like a big sister. A lot of people wouldn't have done that. The main thing was that she believed in me and it's really hard to get people to listen to your tapes. [...] She was always real cool and helpful and supportive. I always loved this song. When I sing it now, it reminds me of those times."[12]

"I Still Believe" was released as the compilation's third single on February 8, 1999. Carey's version derives from both pop and R&B music,[13] being produced by Carey with Stevie J and Mike Mason. According to EMI Music Publishing, the song was written in the key of G major and set in a moderately slow tempo of 61 beats per minute, while Carey's vocal range from G3 to F#5.[14]

Remixes

A remix of the song was produced by Carey and Damizza titled "I Still Believe/Pure Imagination," which was included on the CD Single with the original version and other three remixes, released on February 23, 1999.[15] It differs significantly from the original, as it retains none of the music and only minor lyrical elements. The melody is based heavily on interpolations of the song "Pure Imagination," which Gene Wilder sang, in character as Willy Wonka, in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and the song features rapped and sung parts by Krayzie Bone (of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony) and Da Brat. An abbreviated version of "I Still Believe/Pure Imagination," without Da Brat and more from Krayzie Bone, can be found on Bone's album Thug Mentality 1999. According to Jose F. Promis of Allmusic, "[t]he mix is, nonetheless, breezy, laid-back, and typical of mid-'90s urban/hip-hop, and features da Brat saying "lose the ego," all the while self-aggrandizing herself."[15]

Several other remixes of the song were created, and each was carefully overseen by Carey, who re-recorded her vocals for all of them. Stevie J, who co-produced the original song, enlisted the help of rappers Mocha and Amil to join Carey on a remix he was developing. Although it contains completely new musical elements (with no music derived from the original and only small lyrical elements), Carey, Stevie J and the rappers do not receive songwriting credit. David Morales created several remixes of the song, including the "Classic Club" mix. It retains the song's original music and chord progressions with Carey's original vocals and considerable ad libs. Other remixes by Morales include The King's Mix and the Eve of Souls mix, which do not contain complete vocals of the song, and feature little more than ad libs over club beats.[15]

Critical reception

Carey's vocals on the song were deemed breezy and relaxed by Billboard.[13]

Carey's version received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Chuck Taylor of Billboard praised the track for featuring "one of the most relaxed, breeziest vocal performances Miss Mariah has ever served up, alongside a simple arrangement that allows her voice to shine through." Taylor also noted that "[t]he track also ably walks the line between R&B and pop: For listeners who may have lost the faith with Carey's ventures into hip-hop, this will reel them back into the fold. But it's also no step backward. Newer fans will love the less-glossy production and the soulful grip that Carey puts around this song of yearning and ache." [13] Devon Powers of PopMatters called it "a noteworthy cover even if you can’t recall who did it first."[16] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic picked the track as one of the best on her compilation The Ballads (2008), calling it a "mammoth hit."[17] Meanwhile, Jose F. Promis of the same publication compared both versions, writing that Carey's version "pales somewhat in comparison to Starr's more passionate interpretation."[15] He was positive with the "Morales' Classic Club Mix", describing it as "a standard, but well-made dance remake, [...] quite smooth, with Carey giving a great vocal performance."[15]

Chart performance

Unlike the preceding single from #1's, "When You Believe," "I Still Believe" enjoyed more success within the United States than elsewhere, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Though it was Carey's first single to chart on radio airplay points alone, its airplay was relatively low while sales were much stronger, "due to the maxi-single's packaging and marketing, which [...] contained five completely distinct versions," noted Allmusic's Promis.[15] On the radio, the song managed to reach the top-ten in three charts: the Adult Contemporary (number eight), the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (number three) and the Rhythmic chart (number eight), only losing the top-twenty on the Mainstream Top 40 (number 21).[18] The song became Carey's seventh single to top on the Hot Dance Club Play. It was certified platinum by the RIAA, and was ranked 36 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1999 and 23 on her 25 Top Billboard Hit Songs list.[19] It also entered the top ten in Canada (number nine)[18] and Spain (number seven).[20]

Elsewhere, the song was a moderate success. It reached the top twenty on the UK Singles Chart (number sixteen), becoming her nineteenth top twenty single,[21] and on the Italian Singles Chart (reaching number twenty).[22] It reached the top-forty in four other countries, Belgium (Wallonia) (number twenty-five),[23] France (number thirty-three),[24] New Zealand (twenty-four)[25] and Switzerland (thirty-one).[26] In Australia, "I Still Believe" was Carey's first song to miss the top fifty since "Forever" had missed it there in 1997.[27]

Music videos

The single's music video, which Brett Ratner directed, was shot in early December 1998 and drew heavy inspiration from Marilyn Monroe's 1953 visit to U.S. troops in Korea for a United Service Organizations show. It shows Carey (who emulates Monroe's make-up and hairstyles) visiting Edwards Air Force Base in California and singing for airmen and soldiers, while standing on a fighter jet, as Monroe had done during the Korean War.[28] It premiered on January 12, 1999 on MTV's Total Request Live, as well as on Entertainment Tonight.[29]

Carey on the set of the music video for "I Still Believe," in December, 1998.

In an interview during the set of the music video, Carey commented:

"Brett Rattner is directing the video and he's a good friend of mine and he's also doing some great work right now. [...] We were talking and I wanted it to be a live performance and we just started going back and forth and I was saying how a lot of people in the service had written me letters and talked about various songs. 'Hero' being one of them. I remember when I put my first album out, people would write who were stationed overseas. It was in the winter of 1990, which was around the time of the Gulf War, so a lot of people were writing about listening to the album. I always used to watch old footage of performers going overseas, from Bob Hope to Marilyn Monroe singing for people in the service. I thought this would be a nice thing to do. So, we're doing the video but I'm going to do some more songs if I have it in me."[12]

The video garnered mixed reviews, while Emmanuel Hapsis of KQED Arts picked it as her eighth best video, calling it "amazing,"[30] Chuck Taylor of Billboard gave a "C" rating, writing that "[s]eeing Carey coo and kiss and flip her neck to a series of faux surprised smiles, however, does make you wonder if you're watching a music video or a glamour shoot for Seventeen." Taylor also claimed that Mariah "never looked better, but [she's] too good a singer for such cheesy posturing."[31] A video for the remix was commissioned and directed by Carey herself, showing her as a peasant girl in a Mexican village as she tends to her goats and gathers water for her family. Bone is portrayed as a pariah of sorts in the town, in whom Carey may have a romantic interest. Da Brat takes on the role of the community gringo, as she arrives in a car with a lot of money.[32]


Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1999) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[27] 54
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[33] 48
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[23] 25
Canada (Canadian Singles Chart)[18] 9
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[34] 21
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[35] 12
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[36] 30
France (SNEP)[24] 33
Germany (Official German Charts)[37] 58
Italy (Hit Parade)[22] 20
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[38] 51
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[25] 24
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[20] 7
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[26] 31
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[21] 16
US Billboard Hot 100[39] 4
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[40] 8
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[41] 1
US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[42] 39
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[43] 3
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[44] 21
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[45] 8
US Top 40 Tracks (Billboard)[18] 20
US Tropical Airplay (Billboard)[46] 15

Year-end charts

Chart (1999) Position
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[47] 65
US Billboard Hot 100[48] 36
US Hot Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[48] 40
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[48] 41

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[49] Platinum 860,000[50]

Other versions

References

  1. ↑ "About Antonina Armato". MTV News. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Who Sang It Best: "I Still Believe" – Brenda K. Starr v. Mariah Carey". 94.7 The Wave. July 22, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  3. ↑ Kantor, Justin M.. Brenda L. Starr: Brenda L. Starr > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 07 October 2011.
  4. 1 2 "Brenda K. Starr – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Brenda K. Starr.
  5. ↑ "Brenda K Starr - I Still Believe | YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  6. ↑ "No lo Voy a Olvidar - Billboard Singles".
  7. ↑ "Brenda K. Starr – Chart history" Billboard Adult Contemporary for Brenda K. Starr.
  8. ↑ "Brenda K. Starr – Chart history" Billboard Hot Latin Songs for Brenda K. Starr.
  9. ↑ "Latin Tropical/Salsa Airplay 1999-03-13". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media.
  10. ↑ "Top Pop Singles of 1998lwork=Billboard". Prometheus Global Media.
  11. ↑ Carey, Mariah (1998). Number 1s (Liner Notes) (Compact Disc). Mariah Carey. New York City, New York: Columbia Records.
  12. 1 2 "December News". Mariah Journal. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 Taylor, Chuck (January 16, 1999). "Singles". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.) 111 (3): 19. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  14. ↑ "Mariah Carey "I Still Believe" Sheet Music". MusicNotes.com. EMI Music Publishing. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 F. Promis, Jose (February 23, 1999). "I Still Believe - Mariah Carey | Allmusic". Allmusic. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  16. ↑ Powers, Devon (May 7, 2002). "Mariah Carey: Greatest Hits | PopMatters". PopMatters. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  17. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Ballads - Mariah Carey | Allmusic". Allmusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  18. 1 2 3 4 "Mariah Carey Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  19. ↑ Trust, Gary (June 4, 2014). "Mariah Carey's 25 Biggest Billboard Hits". Billboard. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  20. 1 2 "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. April 3, 1999. p. 59. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  21. 1 2 "Mariah Carey: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  22. 1 2 "HitParadeItalia - Carey, Mariah" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  23. 1 2 "Ultratop.be – Mariah Carey – I Still Believe" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  24. 1 2 "Lescharts.com – Mariah Carey – I Still Believe" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  25. 1 2 "Charts.org.nz – Mariah Carey – I Still Believe". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  26. 1 2 "Swisscharts.com – Mariah Carey – I Still Believe". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  27. 1 2 Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  28. ↑ MTV News Staff (December 18, 1998). "Mariah Carey Shoots New Video, Eyes Collaboration With Brenda K. Starr". MTV News. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  29. ↑ "Mariah Carey - The Making of "I Still Believe" News Clip (1998)". YouTube. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  30. ↑ Hapsis, Emmanuel (August 12, 2015). "All 64 Mariah Carey Music Videos, Ranked from Worst to Best". KQED Arts. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  31. ↑ Taylor, Chuck (March 6, 1999). "When Sound and Vision Collide: We Rate the Video Behind Radio's Current Hits". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.) 111 (10): 94. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  32. ↑ "Mariah Carey - I Still Believe/Pure Imagination (Ft Krayzie Bone , Da Brat)". YouTube. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  33. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Mariah Carey – I Still Believe" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 7445." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  35. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 8130." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  36. ↑ "The Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. April 17, 1999. Archived from the original on March 11, 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  37. ↑ "Mariah Carey - I Still Believe" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  38. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Mariah Carey – I Still Believe" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Mariah Carey – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Mariah Carey. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Mariah Carey – Chart history" Billboard Adult Contemporary for Mariah Carey. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  41. ↑ "Mariah Carey – Chart history" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for Mariah Carey. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Mariah Carey – Chart history" Billboard Hot Latin Songs for Mariah Carey. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  43. ↑ "Mariah Carey – Chart history" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for Mariah Carey. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  44. ↑ "Mariah Carey – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for Mariah Carey. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  45. ↑ "Mariah Carey – Chart history" Billboard Rhythmic Songs for Mariah Carey. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  46. ↑ "Mariah Carey – Chart history" Billboard Tropical Airplay for Mariah Carey. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  47. ↑ "RPM 1999 Top 100 Adult Contemporary". RPM. December 13, 1999. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  48. 1 2 3 "The Year in Music: 1999". Billboard. December 25, 1999. Retrieved May 26, 2015.
  49. ↑ "American single certifications – Mariah Carey – I Still Believe". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2015. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  50. ↑ Trust, Gary (February 17, 2014). "Ask Billboard: Katy Perry Regains No. 1 Momentum". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
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