| "Kissing You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byDes'ree | ||||
| from the albumWilliam Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet: Music from the Motion Picture | ||||
| B-side | "You Gotta Be" | |||
| Released | 24 February 1997 | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 4:57 | |||
| Label | Sony Music | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Nellee Hooper | |||
| Des'ree singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "I'm Kissing You" on YouTube | ||||
"Kissing You" (or "I'm Kissing You") is a song by British singerDes'ree. It was written by the singer withTimothy Atack forBaz Luhrmann's 1996 filmRomeo + Juliet. The song was included on the film'ssoundtrack album and Des'ree's third studio album,Supernatural (1998). A popballad set in the key ofA minor, the record uses a simple instrumentation consisting only of piano andstring instruments. "Kissing You" featured inRomeo + Juliet when the title characters meet at a ball. The song was well received by critics for its emotional melody and toned-down production.
First released as a single in Australia on 24 February 1997, it appeared on theARIA Singles Chart and theUK Singles Chart. A music video accompanied the single, which included scenes fromRomeo + Juliet. This song is also used in Season 2, Episode 2 of ‘’The Summer I Turned Pretty’’. "Kissing You" was covered byBeyoncé in 2007, and an accompanying music video was filmed, titled "Still in Love (Kissing You)". The change of title and music video went against copyright terms, and Des'ree's publishers filed a lawsuit against Beyoncé and her representatives. Infringing albums were recalled, and both sides agreed that the case be settled out of court.
"Kissing You" was written byDes'ree andTimothy Atack, and was produced byNellee Hooper. Thestring instruments werearranged byCraig Armstrong, whileAndy Todd andJim Abbissengineered the record.[1] Thepop ballad[2] uses only piano and string instrumentation.[3] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by T C F Music Publishing, Inc., "Kissing You" is set in12
8 time with a moderately slowtempo of 112 beats per minute. Written in the key ofA minor, it has a sequence of Dm7–Am7–G/B–C–G/B–Am7–C/G as itschord progression. Des'ree's voice spans from the low note of A3 to the high note of D5.[2]
"Kissing You" is featured duringRomeo + Juliet, directed byBaz Luhrmann, whenRomeo (Leonardo DiCaprio) andJuliet (Claire Danes) first meet at a ball at the Capulets' mansion; Des'ree also appears in the scene performing the song.[4][5] The song was featured on the film'ssoundtrack album,[6] and was included on Des'ree's third studio album,Supernatural (1998).[7]Sony Music released the single viacompact disc on 18 June 1997.[8] "Kissing You" was also sold as theB-side to "Life" (1998) in the UK.[9] The musical interlude in the middle of "Kissing You" was used to promote theUEFA Euro 2004.[10]
New Statesman's Lisa Jardine noted "Kissing You" as "a high point" of the film.[11]J. D. Considine wrote forThe Baltimore Sun that "the tremulous intensity of Des'ree's 'Kissing You' has more emotional impact than many films".[12] In a review ofSupernatural forEntertainment Weekly, Considine later commended the "throaty emotionalism" with which Des'ree sang "Kissing You".[13] Jim Farber from theDaily News noted the song as the standout track fromSupernatural and claimed that it "stands as the only track to deepen the mood, bringing out the indigo pleasures of her voice."[14] TheRichmond Times-Dispatch's Kate Lipper called the record "an excellent slow song that you can play nonstop".[15] However,Ann Powers fromThe New York Times wrote that Des'ree is too melodramatic on "Kissing You".[16] In an interview withThe Sunday Telegraph,Charlotte Church described the song as one of her favourites: "This is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. It's an original sound and they sing it so well. There's no beat, it's just a lovely, lulling song."[17]
"Kissing You" debuted on the AustralianARIA Singles Chart at number 42 on the week ending 9 March 1997.[18] It rose to its peak position of number 17 on 20 April 1997, and spent a total of 13 weeks on the chart.[18] In December 2010, "Kissing You" entered theUK Singles Chart at number 137.[19] In 2013Abbey Clancy waltzed to "Kissing You" on the11th series ofStrictly Come Dancing,[20] and the song reentered the UK Singles Chart at number 91.[21] In 2016, "Kissing You" appeared on theFrench Singles Chart at number 90.[22]
The music video for "Kissing You" features scenes ofRomeo + Juliet, mainly those when Romeo and Juliet first meet at the Capulets' ball. Interspersed are clips of Des'ree singing the song in an empty building, with water on the floor. Towards the end of the video, some of the final scenes of the film are displayed, and the building that Des'ree is in is illuminated through the windows. The video was included on the film's special edition DVD, released in 2002.[23]
| "Still in Love (Kissing You)" | |
|---|---|
| Song byBeyoncé | |
| from the albumB'Day(Deluxe edition) | |
| Released | April 3, 2007 (2007-04-03) |
| Length | 4:41 |
| Label | |
| Songwriters | |
"Kissing You" was covered by AmericanR&B singerBeyoncé, included on the 2007 deluxe edition of her second studio album,B'Day. Beyoncé contributed to the writing and production.[24][25][26] She called the song "a beautiful ballad".[27][28] Sal Cinquemani ofSlant Magazine wrote that the song "sound[s] downright subtle".[29]
Des'ree'spublishers, the Royalty Network, filed alawsuit againstSony BMG, Sony BMG Sales Enterprise, Beyoncé, B-Day Publishing and EMI April Music, claiming that Beyoncé's cover of the song infringed copyright conditions.[30] On 13 February 2007, Beyoncé's representatives had sought permission to useinterpolations of "Kissing You". The Royalty Network offered Beyoncé the use of the song under certain terms. Two of the conditions of the proposal were that the song's title remain the same, and that the song was not published in video form.[26] Beyoncé made no further contact with the Royalty Network, and planned to release "Still in Love (Kissing You)" and its video, regardless of the two requested conditions, which the Royalty Network called "completely unacceptable".[26] A music video for the song was shot and directed by Cliff Watts, who had also shot Beyoncé'sSports Illustrated cover.[25] Filmed onSuper 8 in Miami, the video was included on theB'Day Anthology Video Album.[25] The publishing company requested thatSony Music Entertainment (SME)—the parent company of Columbia Records—halt distribution ofB'Day with the retitled song. Nevertheless, the album was released on 3 April 2007; the Royalty Network considered the action "willful disregard", and retracted their permission to use the song.[26]
The lawsuit, filed on 16 April 2007 in theDistrict Court for the Southern District of New York, sought US$150,000 indamages and a recall of the infringing material. The same day, SME ceased distribution of both the deluxe edition ofB'Day and the anthology video album,[26] although the editions had sold over 214,000 copies before the recall.[30] Later reissues of the albums did not include "Still in Love (Kissing You)" and its video, with "If" replacing the track on theB'Day deluxe edition.[31]An injunction hearing was scheduled for 4 May,[26] and later postponed until 14 May 2007.[32] On 12 October 2007, the case was dismissed withprejudice, by agreement of all parties.[33] Beyoncé's father and manager,Mathew Knowles, stated that his daughter did not know about the copyright issues prior to the legal action, and that recording artists rarely involve themselves with such matters.[31]
| Chart (1997–2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[35] | 17 |
| France (SNEP)[36] | 90 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[37] | 83 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[38] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
