| "When You Believe" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single byMariah Carey andWhitney Houston | ||||
| from the albumThe Prince of Egypt,My Love Is Your Love, and#1's | ||||
| B-side |
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| Released | October 28, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | August 14, 1998 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
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| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Babyface | |||
| Mariah Carey singles chronology | ||||
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| Whitney Houston singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "When You Believe" onYouTube | ||||
"When You Believe" is a song made for the 1998DreamWorks musical animated featureThe Prince of Egypt, with music and lyrics byStephen Schwartz.[3] A pop single version of "When You Believe" performed by American singersWhitney Houston andMariah Carey, with additional music and lyrics by writer-producerKenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, was also recorded for the film'send credits and itssoundtrack album byDreamWorks Records.[4] Additionally, the song was released as a single on October 28, 1998, serving as thelead single for the soundtrack and for both Houston's fourth studio album,My Love Is Your Love byArista Records, and the second single and first commercial single for Carey's first compilation album,#1's byColumbia Records. The original version of the song, featured in the narrative portion of the film, is performed bySally Dworsky,Michelle Pfeiffer, and a children's choir featuring soloist Andrew Bryan. "When You Believe" is described as a big ballad, with meaningful and inspirational lyrics, describing that there can be miracles when a person believes in God.
The song received generally positive reviews from music critics and experienced moderate success, peaking at number 15 on theBillboard Hot 100, despite heavy media attention and live promotion. It achieved better charting throughout Europe and other nations, reaching number one in Hungary, peaking within the top five in Belgium, France, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. "When You Believe" was awarded theAcademy Award for Best Original Song at the71st annual ceremony on March 21, 1999. Prior to their performance of the song that night, Schwartz left Babyface's name off the nomination submission sheet. He felt that because the additions Babyface added to the song were not featured in the actual film version, he did not deserve writing credits. However, while Babyface did not receive the Oscar, Carey and Houston performed his version of the song, because they were more familiar with it than the one in the film. Prior to their performance at the Academy Awards, they sang it on November 26, 1998, onThe Oprah Winfrey Show, promoting the song, as well as both their albums.
The song featured two music videos. The first and most commonly seen video was filmed atBrooklyn Academy of Music performing arts center. The video features both singers, and begins with Houston and Carey performing in a large auditorium, giving the illusion of a concert. Towards the end of the video, clips of the film are projected onto a large screen at the concert, while they belt out the final verse. The alternate video was only released onNBC's special,When You Believe: Music Inspired by the Prince of Egypt, broadcast on December 13, 1998. It features a similar synopsis, with both singers performing on a large stage of an old Egyptian pyramid.
It's sort of a message song. It's whatPrince of Egypt is about,Moses. If we were ever going to come together on any kind of record, this is definitely the right one, and really the coolest thing to me is that after all of the drama and everybody making it like we had a rivalry, she was just really cool and we had a really good time in the studio. We had fun. And so, if nothing else, it was a good experience... anddiva-ism, whatever.
When Carey compiled her first compilation effort,#1's, "When You Believe" was included in the track listing. According to Carey, the song was included because she felt it was "a miracle" that she and Houston collaborated on a record.[6] During the development ofAll That Glitters (a film Carey was working on at the time, later known asGlitter), she had been introduced toDreamWorks co-ownerJeffrey Katzenberg, who asked her if she would record the song "When You Believe" for the soundtrack of the animated filmThe Prince of Egypt.[5] Houston, on the other hand, was introduced to the project throughKenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, with whom she had been collaborating on her album,My Love Is Your Love. After they were shown the film separately, both became very enthusiastic about participating in the project.[5]
The song was co-written byStephen Schwartz andKenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, who also produced the song.[6] Edmonds expressed how he went through more than one version of the song and described its production as a beautiful film ballad that was something different from anything he, Carey, or Houston had ever previously recorded. In an interview withVibe, Carey said that she "liked [the song] the way it was". She had characterised it as "a very big ballad but in an inspirational way" and denied speculation that there had been past rivalry or animosity between her and Houston prior to its recording: "I never even really talked to her until this. We never had any issues between us. The media and everybody made it an issue".[7] In an interview withEbony, Houston spoke about her relationship with Carey:
I enjoyed working with her very much. Mariah and I got along very great. We had never talked and never sang together before. We just had a chance for camaraderie, singer-to-singer, artist-to-artist, that kind of thing. We just laughed and talked and laughed and talked and sang in between that ... It's good to know that two ladies of soul can still be friends. We talked about doing other things together, enterprise-wise, which is cool, because she's got a good, vivid mind, that girl. She's a smart lady. I really like Mariah.[8]
Although the pair continued to express positive feelings for one another, the media continued to perpetuate the rivalry narrative.[6] It was alleged that the singers had to record their parts separately due to tension. While media speculation grew as the film's release date drew near, both singers maintained that they had become close friends, and had only the most positive things to say about each other.[6]
The Prince of Egypt is a film adaptation of the first fourteen chapters of theBook of Exodus. "When You Believe" is sung in the film mainly byMiriam andTzipporah, in an attempt to reassure Moses in the aftermath of thetenth plague and to make sense of and rejoice in their newfound freedom. They recall the tough times that have caused them to question their faith; they have prayed many nights to God, but those pleas seemed to have remain unanswered. Nevertheless, they realize that although the times may be difficult, their faith should remain strong.[6] The scene is overlaid with Hebrews emerging from their homes after the plagues, being free for the first time. The song is then sung by a chorus of Hebrews as they depart from Egypt and embark onthe Exodus, eventually ending up at theRed Sea coast prior toits parting.[3] As abridge, a chorus of children sings some paraphrased excerpts in Hebrew from theSong of the Sea (Exodus 15:1-18).
The original draft of the song used the lyric "you can do miracles when you believe", but this seemed to imply that the believer, not God, was responsible for performing miracles; the lyric was later changed to "there can be miracles when you believe".[9]
Houston had sung in a church choir while growing up, and Carey had always connected to her faith through music, especially during any difficult times.[6] This song became one of the many reasons that both singers were so interested in the project. They each felt that spreading faith in God was an important and honorable aspect of their career.[6] While describing the song's lyrics and message, Houston said in an interview withEbony:
A powerful ballad; [songwriter] Stephen Schwartz is a genius. You have to be a child of God to understand the depth of this song. Mariah and I did it as we felt it. We both felt very connected to the song because of our background. What can I say? (It is) Just a beautiful song. What a lyric! I can't talk about it—just listen to it.[8]
Originally, Schwartz composed the film version of "When You Believe", which was sung in the film by the characters ofTzipporah (Michelle Pfeiffer) andMiriam (Sally Dworsky).[10] It featured some different instrumentation from the single version, and a bridge in which a children’s choir sang in Hebrew from theSong of the Sea in theBook of Exodus.
In order to give the song a wider radio and pop appeal, Edmonds changed some of the song's instrumentals and replaced the children’s choir and the original bridge with a gospel one.[10] His version was considered more "commercial" and would make the song "help sell the movie". Schwartz's original version was titled "When You Believe", while Edmonds' enhanced version was titled "The Prince of Egypt (When You Believe)".[10] "When You Believe" is a slow tempoballad, which incorporatespop,soul andR&B genres. A key change separates Houston and Carey's solo parts in the song. During the lastbridge and chorus,gospel inspired background singers join the song, giving it a "layered sound" while Houston and Carey's voice switch off belting the bridge. After "When You Believe" was written, Babyface added additional instrumentation, as well as a final bridge.[7]
Musicological commentary has noted that the opening melodic line of When You Believe bears a resemblance of the Chinese orchestral pieceDance of the Yao People (瑶族舞曲), composed by Liu Tieshan andMao Yuan in 1952.[11] Dance of the Yao People is a well-known instrumental work based on the traditional long-drum dance music of theYao ethnic group, characterized by its distinctive pentatonic-influenced melodies and orchestral presentation.
The song is set incommon time. Houston's verse is written in thekey ofB minor and features a basicchord progression of A-G1, and the songmodulates toD major for her chorus. Her vocals in the song range from thenote ofF♯3 to F♯5. Carey's verse is set in the same key, but the song changes toE major for her chorus. Her vocal range in the song spans from the low note of E3 to the high note ofA♯5[12] The song's key changes again in the last chorus, toF-sharp major. Steve Jones fromUSA Today called the song a "soaring duet" and felt that the song would be able to appeal to many types of listeners and "cross all genres".[13]
"When You Believe" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who favorably described the track as "epic",[14] "powerful",[15] "beautiful",[16] "stunning",[17] "bombastic",[18] and "a devout duet".[19]Chuck Taylor ofBillboard wrote: "TheBabyface-stamped track is indeed lovely, offering an instantly accessiblechorus and a squeaky clean message of "all things are possible when you believe in your dreams". He added that "the genuine story in this track is the return of Houston, who sounds fantastic—as clear and confident as ever".[20] Another editor, Paul Verna stated that it is a "high-powered" duet, and later highlighted the song while reviewing Houston's album.[21] However, some reviewers were not as enthusiastic.Stephen Thomas Erlewine ofAllMusic called it "unexpected -- and unexpectedly dull",[22] whileDavid Browne complained it has "so much sap, maple trees will be jealous", particularly dismissing the song's religious aspect as "insipid" and its inspirational message forced and generic.[23] Two decades later, the song was ranked the 96th best Carey song byBillboard,[24] the second-best pop song of the 1990s byElle,[25] one of the four best R&B duets of all time byCBC.ca,[26] and the 42nd best track of any genre of the decade byInsider.[27]
The song performed moderately in the United States, despite a performance onThe Oprah Winfrey Show and the71st annualAcademy Awards. It peaked at number 15 on theHot 100 and number three onBillboard'sAdult Contemporary Chart.[28] On March 24, 1999, after fluctuating in the US charts, the song was certifiedplatinum by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of over 1,000,000 units.[29] In Canada, the song debuted on theRPM Singles Chart at number 66 on theRPM issue dated December 7, 1998,[30] and peaked at number 20 on the chart issue dated January 25, 1999.[31] It was present on the chart for a total of ten weeks.[32]
The song performed moderately in Australia, where it entered at number 25 on theARIA Singles Chart during the week of December 6, 1998.[33] It remained on the chart for 14 weeks, spending its last week on the chart at number 50; it was certifiedgold by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of over 35,000 units.[34] In New Zealand, it peaked at number eight on the singles chart, and spent nine weeks fluctuating in the singles chart.[35] "When You Believe" experienced its highest charting in Europe. In Belgium, it reached number five on the Flanders Ultratop 50, and peaked at number four and spent 20 weeks on the Wallonian Ultratop 40.[36] During the week of December 5, 1998, "When You Believe" entered theDutch Top 40 at number fifty-four. The song spent twenty-one weeks on the singles chart and was peaked at number four.[37] Due to strong single sales, the song entered theFinnish Singles Chart at number 10, but it only spent one week in the chart.[38] In France, the song entered theFrench Singles Chart at number 14 on December 5, 1998 and eventually peaked at number five.[39] After spending 20 weeks fluctuating in the singles chart, it was certified silver by theSyndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP).[40] In Germany, it peaked at number eight on theGerman Singles Chart and was certified gold by theBundesverband Musikindustrie, denoting shipments of over 250,000 units.[41][42] The song peaked at number seven in Ireland, where it spent 11 weeks in theIrish Singles Chart.[43]
In Norway, "When You Believe" entered at number three on theVG-lista chart and peaked at number two, spending three consecutive weeks at the position.[44] It was certified platinum by theInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and spent 15 weeks on the chart.[45] The song peaked at number two in Sweden and Switzerland, spending 20 and 24 weeks on the singles charts, respectively.[46][47] The IFPI certified the song platinum in Sweden and gold in Switzerland.[48][49] "When You Believe" experienced high charting in the United Kingdom. It peaked at number four on theUK Singles Chart during the week of December 19, 1998 and spent 14 weeks on the chart.[50] As of 2010, sales of the song in the UK are estimated at 260,000 units.[51]
The single's music video was filmed at theBrooklyn Academy of Music during the fall of 1998.[6] The video begins with Houston entering a small arena as she begins to sing the song's first verse. As she finishes her part, Carey appears on the stage as well, performing the second verse and chorus. The video is set in a dark studio accented by Egyptian settings, backdrops, and scenes inspired byThe Prince of Egypt. An audience is on hand to emulate a concert-like-setting, cheering on both singers. Occasionally, home video clips of Carey and Houston appear throughout the video, as well as clips of the final moments of the film, during the splitting of the Red Sea. The video ends as the room is illuminated, and the two singers are joined by a large choir. As they complete the song, Carey and Houston receive a standing ovation from the crowd, and exit the studio together, walking side by side as they disappear in the distance. For the video, Carey and Houston both donned similar low-cut black gowns, while Carey sported a long straight hairstyle, and Houston a pixie cut.[52]
The song's alternate video features a similar synopsis, where Houston begins singing the song on a large stone altar in the middle of an auditorium. As she finishes her verse, Carey is seen walking up the ramp in the background, joining Houston for her verse. They continue singing the song together, standing side by side and holding hands. After completing the song, both singers exit the auditorium together as in the first video, simulating two friends enjoying time with each other.[6] Both videos are very similar, only the alternate version does not feature an audience, choir or images, only the duo singing together atop the stone altar.[6]
The duo performed the song live onThe Oprah Winfrey Show on November 26, 1998. Aside from the joint performance, Houston and Carey sang their own singles at the time, "I Learned from the Best" and "I Still Believe", respectively.[8] Additionally, they sang the song live at the71st Annual Academy Awards on March 21, 1999.[53] Before the performance, they were due to rehearse together a few days before their scheduled appearance. Houston however, called in sick and had to miss the rehearsal. Reportedly, her excuse was not taken well, as academy executives were not convinced by that story. Conti, the academy's musical arranger, found a young female singer to take Houston's place, Janis Uhley. Before the performance, Carey walked down the stage in a white top and jeans, while choreographerDebbie Allen led the background singers.[53] As they began the performance, Carey forgot the lyrics and stopped, as Uhley began singing in a "theatricality and gusto". Her boastful performance was not taken well by the directors, who called it "inappropriate and unnerving". After she was removed from the stage, a new date was chosen for the rehearsal, one that would accommodate both Houston and Carey.[53]
The next night, after they began the rehearsal, both singers had trouble performing the film version of the song. After hours of practice and confusion, they reached a compromise; they would sing a mash-up of the film and single versions, which featured an additional bridge and instrumentation by Edmonds. For the Oscar ceremony, Houston and Carey wore matching white gowns, symbolizing "humbleness and simplicity".[54] Houston entered the arena, performing her verse, followed by Carey. As the song's finale drew near, a full gospel choir joined the performance from large suspending golden scaffolding, all wearing large white tunics. After the original was nominated for the Academy Award, Schwartz refused to give Edmonds writing credits in nomination forms submitted to the academy.[10]
In 2016, Carey performed the song on herSweet Sweet Fantasy Tour solo as Houston had died four years prior to the tour.[55]
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 71st Academy Awards | Academy Award for Best Song | Won | [56] |
| 4th Critics' Choice Awards | Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Song | Won | [57] | |
| 1998 Golden Globes | Best Original Song (in a Motion Picture) | Nominated | [58] | |
| 2000 | 42nd Grammy Awards | Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television | Nominated | [59] |
| Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals | Nominated |
|
|
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[34] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| Belgium (BRMA)[138] | Platinum | 50,000* |
| France (SNEP)[139] | Gold | 250,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[140] | Gold | 250,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[141] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[142] | Platinum | |
| Sweden (GLF)[143] | Platinum | 30,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[144] | Gold | 25,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[145] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[29] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[29] Physical single | Gold | 500,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | October 28, 1998 | [146] | |
| Japan | November 26, 1998 | CD | [147] |
| Belgium | November 30, 1998 | Maxi CD | [148] |
| Malaysia | December 3, 1998 | — | [149] |
| United Kingdom | December 7, 1998 |
| [150] |
| United States | January 5, 1999 | CD | [29] |
"When You Believe" was performed byAmerican Idol contestant and winnerCandice Glover on thetwelfth season of the show. A studio recording of the song was also released as a single oniTunes. Glover performed "When You Believe" onAmerican Idol on the "Divas" theme night on April 17, 2013.[151] Glover's performance was met with praise from the show's judges and was generally considered the best performance of the night.[151]Rolling Stone wrote that Glover "got judges on their feet" with her "impeccable" performance.[152]Nicki Minaj exclaimed at the end of the performance that "and that is how you do a Mariah Carey/Whitney Houston song".[153] Likewise,Billboard called Glover's performance "best single showing of the night" and commented on the vocal delivery that "she knows precisely when to hit the sweet spot of a song, building up to that point with masterful restraint".[151]MTV News commented that Glover "positively slay[ed]" the song.[154]
The song was recorded by Irish musical ensembleCeltic Woman and released as a single from their fifth studio albumCeltic Woman: Songs from the Heart (2010).[155] The song also appears on the Japanese release of their seventh studio albumCeltic Woman: Believe (2011).[156] The song features lead vocals from one of the group's singersChloë Agnew. In an interview forChicago Music Magazine, Chloë Agnew described the lyrics of the song as "really incredible".[157] She stated that "it is a songs that I listen to and wish I had written. It's really so special. I think a lot of people have found strength and hope in the lyrics. It's been really rewarding to meet and talk to people at our meet and greet events come up and tell me how much that song means to them and how it has helped them".[157] Irish singerChloë Agnew recorded the track for her debut albumChloë (2002).[158][159]
In 2011, the first season winner ofThe X Factor,Melanie Amaro covered this song during the live performance. In 2014, the song was performed live byTeodora Sava when she was 13 years old, in duet withNico, as special guests of the Romanian kids talent showNext Star.[160]Pentatonix andMaren Morris covered the song for Pentatonix's 2018 Christmas albumChristmas Is Here!. Their cover is also featured onThe Best of Pentatonix Christmas.
AmericanBelzHasidic singerShulem Lemmer covered the song, in his albumThe Perfect Dream, released in 2019.[161]Cynthia Erivo andShoshana Bean, with piano accompaniment by Stephen Schwartz, performed the song as part of theSaturday Night Seder on April 11, 2020. This version was then released as a single on June 30 the same year.[162] Erivo would go on to perform the song with herWicked co-starAriana Grande at the 2024Met Gala and by herself at the 35thNational Memorial Day Concert inWashington, D.C., both in May 2024.[163] SwedeIsak Danielson, released a version as a single in November 2020.[164]
| "When You Believe" | ||||
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| Single byLeon Jackson | ||||
| from the albumRight Now | ||||
| Released | December 16, 2007 (2007-12-16) | |||
| Recorded | 2007 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 4:16 | |||
| Label | Syco | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Steve Mac | |||
| Leon Jackson singles chronology | ||||
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| The X Factor winner's single singles chronology | ||||
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"When You Believe" was recorded byThe X Factor winnerLeon Jackson in December 2007, with slightly altered lyrics in the second verse, removing some religious overtones within the song.[165] The single was available to download from midnight after the result of the show on December 15, and a CD was rush-released mid-week, on December 19.[165] This was unusual as most new singles were released on a Monday to gain maximum sales for theUK Singles Chart the following Sunday. Exceptions included the previous twoX Factor winners whose singles were released in this fashion, in order for them to compete to be theChristmas number-one single, which they all became.[165] A video for the single was made by each of the final four of the series; Jackson,Rhydian Roberts,Same Difference, and Niki Evans. However, rather unsurprisingly, only the winner's version of the song and video was released.
The song ended 2007 as the year's fourth biggest-selling single in the UK and remained number one into 2008,[166] but it only managed to stay in the top 40 for seven weeks, despite being atop the chart for three weeks. It also soon disappeared from the top 100, and was gone by late February.[167]
The music video, like previousX Factor winners singles, is very simple, with Jackson singing the song in front of a large projection, with swooping shots of various landscapes behind him. It also features several clips from his time inThe X Factor, from his first audition to the moment he was announced the winner and performed his single to close the series.Simon Cowell,Sharon Osbourne,Dannii Minogue,Louis Walsh,Dermot O'Leary and runner-upRhydian Roberts all feature within the clips.
On December 23, 2007, it debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, making it the coveted Christmas number one with sales of over 275,000 copies.[168] It stayed at number one for three weeks until it fell down to number five on its fourth week and then fell another ten places to number fifteen in its fifth week.[167] According toThe Official Charts Company, the song has sold 506,000 copies in the UK as of December 2012.[169] Additionally, it also spent three weeks at the top of theIrish Singles Chart.[168]
| Chart (2007–2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[170] | 4 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[171] | 1 |
| Scotland Singles (OCC)[172] | 1 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[173] | 1 |
| Chart (2007) | Position |
|---|---|
| Ireland (IRMA)[174] | 12 |
| UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[175] | 4 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[177] | Gold | 506,000[176] |
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