"Oye" (English: ''Listen!'' or ''Hey!'') is a song by Cuban American singer and songwriter

Gloria Estefan Gloria Estefan (; born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García; born 1 September 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been ...

. It was released by Epic on July 13, 1998 as the second single from her eighth studio album, ''

gloria! ''Gloria!'' is the eighth studio album released by Cuban-American singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan, released on June 2, 1998, by Epic Records. Background ''Gloria!'' is a dance and house album which was a departure from Estefan's previous wo ...

'' (1998). The song was written by Estefan, her husband

Emilio Estefan, Jr. Emilio Estefan Gómez (born March 4, 1953) is a Cuban-born American musician and producer. Estefan has won 19 Grammy Awards. He first came to prominence as a member of the Miami Sound Machine. He is the husband of singer Gloria Estefan, father ...

, Randall Barlow and Angie Chirino and produced by Estefan, Jr., Barlow and

Tony Moran Anthony "Tony" Moran is a DJ, record producer, remixer, singer and songwriter known for remixing popular songs. In 2007, he hit number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play chart twice with " Walk Away" featuring Kristine W and "Kee ...

. It was planned for commercial release in the US on July 14, 1998 in various formats, but at the last minute the release was cancelled. However, the single still reached number one on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Hot Dance Music/Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as th ...

chart and in Spain. It earned the

Billboard Latin Music Award The ''Billboard'' Latin Music Awards grew out of the ''Billboard'' Music Awards program from ''Billboard'' magazine, an industry publication charting the sales and radio airplay success of musical recordings. The ''Billboard'' awards are the La ...

in the category for "Best Latin Club-Dance Track of the Year". On June 3, 2022, Estefan released the "Oye" English (EP) and its Spanish (EP) to all digital and streaming outlets.

Critical reception

J.D. Considine J. D. Considine (born 1957) is a music critic who has been writing about music professionally since 1977. Background J. D. Considine's work has been published in numerous newspapers and music magazines, and he has contributed to several books. ...

from ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...

'' felt that "Oye" is "where

latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

meets

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

most effectively." He added, "Basically a sort of

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...

salsa Salsa most often refers to: * Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments * Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music * Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music Salsa or SALSA may also refer to: A ...

fusion, it combines the thumping regularity of electronics with the soulful release of

Afro-Cuban Afro-Cubans or Black Cubans are Cubans of West African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community and the combining of native African and other cultural ele ...

rhythm, a combination so potent it makes dancing an almost involuntary response." Also Ben Wener from ''

Beaver County Times ''The Beaver County Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Beaver, Pennsylvania, United States, and serving the north-western Pittsburgh suburbs. The ''Times'' is a direct descendant of many of Beaver County's newspapers, starting with the '' ...

'' noted the "bouncing Afro-Cuban flourishes" of the song.

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

'' remarked that the second single from "La Glo's slammin' dance opus", ''

'', "sidesteps the disco demeanor of the previous "

Heaven's What I Feel "Heaven's What I Feel" is a 1998 song by Cuban American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan, released as the lead single from her eighth studio album, ''gloria!'' on May 5, 1998 by Epic Records. The song was written by Kike Santander originally ...

" in favor of a percussive salsa flavor." He added, "Once again, the veteran singer manages to surprise and delight, delivering a bilingual performance that is fraught with smoldering sensuality. She is bolstered by an arrangement that teeters between current club sounds and the shoulder-shakin' tone of her

Miami Sound Machine Miami Sound Machine was an American band of Latin-influenced music that had featured the vocals of Cuban-born recording artist Gloria Estefan (née Fajardo). Established in 1975 by Emilio Estefan Jr., the band was originally known as the Miami ...

breakthrough, "

Conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...

". In fact, if you've been pining away for a jam that captures the party vibe of that classic recording, look no further." Joey Guerra from ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...

'' stated that it has one of the album's "strongest punches", describing it as a "sweltering bilingual cut that recalls" Puerto Rican singer

Ricky Martin Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...

's international smash "

Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...

". Victoria Segal from ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' said that songs like "Oye" "speak the international language of tedium". Flick for ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...

'' noted that the song has a "ferocious new energy and a vocal spark that Estefan hasn't previously displayed." Flick, Larry. (June–July 1998). "Spins". ''

''.

Music video

The accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for "Oye" was directed by

Argentinian Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or ( feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, ...

director

Gustavo Garzón Gustavo Garzón (born May 25, 1955 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine film and television actor. He works in the cinema of Argentina.Freiburg,_Germany_ file:Juanes_ZMF_2015_jm49211.jpg.html" ;"title="Germany">Freiburg,_ Freiburg,_Germany_">Germany ...

and features Estefan performing the song in a nightclub.

Charts

Formats and track listings

Official versions and remixes

Original versions # Album Version – (4:40) # Extra-Large Album Version – (5:05) #

Radio Edit #1 – (3:52) #

Radio Edit #2 – (4:17) Remixes #

Pablo Flores Pablo Flores is a Puerto Rican DJ, record producer, remixer and arranger. Remixes for Gloria Estefan * " Abriendo Puertas" * " Bad Boy" * "Bailando!'" (Special edition Megamix) * " Betcha Say That" * "Cherchez La Femme" * "Como Me Duele Perder ...

English Remix Radio Edit (aka Pablo Flores Remix) – (4:17) # Pablo Flores Spanish Remix Radio Edit (aka Pablo Flores Spanish Remix) – (4:17) # Pablo Flores 12" Mix – (8:24) # Pablo Flores Dub Mix – (5:10) # Rosabel's Cubarican Club Mix – (9:55) # Rosabel's Cubarican Club Edit – (7:35) # Rosabel's Cubarican English Radio Edit (aka Rosabel's Cubarican Radio Edit #1) – (3:51) # Rosabel's Cubarican Spanish Radio Edit (aka Rosabel's Cubarican Radio Edit #2) – (3:51) # Rosabel's Data-Flash Dub – (8:13) # Rosabel's Havana Dub – (8:05) # Mijangos Latin Mix w/ English Vocals – (9:41) # Mijangos Latin Mix w/ Spanish Vocals – (9:41) # Mijangos Latin Radio Edit – (4:00) # Mijangos English Radio Edit – (4:00) # Mijangos House Dub – (8:09) # Mijangos Club Mix w/ English Vocals – (8:25) # Mijangos Club Mix w/ Spanish Vocals – (8:25) #

Hex Hector Hex Hector (born Héctor Ortiz on April 15, 1965) is an American music producer and remixer. He won a Grammy Award in 2001 for Best Remixer. He was born in Manhattan, New York, of a Puerto Rican mother and Cuban Cuban may refer to: * Something ...

12" Mix – (7:50) # Hex Hector Radio Mix – (4:00) # Hex Hector Dub – (7:30) # Hex Hector Bonus Beats – (4:00) # DJ Greek's Dark Club Mix – (6:24) # DJ Greek's Caliente Mix – (5:10) # Clamaran & Pautrat's Club Mix – (7:28) # Clamaran & Pautrat's Radio Edit – (3:46) # Clamaran & Pautrat's Ultra Dub + Voices – (7:15) # Clamaran & Pautrat's Ultra Dub – (6:42)

Release history

External links

Lyrics with English translation

References

{{Gloria Estefan singles 1998 singles Gloria Estefan songs Number-one singles in Spain Macaronic songs Dance-pop songs Epic Records singles 1998 songs Songs written by Gloria Estefan Songs written by Emilio Estefan House music songs Songs about dancing