"Heaven's What I Feel" is a song recorded by the

Cuban-American Cuban Americans ( or ) are Americans who immigrated from or are descended from immigrants from Cuba. As of 2023, Cuban Americans were the fourth largest Hispanic and Latino Americans, Hispanic and Latino American group in the United States aft ...

singer-songwriter

Gloria Estefan Gloria María Milagrosa Estefan (; ; born September 1, 1957) is an American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is an eight-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of t ...

for her eighth studio album '' gloria!'' (1998). The track's lyrics were written by famed Colombian songwriter

Kike Santander Flavio Enrique "Kike" Santander Lora is a Colombian-American composer, record producer, arranger and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the principal Latino composers of the day, having worked with artists such as David Bisbal, Cristi ...

, who also produced the track with Gloria's husband and longtime collaborator

Emilio Estefan Emilio Estefan Gómez (born March 4, 1953) is a Cuban-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 of s ...

. The up-tempo

dance-pop Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

, and

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

number was originally meant for Canadian singer

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had ...

. Estefan's label,

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

, released it on April 14, 1998, to US

contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (CHR, also known as contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top ...

stations as the

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

for ''gloria!''. A Spanish version of the song, "Corazón Prohibido", was also recorded and released. Marked as a comeback single for the singer, "Heaven's What I Feel" became a success across many different

record chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, ofte ...

s. The track cracked the top ten in Hungary and Japan's Tokio Hot 100 chart, top twenty in the United Kingdom, and top forty in Belgium, Switzerland, and the United States, where in the lattermost country became her highest charting single since 1991's " Live for Loving You". The track's Spanish version also topped the Spanish and US ''Billboard''

Latin Pop Airplay Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area around Rome, Italy. Through the expansion of ...

charts. Estefan performed the track at many different shows and TV concerts such as the 1998 VH1 Divas Live, ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...

'', and the 1998

World Music Awards The World Music Awards was an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event was based in Monte Carlo. Awards were presented to the worl ...

. "Heaven's What I Feel" was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

for

Best Dance Recording The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as Best Dance Recording) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists f ...

in 1999, with its

Bille Woodruff Bille Woodruff is a director of film, television and music videos, noted for directing many videos for a number of R&B and hip-hop artists since the mid-1990s. These artists include Joe, for whom Woodruff has directed 9 music videos since 1994, ...

-directed music video receiving an

ALMA Award The American Latino Media Arts Award or ALMA Award, formerly known as Latin Oscars Award, is an award highlighting the best American Latino contributions to music, television, and film. The awards promote fair and accurate portrayals of Latino ...

for Best Outstanding Video.

Background and promotion

The song was written by Colombian-American composer

. It was first recorded by Canadian singer

, but she did not feel it was right for her fifth English album ''

Let's Talk About Love ''Let's Talk About Love'' is the fifteenth studio album and fifth English-language album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, released on 14 November 1997 by Sony Music. The follow-up to the commercially successful '' Falling into You'' (1996), ''Le ...

'' (1997), so the song was given to Estefan. Santander co-produced it with Estefan's husband, Emilio Estefan, Jr. It was recorded in three languages: English,

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

and French and was made available on May 5, 1998 by

. The Spanish version titled "Corazón Prohibido" ("Forbidden Heart") was released as a single in Spain, where it topped the charts. The French version titled "Amour Infini" ("Endless Love") was only available on the Canadian and the French album releases, and on the European Limited Edition 2-Disc release of the '' gloria!'' album. The single received massive promotion. Estefan first performed the song at the 1998 ''

VH1 Divas VH1 hosted the first annual ''VH1 Divas'' concert in 1998. ''VH1 Divas Live'' was created to support the channel's Save the Music Foundation and subsequent concerts in the series have also benefited that foundation. The ''VH1 Divas'' concerts wer ...

Live''; she also performed at

Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater and former nightclub at 254 West 54th Street (Manhattan), 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Opened as the Gallo Opera House in 1927, it served ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Then she sang it again at the 1998

Monaco Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Regions of Italy, Italian region of Liguria, in Western Europe, ...

where she was the hostess of the event. It was performed on many television programs around the world, such as the British

music chart A record chart, in the music industry, also called a music chart, is a ranking of Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music according to certain criteria during a given period. Many different criteria are used in worldwide charts, ofte ...

television program

. The B-side of the single is the "Gloria Hitmix", a

megamix A megamix is a remix containing multiple songs in rapid succession. It often features various artists. There may be only one verse or even just a brief chorus of each song used, sometimes in addition to samples of the same or other songs. It i ...

which includes the songs: " I'm Not Giving You Up", " Reach", "

You'll Be Mine (Party Time) "You'll Be Mine (Party Time)" is a 1996 song by Cuban American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan. It was released as the follow-up to "Reach (Gloria Estefan song), Reach", as the second single from her seventh studio album, ''Destiny (Gloria Es ...

", "

Mi Tierra ''Mi Tierra'' (''My Homeland'') is the third studio album by Cuban-American recording artist Gloria Estefan, released on June 22, 1993, by Epic Records. Produced by husband Emilio Estefan, it is a Spanish-language album and pays homage to her Cu ...

", " Live for Loving You", " Tres Deseos", " Everlasting Love" and " Turn the Beat Around." On June 3, 2022, Estefan released the "Heaven's What I Feel" EP and its Spanish version "Corazón Prohibido" EP to all digital and streaming outlets.

Critical reception

Ben Wener from ''

Beaver County Times Beavers (genus ''Castor'') are large, semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere. There are two existing species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers are the second-largest l ...

'' noted "the lush orchestration" of the song in his review of '' gloria!''.

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 musi ...

from ''

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 advertis ...

'' described it as a "deliciously sweet confection that takes the listener back to the days of

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

with its wonderfully vibrant strings and rumbling percussion." He added, "La G is in exceptional voice here, hitting high notes she's never touched before—and doing so with a delightfully romantic flair. The fingerprints of top clubland producer Tony Moran are all over the track, starting with its muscular bassline and unabashedly gleeful keyboards." He also noted that the song has "cute lyrics and instantly sing-along

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song), the part of a song that is repeated several times, usually after each verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in whic ...

." Another editor, Chuck Taylor deemed it as a "tasty" track. The Daily Vault's Alfredo Narvaez called it a "flamboyant" song, and stated that it is "pretty enough to be liked by teenage girls and danceable enough that older ladies will instantly recognize and like its vibe." Dave Sholin from the ''

Gavin Report The ''Gavin Report'' was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs. The ...

'' viewed it as "upbeat with a great hook" and a "winner". He added that "while some of her strongest hits have been

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

s, it's wonderful to hear her pick up the pace on this latest endeavor." Joey Guerra from ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, 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''. ...

'' wrote that it is a "daring, delightful track" that "takes flight on the wings of its rousing chorus and themes of unexpected love." Jeremy Griffin from '' The Ithacan'' described it as "sensational". A reviewer from ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later m ...

'' commented that with this track, Estefan "yet again comes up with a near-perfect

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

crossover hit. The song has the hook to make it a radio favourite, and a couple of snappy remixes should help broaden its appeal." Gerald Martinez from ''

New Sunday Times The ''New Straits Times'' is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print (though not the first), having been founded as a local offshoot of Singapore-based ''The Straits Ti ...

'' wrote that it "grooves to a latin disco beat of the 70s and 80s". Victoria Segal from ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' said songs like "Heaven's What I Feel" "speak the international language of tedium". Larry Flick for ''

Vibe Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing. Vibe may also refer to: People * DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ * Lasse Vibe (b ...

'' noted its "twinkly synths, romantic live strings, and vibrant

bass line".

Music video

The

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

was directed by American film director

. It was filmed in a "space" style and shows Gloria flying in some scenes. The video begins with Gloria standing alone singing in front of a magical green portal. As the chorus begins, she goes through it and ends up flying along a rotating tunnel with flashing lights. As the second verse begins, Gloria ends up in a club, amidst dancing people in several floors. Along the walls are screens with Estefan singing. She also performs choreography with some of the dancers. Towards the end, she is lifted up as she continues to sing. After she sings the last note of the song, everyone in the club claps for her. The video received the

for "Best Outstanding Video". Two similar videos were created, one for the English version and one for the Spanish version.

Usage in media

The song was included in the movie '' Dance with Me'' (starring Vanessa L. Williams and

Chayanne Elmer Figueroa Arce, better known under the stage name Chayanne, (born June 28, 1968) is a Puerto Rican Latin pop singer and actor. As a solo artist, Chayanne has released 21 albums and sold over 15 million records worldwide, making him one of ...

) soundtrack.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Formats and track listings

"Heaven's What I Feel"

"Corazón Prohibido"

Release history

Official versions and remixes

;Original versions # Album Version — (5:05) # Radio Edit #1 — (4:37) # Radio Edit #2 — (4:07) # Ballad Version — (4:28) # Acappella — (4:26) # Spanish Version ("Corazón Prohibido") — (5:05) # Spanish Radio Edit ("Corazón Prohibido") — (4:34) # Spanish Ballad Version ("Corazón Prohibido") — (5:05) # Spanish Acappella ("Corazón Prohibido") — (4:31) # French Version ("Amour Infini") — (5:05) ;"Heaven's What I Feel" 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 Perde ...

Remix — (5:03) # Love To Infinity Classic Paradise Mix — (6:10) # Love To Infinity Classic Radio Mix #1 (a.k.a. Classic Radio Long) — (5:05) # Love To Infinity Classic Radio Edit #2 (a.k.a. Classic Radio Short) — (3:32) # Love To Infinity Rhino Mix — (7:11) # Victor Calderone Mix — (8:32) # Victor Calderone Radio Mix — (4:12) # Victor Calderone Dub — (7:30) # Soul Solution Vox Mix — (10:11) # Soul Solution Radio Mix — (4:40) # Soul Solution NRG Dub — (5:12) # Trouser Enthusiasts' Neanderthal Thrust Mix — (10:54) # Prince Quick Mix's Amped Up Pass — (5:40) # Prince Quick Mix's Subaquatic Dub — (6:15) ;"Corazón Prohibido" remixes #

Remix — (4:42) #

Spanish 12" Remix — (7:10)

References

{{authority control 1998 songs 1998 singles Gloria Estefan songs American dance-pop songs Epic Records singles American house music songs Music videos directed by Bille Woodruff Number-one singles in Spain Songs written by Kike Santander