Forever Love (Reba McEntire song) explained

Forever Love
Cover:Reba McEntire - Forever Love.png
Border:yes
Type:single
Artist:Reba McEntire
Album:If You See Him
B-Side:All This Time
Released:July 13, 1998[1]
Genre:Country
Length:3:53
Label:MCA Nashville 72062
Producer:
Prev Title:If You See Him/If You See Her
Prev Year:1998
Next Title:Wrong Night
Next Year:1998

"Forever Love" is a song by American country music artist Reba McEntire from her 22nd studio album, If You See Him (1998). It was written by Liz Hengber, Deanna Bryant and Sunny Russ and produced by McEntire and David Malloy. It was released on July 13, 1998, as the second single from the album.

The song reached number four on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in November 1998.[2] It was also the title song to a made-for-television movie Forever Love which aired the same year, starring McEntire and Tim Matheson.

Critical reception

Deborah Evans Price of Billboard gave the song a mixed review, praising the "sentimental lyric" and "pretty melody" while criticizing the "overly lush pop production". She also criticized McEntire's vocal by saying that it "bounces between being appropriately vulnerable and intimate during the verses to going a little too far on the soaring chorus."[3]

Music video

The music video for the song was directed by Gerry Wenner,[4] and was filmed to coincide with the movie's release. It is the only solo video released from Reba's If You See Him record. Filmed in Pasadena, California over one day, it shows footage from the movie, interspersed with scenes of Reba performing the song in a garden. The video premiered to CMT on August 2, 1998.[5]

Commercial performance

"Forever Love" debuted on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart the week of July 25, 1998 at number 55, becoming the "Hot Shot Debut" of the week.[6] It would peak at number 4 on November 14, 1998. On Radio & Records, the track would reach the top for the week of October 30, 1998.[7]

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1998)Position
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[8] 41
US Country Songs (Billboard)[9] 41

Notes and References

  1. Going for Adds: Country. Radio & Records. 66. July 10, 1998. 1256.
  2. http://www.billboard.com/charts/1998-11-14/country-songs Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks
  3. July 25, 1998. Reviews. Billboard. 27.
  4. Web site: Reba McEntire - Forever Love . mvdbase.com . April 18, 2019 .
  5. News: August 15, 1998 . Video Monitor: New Ons . August 6, 2024 . . . 83 . 110 . 33 . 0006-2510.
  6. News: July 25, 1998 . Hot Country Singles & Tracks . August 6, 2024 . . . 42 . 110 . 30 . 0006-2510.
  7. Web site: Coyne . Kevin John . September 16, 2022 . Every No. 1 Single of the Nineties: Reba McEntire, “Forever Love” . August 6, 2024 . Country Universe . en-us.
  8. Web site: RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1998. RPM. December 14, 1998. July 14, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20160315194458/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.6973&type=1&interval=24. March 15, 2016. dead.
  9. Best of 1998: Country Songs . . . 1998. July 14, 2013.