# Escape (Enrique Iglesias song)

"Escape" is a song written by Enrique Iglesias, Steve Morales, Kara DioGuardi, and David Siegel for Iglesias's fifth studio album, Escape (2001). The song is the album's opening track and was released as its second single. In Japan, "Escape" was released on 23 January 2002 as a double A-side with "Hero", while in the United States, it was serviced to radio five days later. The song reached number three in the UK and number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100. A Spanish version of the song, titled "Escapar", reached number nine in Iglesias's native Spain.

## Music and lyrics

"Escape" composed in common time and in the key of B major, with the entire song consisting of a I–IV–vi–V chord progression loop. It is written in verse-chorus form, and its instrumentation comes from the electric guitar and keyboard. The song moves at a tempo of 126 beats per minute. Enrique Iglesias' vocals span from F♯$_4$ to D♯$_6$.

## Music video

The song's music video was directed by Dave Meyers and filmed in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center and the CityWalk shopping area in Universal City, California. It features Iglesias and tennis-player Anna Kournikova (whom he would later propose to) as his love interest. The video opens with a sequence of Iglesias performing the song, backed by a live band, in front of a huge crowd in a theater. Throughout the video, there are sequences of Iglesias and Kournikova's relationship. The first sequence is of Iglesias driving through a busy city on a motorbike while Kournikova awaits his arrival. Once he arrives, he attempts to kiss her but she pushes him away.
In the next scene Iglesias follows Kournikova into the ladies room. She catches his eye in the mirror and turns around to kiss him. They continue kissing while sprawled across the bathroom sinks until two security guards pull them apart and take Iglesias away. The scene soon cuts to another scene where another security guard pulls up in a carpark and spots them kissing while lying across the front seats of a car. But, unlike the previous security guards, he leaves them undisturbed and drives away. The video closes with a scene of the theater being emptied, but Kournikova stands and waits in her seat until Iglesias comes over to her after the crowd has left.
"Escape" premiered on MTV's top-10 chart program Total Request Live on 30 January 2002, where it reached number one. It was Iglesias's first video to retire from the chart at number one. After its 8 February debut on MuchMusic's Countdown, it reached number one for the week of 19 April.

## Live performances

Enrique first performed the song at the NBA All Star Read to Achieve Celebration on 9 February 2002, followed by a performance on The Late Show with David Letterman two days later. He also performed on MTV's Fashionably Loud on 19 February and on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on 18 April 2002. He would perform the song alongside "Hero" at that year's World Music Awards, and in the UK, he would perform the song as a duet with Lulu in her An Audience with... and solo on Michael Parkinson's talk show.

## Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the Escape album booklet.
Studios
* Recorded at Hit Factory Criteria (Miami, Florida)
* Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering Studio (Hollywood, California)
Personnel
* Enrique Iglesias – writing, vocals, co-production, vocal production
* Steve Morales – writing, background vocals, production, vocal production
* Kara DioGuardi – writing, background vocals, vocal production
* David Siegel – writing, keyboards
* Aaron Fishbein – electric guitar
* Sebastian Krys – mixing
* Shane Stoner – engineering
* Fabian Marasciullo – engineering
* Marc Lee – assistant engineering
* Ivy Skoff – production coordination
* Brian Gardner – mastering

## Certifications

Certifications and sales for "Escape" :
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Australia (ARIA) | Platinum | 70,000$^^$ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 400,000$^‡$ |
| $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. $^‡$ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |||

## Release history

Release dates and formats for "Escape" :
| Region | Version | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) |
| Japan | "Hero" / "Escape" | 23 January 2002 | CD | Interscope |
| United States | "Escape" | 28 January 2002 | Contemporary hit radio | Interscope |
| Australia | "Escape" | 4 March 2002 | CD | Interscope |
| United Kingdom | "Escape" | 13 May 2002 | CDcassette | Interscope |