Finally (CeCe Peniston song)
"Finally" is the 1991 debut single by American singer and songwriter CeCe Peniston from her debut album, "Finally" (1992). It became Peniston's first (and biggest) hit song, peaking at number five on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 in January 1992 and becoming her only US top-ten hit to date. Prior to that, the track was a major success on the "Billboard" Hot Dance Club Play chart, where it spent two weeks at number one in late 1991. In addition, a dance remix of the song (the "Choice Mix") peaked at number two on the  UK Singles Chart in March 1992. The remix appeared on many dance music compilations in the early '90s. Background and release. Peniston grew up in Phoenix and began writing pop songs during school. The words of "Finally" were purportedly penned during a chemistry class, while thinking about dating in college. In 1989 and 1990, she won the Miss Black Arizona pageant, and took the Miss Galaxy pageant a short time later. Her music career began in January 1991, when Felipe "DJ Wax Dawg" Delgado, her friend and a record producer based also in Phoenix, asked Peniston to record back-up  vocals for Tonya Davis, a rapper known as Overweight Pooch. Though Overweight Pooch's album flopped on the market, Manny Lehman (a DJ and executive producer) had noticed the powerful voice of the back-up vocalist, Peniston. He offered Delgado a chance to produce a track for Peniston to cultivate her potential as a solo artist. Delgado called hometown friend and music producer, Rodney K. Jackson, to help co-produce Peniston's single, which would become "Finally". Peniston was 21 years old when "Finally" was released. When asked about the song in a 2012 interview, Peniston said: New versions of  Finally were released in 1997 and 2011. Composition. The remix of this song is based on the piano riff from the house music classic "Someday" by CeCe Rogers from 1987. The song is performed in the key of B minor with a tempo of 120 beats per minute, following a chord progression of G – G/A – Bm, and Peniston's vocals span from B to D. Critical reception. Bill Lamb from About.com described "Finally" as an "upbeat, celebratory song about love". Steven E. Flemming, Jr. from Albumism noted that it "skillfully melded the insistent grace of all that’s right  about dance production values with grand vocals." AllMusic editor Craig Lytle wrote in his review that the song and its follow-up "We Got a Love Thang" "employ that rapid dancehall groove better known as house music". Larry Flick from "Billboard" called it "a delicious peak-hour houser that is in a vein similar to Alison Limerick's "Where Love Lives". Peniston wraps her lovely alto around a hook that seeps into the brain and body and never lets go." He added that Peniston "proves her potential as a future diva on this brain-embedding, spine-stirring house anthem." Matt  Stopera and Brian Galindo from "BuzzFeed" noted, "When it comes to ‘90s dance songs you’d be hard-pressed to find another song that so perfectly incorporates other music genres that made the decade so great — i.e., R&B, house, and pop — which is what makes “Finally” the quintessential ‘90s dance song. And honestly, it’s a feel-good hit! Just try being in a bad mood after listening to it!" A writer from "Complex" said that "this was the sound of the early 1990s, when everything was turning colorful and bright." Amy Linden from "Entertainment Weekly" commented, "The slammin’ house /pop single of the moment? It's CeCe Peniston's ”Finally,” and its sheer joy and verve." She added further, "Grooving in the fabulousness of her newfound Mr. Right, and sorta amazed that it all happened, she wails deliciously, making you believe that true love will conquer all and that someday your prince (or princess) will come." Dave Sholin from the "Gavin Report" described it as a "bright and infectious debut release" and also commented, "I had a preview of this song back in July and have been in love with it ever since!" Pan-European magazine "Music & Media" stated  that "this newcomer gives further evidence that dance is still developing into a more song-oriented direction. The violins give the tune the ambiance of Backstabbers by the O'Jays." Andy Beevers from "Music Week" wrote that the song is a "extremely classy and catchy garage-styled debut". James Hamilton from the magazine's "RM" Dance Update labeled the track as "cheerful wailing" and a "ex-Miss America's catchy Crystal Waters-type US pop smash". A reviewer from "People Magazine" said that it's "overflowing with verve and loaded up with joyous girlie glee", noting the "ecstatic, beat-heavy power  of the track. Pop Rescue called it a great track, with that fantastic hand-clap, bassline and piano opening", adding that Peniston's vocals are "sublime". Adam Higginbotham from "Select" stated that "Finally" "is a superb slice of feel-good pop music. From its bassline — purloined from Ce Ce (no relation) Rogers' classic garage tune 'Someday' — to the inanely cheery lyrics." Tom Doyle from "Smash Hits" viewed it as a "rousing house song". Steve Pick from "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" wrote that "this is a catchy disco number, building energy through repetition of the simple hookline and a solid bass /drum throb. Get on the dance floor to this one, and you'll move." Chart performance. The song was released in the fall of 1991, where it became an instant dance anthem, peaking in October at the top of the "Billboard" Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the United States for two weeks, while achieving respectable chart success overseas the following year. The song was re-released in the United Kingdom, where it reached a new peak of number two in its second week at the UK Singles Chart, on March 22, 1992. It was held off reaching the  top spot by Shakespears Sister's "Stay". "Finally" also charted at number-one in Zimbabwe and on the "RPM" Dance/Urban chart in Canada, and number eight in Australia and New Zealand. In Europe, the song reached number three in Belgium and number five in the Netherlands and Ireland. Following the single's success, Peniston completed her first album, "Finally", in two months. The album was critically acclaimed, and Peniston celebrated a year-long run of awards success including the Billboard Award for Best New Artist (dance), and three ASCAP awards amongst numerous others. The song "Finally" has sold over  3 million copies to date. Music video. A music video was made for "Finally", directed by Claude Borenzweig. It is very simple, showing Peniston performing the song within a variety of shapes and colors, sometimes with a guy dancing. The video was published by Vevo on YouTube in June 2009. It has amassed more than 35 million views as of October 2021. Impact and legacy. "DJ Magazine" ranked "Finally" number 64 in their list of "Top 100 Club Tunes" in 1998. VH1 placed it at number 29 in their list of the "100 Greatest Dance Songs" in 2000. MTV Dance  placed the song at number 28 in their list of "The 100 Biggest '90s Dance Anthems of All Time" in November 2011. Heart TV ranked "Finally" number three in their list of "55 Biggest '90s Club Classics" in March 2017. "BuzzFeed" listed the song at number one in "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s" in 2017. They wrote: "When it comes to ‘90s dance songs you’d be hard-pressed to find another song that so perfectly incorporates other music genres that made the decade so great — i.e., R&B, house, and pop — which is what makes “Finally” the  quintessential ‘90s dance song." "Slant Magazine" ranked it number 37 in their list of "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time" in 2020. Music awards and nominations. ASCAP Awards "Billboard" Music Video Awards BMI Awards VH1 Awards Winter Music Conference Awards Credits and personnel. Management Production Personnel Reissues. Finally 1997. In 1997, "Finally" was remixed by Eric Kupper to enhance the overseas issue of Peniston's album "Finally", which was re-released in Europe and Japan along with her greatest collection, "The Best Of CeCe Peniston" . The new remixed version of the song entitled "Classic Funk Mix" (a.k.a. "Finally  '97") successfully re-entered the British charts, peaking on September 13 at number 26 on the UK Singles Chart, meaning Peniston had three chart entries with one and the same title (in March 92, in September 97). Finally 2008. In the summer of 2008, the song was remixed by Kam Denny, an Australian DJ and producer, and Paul Zala, an electrohouse DJ based in Melbourne. Subtitled as "Kam Denny & Paul Zala Remix", or rather "Vandalism Remix", the promotional single was released in Australia on Bimbo Rock, a local indie dance/electro label formed by TV Rock. The new adaptation gained  underground house music popularity and entered the local Club Tracks Chart, topping for four weeks at number one. Charts. Weekly charts Year-end charts Finally 2011. On the twentieth anniversary of "Finally," Peniston made a number of additional remixes of the song for Paul Oakenfold, featuring Joyriders, and supported also by music video. Originally, the song was to be attached to her cancelled studio album "CeCe." Track listings and formats. Release #1 Release #2 Deep House Selection, Volume 6 (The Finest Deep House Tunes) In popular culture. The song features in the 1998 film "Bimboland" produced by Ariel Zeitoun. The  7-inch Choice Mix was used in the 1994 film "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" and featured on its soundtrack album. The song is also featured in the stage musical based on the film. For her ninth tour "" that resumed on November 11, 2006, at Sydney Entertainment Centre (ended on January 23, 2007), Kylie Minogue used elements of Peniston's song when performing her 2000 comeback single "Spinning Around", co-written by Paula Abdul. In November 2009, pop musician Lady Gaga used excerpts of "Finally" for the opening of "The Monster Ball Tour" in her song "Dance  in the Dark". In July 2014, British singer Matt Fishel included a cover version of the song on his virtual EP "Cover Boy". The accompanying video won the category for Best Lyric Video at the 2014 LGBT-based RightOutTV Music & Video Award. In 2015, the song was also used in an advertisement for Ariel detergent in the Philippines, along with modified lyrics to promote the product. The commercial has since spawned numerous parodies poking fun at the campy nature of the commercial and the song used, with numerous people and fictional characters lip-syncing to the tune. The song was  used as a lip-sync song during the ninth season of "RuPaul's Drag Race". On the seventh episode contestants Nina Bo'nina Brown and Aja had to lip-sync to avoid elimination; Aja was eliminated. The song was also briefly featured in Season 2 Episode 9 of "Dear White People". In 2021, a remixed version used for a commercial for the dating app Bumble. American supermarket chain Kroger, along with its subsidiary supermarket names, uses the song for its animated commercials, promoting grocery delivery at home. References. 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