Con Los Años Que Me Quedan
| "Con Los Años Que Me Quedan" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US, Japan & South African cover art | ||||
| Single by Gloria Estefan | ||||
| from the album Mi Tierra | ||||
| Released |
| |||
| Recorded | 1992–1993 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:18 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Gloria Estefan singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Con los años que me quedan" on YouTube | ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
| File:Gloria Estefan Con Los Años Que Me Quenda Single.jpg European & UK cover art | ||||
"Con los años que me quedan" ("With the Years I Have Left") is a 1993 song by American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan, composed by Emilio Estefan Jr. and released as her second single from her first Spanish album, Mi Tierra. The song is inspired by the relationship between Estefan and Emilio Estefan Jr., and became her second consecutive number 1 single in the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart. The track debuted at number 28 on September 28, 1993, and peaked at number 1 on November 13, 1993[1] spending 4 weeks in pole position. An English version was also recorded entitled "If We Were Lovers" and is included on the international pressing of the maxi-single.
The English version of the song "If We Were Lovers" was released as a single in Europe, making it a moderate hit reaching the Top 40 chart at the UK, becoming the second single from this album to chart in the country.
A rerecorded version was included in Estefan's 2020 album Brazil305.
"If We Were Lovers"
"Con Los Años Que Me Quedan" and "If We Were Lovers" share the same melody but were written as two separate songs. They are not meant to be translations of each other, rather songs celebrating two different aspects of love – the former being the renewal for "eternal" love and the latter being the inevitable sensual and passionate love affair.[2]
Critical reception
Quentin Harrison from Albumism described the song as a "lush, filmic number", and the "most memorable single" of the Mi Tierra album.[3] AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis said it is "among her most compelling" songs, with "beautiful lyrics and guitars augmenting the lovely melodies." He also added that it later resurfaced as the English-language "If We Were Lovers"[4] and declared it as one of Estefan's "loveliest and classiest ballads".[5] Larry Flick from Billboard called it "another sweet moment" from the album. He noted, "Soft but percussive tune gains its depth from acoustic instrumentation and a delicate string arrangement. Estefan is at her lovliest and her most relaxed here."[6] Josef Woodard from Entertainment Weekly stated that "heartfelt emotionality tinges" "If We Were Lovers".[7]
Ron Fell from the Gavin Report commented, "Gloria finds new words to express fresh thoughts, not just a translation from Spanish to English. With her successes as a kinetic musician, it's always nice to have Gloria in such an unplugged and mellow state once in a while."[8] Music writer James Masterton said in his weekly UK chart commentary, that "If We Were Lovers" "tries to be slightly more commercial, its an English re-recording of the album track, paced at a ballroom waltz and is not what you would describe as a pop hit."[9] Alan Jones from Music Week rated it three out of five, calling it "a lushly orchestrated, atmospheric, guitar-picked Latin delight in strictly ballroom tempo. No dance mixes this time around, but the beauty of the song should win thorugh."[10]
Music video
A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Alberto Tolot. It was published on YouTube in March 2011. The video has amassed more than 68 million views as of September 2021.[11]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Con Los Años Que Me Quedan" | 4:35 |
| 2. | "If We Were Lovers (Con Los Años Que Me Quedan)" | 4:35 |
| 3. | "Tradición" | 5:20 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "If We Were Lovers" | 4:38 |
| 2. | "If We Were Lovers / Con Los Años Que Me Quedan" (Spanglish) | 4:38 |
| 3. | "Con Los Años Que Me Quedan" | 4:38 |
Charts
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[12] "If We Were Lovers/Con Los Años Que Me Quedan" |
40 |
| US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[13] | 1 |
Cover versions
Charlie Zaa performed the song on his 2000 album Ciego de amor.[14] The song was covered by Thalía featuring Leonel Garcia, Jesús Navarro and Samo in 2012 for Thalía's studio album Habítame Siempre. Josh Groban covered the song in the deluxe edition his 2020 album "Harmony."
See also
References
- ^ ""Hot Latin Tracks" on Billboard.com". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
- ^ Con Los Años Que Me Quedan / If We Were Lovers (Single – 1993)
- ^ Harrison, Quentin (June 22, 2018). "Gloria Estefan's 'Mi Tierra' Turns 25: An Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
- ^ Promis, Jose F. "Gloria Estefan - Mí Tierra". AllMusic. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
- ^ "Gloria Estefan - Greatest Hits, Vol. 2". AllMusic. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
- ^ Flick, Larry (August 28, 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 63. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
- ^ Woodard, Josef (February 23, 2001). "Album Review: Gloria Estefan's 'Greatest Hits, Vol. II'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
- ^ Fell, Ron (September 10, 1993). "A/C: New Releases" (PDF). Gavin Report. p. 24. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
- ^ Masterton, James (August 8, 1993). "Week Ending August 14th 1993". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
- ^ Jones, Alan (August 7, 1993). "Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 12. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ "Gloria Estefan - Con los Años Que Me Quedan (Official Video)". YouTube. March 23, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Gloria Estefan Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ Erwin Perez. "Charlie Zaa en la Calle Ocho" (Spanish), El Nuevo Herald, 9 March 2000, page 24D.
