I Need to Know (Marc Anthony song)

"I Need to Know"
Single by Marc Anthony
from the album Marc Anthony
Released	August 15, 1999
Format	CD single
Recorded	1999
Genre	Latin pop
Length	3:47
Label	Columbia
Producer	Marc Anthony/Cory Rooney
Marc Anthony singles chronology
"No Me Ames" (1999) "I Need to Know/Dímelo" (1999) "Da La Vuelta" (1999)

"I Need to Know" is a song by Marc Anthony, and was released as the lead single of his first English language album Marc Anthony, in August 1999.

Song information

The song was written and produced by Marc Anthony and Cory Rooney, and also a Spanish version (titled Dímelo) was released with the collaboration of Robert Blades and Angie Chirino, and the lyrics are about a man who wants to know about a woman's feelings for him, going with the title "I need to know". Both versions of the track were very successful in the United States. The English version peaked at number 3 in the Billboard Hot 100 and at number-one in the Hot Latin Tracks for 5 consecutive weeks.

This track received three Latin Grammy nominations, Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, winning for Song of the Year at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2000. Also on the Grammy Awards received a nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, which lost out to Sting's "Brand New Day".

"I Need To Know" was included on the compilation album NOW: That's What I Call Music Vol. 4. "Dímelo" was included on the compilation album released for the 1st. Latin Grammy Awards, since it was nominated for "Record of the Year".

The opening of the song is featured in the 2008 US Nissan Versa commercial.

In 2009, the song features in the episode American Dad, Wife Insurance as a way to seduce Colombian women.

Critical reception

The review of the single by Billboard magazine was a very positive one:

“

Salsero extraordinaire and Grammy winner Marc Anthony makes it perfectly clear why he is due to be the next big Latino thing. His reputation for having one of the world's finest voices, not to mention for being one of the nicest guys out there, is well-known. On this single, his first English-language recording, he remains true to his salsa roots with a sexy, swaying cha-cha number that will keep entrenched fans feeling well taken care of while enlisting a horde of new followers. The song is great fun-it opens with a playful violin and piano and quickly pops into a midtempo, beat-happy plea for the attention of a deeply longed-for woman. The chorus, with trumpets calling out in the background, is electric and will have you helplessly singing along. Smart programmers will quickly recognize that "I Need To Know," co-written and co-produced by the artist, sounds like nothing else over the airwaves and that Anthony is a treasure who could develop into a major mainstream force. This song will penetrate rapidly, adding more firepower to the summer's wonderful Latin-U.S. explosion. Absolutely smashing."

”

.

On the Entertainment Weekly's Chart Flashback by Whitney Pastorek, posted on December 1, 2006, analyzing the Billboard Hot 100 chart of December 4, 1999, she gave the single a "B" grade:

“

OMG like looking back how could we have known that someday, not only would Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez be vying for space on the charts, but within each other's hearts! Sniff. Anyway. I've always respected the way Marc Anthony stays true to his Latino heritage when working outside the salsa genre, but that doesn't mean the songs are necessarily all that good. In fact, I think he's trying too hard almost all the time (and for some reason, in my mind, he is always wearing a turtleneck, although I couldn't tell you why). This track — backed by a sassy string section — is maybe the least cheesy thing he's ever come up with. Bonus points for using the phrase baby girl with the smallest amount of condescension permitted by law."

”

.

Video release

The music video was directed by Paula Walker. In the video Marc Anthony is performing the song along with five female dancers in front of the audience of a crowded club, with a few extra scenes with Marc performing the song in a window and under a staircase to his love interest. The video can be seen in You Tube following this link.

Tracklisting

CD Single #1 (B000046PT1)

1. I Need to Know (Album version)
2. I Need to Know (Track Masters Remix)
3. I Need to Know (Pablo's Miami Mix Radio Edit)
4. I Need to Know (D'Ambrosio Club Mix Radio Edit)

CD Single #2 (B00001QELW)

1. I Need to Know (Pablo's Club-Dub)
2. I Need to Know (Pablo's Miami Mix Radio Edit)
3. I Need to Know (Trackmasters Remix)
4. I Need to Know (D'Ambrosio Hectic Dub)
5. I Need to Know (D'Ambrosio Club Mix Radio Edit)

Chart performance

The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 70 in the week of September 11, 1999. On its fourth week the track rocketed to number 10, jumping 46 notches, and peaked at number 3 for two weeks. The single spent 19 weeks in the Top 10 and 40 weeks total in that chart and ranked at number 79 on the Year-End Chart of 1999 and at number 23 on the 2000 recap.

"Dímelo", the Spanish version of the song, also debuted on the Hot Latin Tracks chart on September 11, 1999 at number 31, climbing to number-one three weeks later (the fastest for any single by the performer), spending five consecutive weeks at pole position. The single became his third chart topper in the Latin Market and spent 23 non-consecutive weeks within the Top 10 and 40 weeks total in the chart.

Peak positions

Chart (1999/2000)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100	3
US Billboard Hot Latin Tracks	1
US Billboard Tropical Airplay	1
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	1
US Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks	7
US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	21
US Billboard Top 40 Tracks	4
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	12
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	20
Austrian Singles Chart	16
Dutch Singles Chart	18
Finnish Singles Chart	8
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart	20
Norwegian Singles Chart	11
Swedish Singles Chart	19
Swiss Singles Chart	16
UK Singles Chart	28

Year-end charts

Chart (1999)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	79
Chart (2000)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	23

Cerftications

Region	Certification
Australia (ARIA)	Gold
United States (RIAA)	Gold

Blake Lewis version

Blake Lewis, the runner-up of the sixth season of American Idol, performed the song on the show on April 6, 2007. Anthony's wife Jennifer Lopez was the guest mentor. Lewis' studio version was released on the American Idol official website and later included on his Blake Lewis - EP, as well as in the American Idol Season 6: The Collector's Edition, the compilation of the studio versions of song performed by the finalists of Idol.

Chart (2007)	Peak position
US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles	19

References

Awards and achievements
New award	Latin Grammy Award for Song of the Year 2000	Succeeded by El Alma Al Aire by Alejandro Sanz

Preceded by "De Hoy En Adelante" by Millie	U.S. Billboard Hot Latin Tracks number-one single October 2, 1999 – October 30, 1999	Succeeded by "O Tú O Ninguna" by Luis Miguel
Preceded by "El Poder de Tu Amor" by Ricardo Montaner	U.S. Billboard Latin Pop Airplay number-one single October 23, 1999
Preceded by "Dejate Querer" by Gilberto Santa Rosa "Pero Dile" by Víctor Manuelle	U.S. Billboard Latin Tropical Airplay number-one single October 9, 1999 October 30, 1999 – November 6, 1999	Succeeded by "Pero Dile" by Víctor Manuelle