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Believe (Lenny Kravitz song)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Believe
| cover = LennyKravitzBelieve.png
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Lenny Kravitz
| album = Are You Gonna Go My Way
| released =
| genre = Rock
| length = 4:50
| label = Virgin
| writer =
| producer = Lenny Kravitz
| prev_title = Are You Gonna Go My Way
| prev_year = 1993
| next_title = Heaven Help
| next_year = 1993
| misc =
}}
"'Believe'" is a song by Lenny Kravitz from his third album, 'Are You Gonna Go My Way'. It was released as the second single from the album on May 10, 1993, by Virgin Records. It is a rock ballad with string orchestration, and was co-written, arranged and produced by Kravitz, with Henry Hirsch also contributing to the orchestration and composition. Its lyrics concern one being able to achieve freedom and "eternal grace" if they believe in themselves and put their faith in God.
"Believe" was the first song from the album to be issued as a commercial single and to chart in the US, where it reached number 60 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100. It found bigger success internationally, reaching number one in Iceland and the top 10 in Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Critical reception
Like much of Kravitz's previous material and the 'Are You Gonna Go My Way' album, critics noted its musical influences, with Scott Poulson-Bryant of 'Rolling Stone' pointing out the similarity between its "string-laden" coda and that of the 1971 song "Layla" by Derek and the Dominos. Larry Flick from 'Billboard' commented, "Track makes easy switches between styles, from swaying pop ballad to treated psychedelia, and it builds to a grand finish." Writing for the 'Chicago Tribune', Patrick Kampert compared its sound, along with that of album track "Just Be a Woman", to the works of the Beatles. Music writer James Masterton wrote in his weekly UK chart commentary that "the Beatlesque Believe [is] tipping a nod in the direction of I Am The Walrus coupled with an anthemic chorus". Pan-European magazine 'Music & Media' noted, "Church bells ring in the outro... Kravitz sees the light on the finest track off his current album. With this soulful ballad, he'll be the messiah for many formats."
In retrospective reviews of the album, 'Renowned for Sound' said the track "still sounds relevant today", calling it an "uplifting rock ballad" and acclaiming its "impressive vocals and violin filled chorus [that is] very pleasant to the ear". Reviewing the album's deluxe edition for 'The Morton Report', Chaz Lipp called it a "rock radio hit" and "one of the biggest production numbers, with lush orchestration and phased lead vocals. It's a soaring, inspirational gem."
Music video
The accompanying music video for "Believe" was directed by French director Michel Gondry, with visual effects contributed by the French company BUF Compagnie. It is an homage to Stanley Kubrick's 1968 science fiction film '2001: A Space Odyssey', with the Deutsches Filminstitut calling it "pretty close" to the look of the original film. "Believe" was published on YouTube in May 2011. The video has amassed more than 6,6 million views as of September 2021.
Track listing
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from album liner notes.
* Lenny Kravitz lead and background vocals, bass guitar, drums, production
* Henry Hirsch Wurlitzer, engineering, mixing
* Craig Ross acoustic and electric guitar
* Michael Hunter French horn
* Eric Delente violin
* Soye Kim violin
* Robert Lawrence violin
* Sarah Adams viola
* Liuh-Wen Ting viola
* Allen Whear cello
* Frank Murphy cello
* Carolyn Davies Fryer double bass
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References
Category:1990s ballads
Category:1993 singles
Category:1993 songs
Category:Lenny Kravitz songs
Category:Music videos directed by Michel Gondry
Category:Number-one singles in Iceland
Category:Rock ballads
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