Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1991
Coming Out of the Dark
Buy Coming Out of the Dark now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Coming Out of the Dark
| cover = Coming_Out_Of_The_Dark_USA_Promo_CD_Cover.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Gloria Estefan
| album = Into the Light
| B-side = Desde La Oscuridad
| released =
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Pop, gospel
| length = 4:02
| label = Epic
| writer =
* Gloria Estefan
* Emilio Estefan Jr.
* Jon Secada
| producer =
* Emilio Estefan Jr.
* Jorge Casas
* Clay Ostwald
| prev_title = Renacer
| prev_year = 1990
| next_title = Seal Our Fate
| next_year = 1991
| misc =
}}
"'Coming Out of the Dark'" is a song by Cuban-American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan. It was released on January 10, 1991, worldwide by Epic Records as the leading and first single from her second album, 'Into the Light' (1991). It was written by Estefan with her husband Emilio Estefan, Jr. and Jon Secada, and produced by Estefan Jr., Jorge Casas and Clay Ostwald. It became the singer's third number one in the United States and second number one in Canada (solo and with Miami Sound Machine). This is the first single released after Estefan's accident on March 20, 1990an 18-wheeler rammed her tour bus, nearly causing the singer's deathwhen her "Get on Your Feet Tour" was in progress. It is also the first song that Estefan performed publicly after recovering, inspired by the near-fatal accident and also is dedicated to Emilio Estefan, Jr., her husband.
The song is a soul ballad which includes the use of a choir. Among the voices in the choir are Estefan's colleague, the Cuban singer Jon Secada, and the R&B singer Betty Wright (both had participated in backing vocals on her debut solo album, 'Cuts Both Ways' as well as 'Into the Light'). The title was inspired by a phrase her husband had written on a piece of paper as a helicopter transported her for delicate surgery to repair her broken back. She explained to 'Billboard': "My husband had been in one of the helicopters traveling from one hospital to the other. It was really dark and gray, and he was traumatized. He got this ray of light that hit him in the face, and he got the idea for 'Coming Out of the Dark'."[http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=8576]
Estefan was careful not to turn 'Into the Light' into a pity party. "I hate pity," she told the 'Los Angeles Daily News'. "I'm very self-reliant and independent, and I'm used to that role. I don't like people feeling sorry for me. So I wrote 'Coming Out of the Dark' to let the people around me know how important they are to me. But that was as far as I wanted to go with the accident. I didn't want this to become 'the album on the accident.' What am I going to sing - 'Oh, this bus hit me'?"
Critical reception
Bill Lamb from About.com described the song as a "gorgeous hit ballad", adding that it is now considered one of the top inspirational pop hits of all time. Matthew Hocter from Albumism deemed it as "one of her finest". AllMusic editor Jason Birchmeier highlighted it in his review of 'Into the Light', calling it a "memorable" ballad. Maryann Scheufele from AXS noted that Estefan "truly has been blessed with an inspirational voice." Larry Flick from 'Billboard' wrote that this "uplifting, gospel-framed ballad" is "bolstered by a striking and inspirational performance." The Daily Vault's Mark Millan picked it as one of three "real hits" of the album, with "Live for Loving You" and "Seal Our Fate". Pip Ellwood-Hughes from Entertainment Focus described it as "one of the most poignant songs" from Estefan's career.
Bill Wyman from Entertainment Weekly wrote that "Coming Out of the Dark" is a "pretty song about Estefan's recovery. It starts out slow, then brings its point home with a gospel-like chorus reminiscent of Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror". It's hard not to be sympathetic the song is an anthem to hope and indomitability, and someone who's endured Estefan's pain certainly deserves room to talk about it." Another editor, Leah Greenblatt described it as a "poignant gospel-tinged ballad". Mario Tarradell from 'Knight Ridder' viewed it as a "gospel-tinged showpiece". Pan-European magazine 'Music & Media' noted that with a "comeback in glory after a heavy tourbus accident, Estefan shines in this gospel type of song. Inspired by the strong backing vocals, she climbs her way back to the top. A reviewer from 'People Magazine' deemed it as "standard dance pop". Caroline Sullivan from 'Smash Hits' stated that it "starts off slow, then perks up a touch and cracks along at a lively pace for the rest of the song."
Chart performance
The song was a number one hit on both the US 'Billboard' Hot 100 and Adult Contemporary charts (and her last to date on both charts). The song was also a hit in Canada, Spain and Japan. However, it didn't have as much impact in the rest of Europe, where Estefan had always been popular. In Ireland, the single only reached the Top 20; and in UK reached the Top 40, a very low position in comparison to other singles.
Spanish version ("Desde La Oscuridad")
Estefan also recorded the Spanish version of the song, called "Desde la Oscuridad". The song was released to Latin-American radio stations and the considerable airplay it received took the song to the Top Five of the Hot Latin Songs chart.
Track listings
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
Category:1990s ballads
Category:1991 singles
Category:1991 songs
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Cashbox number-one singles
Category:Epic Records singles
Category:Gloria Estefan songs
Category:Gospel songs
Category:Pop ballads
Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Emilio Estefan
Category:Songs written by Emilio Estefan
Category:Songs written by Gloria Estefan
Category:Songs written by Jon Secada
Buy Coming Out of the Dark now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1991