Finally (CeCe Peniston song)

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.[1][2] 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.[3][4][5] 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.[4] Delgado called hometown friend and music producer, Rodney K. Jackson, to help co-produce Peniston’s single, which would become "Finally".[6]

Peniston was 21 years old when "Finally" was released. When asked about the song in a 2012 interview, Peniston said:

It was actually a poem that I had turned into a song, and it was the very first song that I had written. I was doing backup for someone else, and they asked if I had something else and I was like yeah, something I’ve written, and I didn’t know if they’d like it. You know, you don’t really understand your gifts at that point, so when he said I have a hit, I was just like okay. At the time I didn’t understand what it means to have a number one song, I really had no idea. They said you have a hit on your hands and you’re going to have to go to Europe. All of a sudden I was traveling the world, one show turned into two, that little girl from Arizona was going everywhere! You know, I had been here and there, a couple of trips, but nothing at all like this. It was overwhelming.[7]

New versions of "Finally" were released in 1997 and 2011.

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(9) – G/A – Bm, and Peniston's vocals span from B₃ to D₅.[8]

Bill Lamb from About.com described "Finally" as an "upbeat, celebratory song about love".[9] 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."[10] 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".[11] 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."[12] He added that Peniston "proves her potential as a future diva on this brain-embedding, spine-stirring house anthem."[13] 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!"[14]

Complex said that "this was the sound of the early 1990s, when everything was turning colorful and bright."[15] 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."[16] 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!"[17] 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."[18]

Andy Beevers from Music Week wrote that the song is a "extremely classy and catchy garage-styled debut".[19] People Magazine said that it's "overflowing with verve and loaded up with joyous girlie glee" and noted the "ecstatic, beat-heavy power" of the track.[20] Pop Rescue called it "a great track, with that fantastic hand-clap, bassline and piano opening", adding that Peniston's vocals are "sublime".[21] James Hamilton from Record Mirror labeled the track as "cheerful wailing" and a "ex-Miss America's catchy Crystal Waters-type US pop smash".[22] 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."[23] Smash Hits labeled it as a "rousing house song".[24] 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."[25]

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 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 2 in its second week at the UK Singles Chart, on March 22, 1992.[26] 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 8 in Australia and New Zealand. In Europe, the song reached number 3 in Belgium and number 5 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.

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.[27] The video was uploaded to YouTube in June 2009. By September 2020, it had more than 29,8 million views.[28]

DJ Magazine ranked it number 64 in their list of "Top 100 Club Tunes" in 1998.[29]

VH1 placed "Finally" at number 29 in their list of the "100 Greatest Dance Songs" in 2000.

MTV Dance placed "Finally" at number 28 in their list of "The 100 Biggest '90s Dance Anthems Of All Time" in November 2011.[30]

Heart TV ranked the song number 3 in their list of "55 Biggest '90s Club Classics" in March 2017.[31]

BuzzFeed listed the song in "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s" at number 1 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."[32]

Slant Magazine ranked the song at number 37 in their list of "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time" in 2020.

Management

• Executive producers – Manny Lehman, Mark Mazzetti
• Recording studio – Aztec Studios, Phoenix, Arizona
• Publishing – Wax Museum Music, Mainlot Music (BMI), Polygram Music

• The Best Dance Album in the World... Ever!
• List of number-one dance singles of 1991 (U.S.)
• List of top 10 singles in 1992 (UK)
• List of Dance Dance Revolution songs
• List of songs that made the biggest jump in the top 50 on the ARIA Singles Chart

• CeCe Peniston at AllMusic
• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics