"Don't Wanna Lose You" is a song by American singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan. It was released on June 21, 1989 as the first single by Epic Records from her debut solo album Cuts Both Ways (1989). The song is written by Estefan and produced by her husband, Emilio Estefan, Jr.. The song reached number one in the US, where it became her second number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was also certified Gold.
The song earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance but lost against Bonnie Raitt's "Nick of Time." Her live performance of the song at the 1990 Grammy Awards was released on the 1994 album Grammy's Greatest Moments Volume I.[1]
It also received an American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Single but lost to Milli Vanilli's "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You."
International versions[]
Estefan also recorded "Si Voy a Perderte," which is the Spanish version of this song, (translated as "If I Am Going to Lose You.") "Si Voy a Perderte," also included on Cuts Both Ways, hit number one on Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart.
"Se tenho que te perder", (also translated as "If I've Got to Lose You") is the Portuguese version of this song, and was released as a single in Brazil, and as a bonus track on international editions of Estefan's Into the Light album. The Portuguese version was less successful than the English original, which ended being the fourth more heard song in Brazilian radio in 1989.[2]
A rerecorded version of "Don't Wanna Lose You" was included in Estefan's 2020 album Brazil305.[3]
Critical reception[]
Matthew Hocter from Albumism wrote, "If ever a solo debut was to make its mark, this one well and truly did and this was never more evident than on the album’s lead single “Don’t Wanna Lose You”".[4]AllMusic editor Jason Birchmeier said the song is "super".[5] Another editor Jon O'Brien noted it as "beautiful".[6] Maryann Scheufele from AXS commented that Estefan "inspires women to stand their ground and keep their love."[7] Bill Coleman from Billboard stated that the "emotive slow number [are] showcasing the singer's sensitive vocal."[8] Pip Ellwood-Hughes from Entertainment Focus described it as a "power ballad".[9]Entertainment Weekly wrote in their review, that it "croon along smoothly".[10]Music & Media called the song "a strong, melodic and well put together ballad that will undoubtedly do well."[11] Pop Rescue said it sees Estefan "pitched against a wonderful synthscape and simple pop-rock beat. Occasional electric guitar chips in, but this is a song about giving Gloria enough space to sing her heartfelt lyrics over a somewhat minimal track."[12]
Il Divo, the vocal quartet of male singers; Swiss tenor Urs Buhler, Spanish baritone Carlos Marin, American tenor David Miller and French pop singer Sébastien Izambard, along with Colombian producer winner of multiple Grammy Latino , recorded the song for the album Amor & Pasión from Il Divo (2015).[37]