"I Could Fall in Love" is a song recorded by the American Tejano singer Selena for her fifth album, Dreaming of You (1995), released posthumously by EMI Latin on 15 June 1995. "I Could Fall in Love" and "Tú Sólo Tú" were the album's lead promotional recordings and her first English-language songs to be featured as singles, showcasing her musical transition from Spanish-language to English-language songs. The lyrics explore feelings of heartbreak and despair and express the singer's fear of rejection by a man she finds herself falling in love with. Composed by Keith Thomas, "I Could Fall in Love" is a pop ballad with R&B, soul and soft rock influences.
Critics praised Selena's emotive enunciation and compared it to work by Celine Dion, Brandy Norwood and TLC. It received the Tejano Music Award for the Tejano Crossover Song of the Year, and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) recognized it at the ASCAP Pop Music Awards as one of the most performed songs of 1995. Because of the recording's composition structure and the singer's vocalization, OC Weekly, BuzzFeed, Neon Tommy, and Latina magazine, believed "I Could Fall in Love" was one of the best songs recorded by Selena in her musical career.
The track was not released as a commercial single in the United States, where it was feared that it might sell more copies than the album itself. "I Could Fall in Love" peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, and at number one on the Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary chart. It reached the top ten on the singles charts of Canada and New Zealand. It became the most played song in Kansas City, Miami, and Boston and the second most played in Los Angeles.
The accompanying music video, directed by Hector Galan, featured a montage of pictures and videos of live performances of Selena, which had been collected by her family. It, too, was released posthumously, and it received a Music Video of the Year nomination at the 1996 Tejano Music Awards. "I Could Fall in Love" became one of Selena's most famous and recognizable recordings, and in the 1990s it became a popular wedding song.
Background and release Before Selena signed a recording contract in 1989 with EMI Latin, she had hinted that she wanted to start recording in English. She was asked to make three demonstration recordings for Charles Koppelman, chairman of EMI Records. After reviewing them, Koppelman declined a crossover attempt, believing that Selena should first strengthen her fan base. Later, after releasing five Spanish-language albums that all achieved unprecedented milestones in the Latin music industry, Koppelman considered that Selena had reached her peak in the Spanish market, and he began preparations for a crossover album.
Selena and her record-producer brother A.B. Quintanilla III arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, intending to collaborate with producer-songwriter Keith Thomas. Thomas had prepared the instrumental parts for "I Could Fall in Love" but had not had time to complete the vocal parts, so he sang it for them. Selena and A.B. immediately liked it, and A.B. said that he wanted Selena to include it in her album. She recorded it in December 1994 at The Bennett House in Franklin, Tennessee, and Bill Whittington mixed it with assistance from Mike Corbett and Todd Moore. Although Selena had to return later when Thomas was able to provide additional vocals, Selena's husband Chris Perez, who had overseen the recording sessions, said that the recording was completed on 25 March 1995.
On 31 March 1995, Selena was murdered in Corpus Christi, Texas, by her friend and former employee Yolanda Saldívar. Thomas later announced that he had been working on another track for Selena to record, telling Biography that the track remained unfinished. "I Could Fall in Love" was released as the lead promotional recording for the 1995 album Dreaming of You on 26 June 1995, at the same time as "Tú Sólo Tú", to demonstrate Selena's transition from Spanish- to English-language recordings. "I Could Fall in Love" debuted on US radios on 15 June 1995 to contemporary hit radios, Top 40, urban AC and rhythmic contemporary airplay, while "Tú Sólo Tú" targeted Latin music radios such as Tejano, Latin pop, and regional Mexican airplay. An editor from the Arizona Daily Star believed "I Could Fall in Love" was targeted more towards adult contemporary radios than R&B and top 40 radio formats that were successful for Gloria Estefan.
"I Could Fall in Love" was released as a maxi single on 26 June 1995 in Australia and Mexico and on 10 August 1995 in Germany. A maxi single featuring "Dreaming of You" and "Sukiyaki" was released in Japan. "Tú Sólo Tú" was released primarily to Spanish-speaking countries. Fred Bronson of Billboard commented that if EMI Latin had released "I Could Fall in Love" as a single and it had debuted in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, then it would have been the first posthumous debut single to do so since "Pledging My Love" by Johnny Ace in 1955.
Composition and lyrics
"I Could Fall in Love" is a mid-tempo pop ballad and R&B song with soul and soft rock influences. Mario Tarradell, an editorial writer for The Dallas Morning News, called the song a "mundane ballad". It is set in common time and employs an electronic piano, drum machine, a violin, and a flute in the background. The instrumentation includes bass drum, keyboard, flamenco guitar, Spanish guitar, and synthesizers. "I Could Fall in Love" is written in the key of E major, to be played in a moderate groove at 78 half notes per minute. The vocal range of the melody extends from the note F3 to A4. Sandy Masuo of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote, "These songs ["I Could Fall in Love", "I'm Getting Used to You" and "Captive Heart"] were to be her armaments in the crossover war and, sure enough, they're catchy, state-of-the-art pop/R&B – but, despite the sublime melody of "I Could Fall in Love", strikingly anonymous." An editor from the Contra Costa Times called the song a "jazzy ballad". Donny Brusca's book BPM List 2006: Main Edition classified it as "light-adult contemporary". Andrew Griffin of The Town Talk called it a "Tex-Mex (Texas-Mexico) pop" song.
"I Could Fall in Love" is similar to "Dreaming of You" in its lyrics. Many media outlets, including the Milwaukee Journal and Billboard magazine, called them "confessional ballads",Citations: with an emotionally vulnerable narrator who wants true love but finds it unattainable. Tarradell believed "I Could Fall in Love" was an indirect response to Selena's father and manager Abraham Quintanilla, Jr., who forced her and Perez to end their relationship just because Perez was a rocker. Tarradell asserted that the words "I know it's not right but I guess I should try to do what I should do" were directed at Abraham and reflected Selena's realization of her independence. Ramiro Burr of the San Antonio Express-News believed that Selena's 1992 song "Missing My Baby" shared similarities with "I Could Fall in Love" in expressing uncontrollable "adrenalin-fueled love". Burr later wrote that the difference in "I Could Fall in Love" is that the lyrics are recorded with "powerful agony" which forces the narrator to "fall into a phase of deep loneliness" because her lover may or may not reciprocate her feelings.
The first verse of "I Could Fall in Love" implores the object of the singer's desire to walk away, because her emotions are too overpowering and she feels love of unprecedented intensity. She fears that by allowing him to stay attached, she may "lose control". Selena believes that her infatuation can lead to romantic love. She then sings "I could fall in love (in love) with you" before wondering how she would feel if she were to touch him for the first time. The fear of being rejected and unloved leads her to keep her feelings to herself, and she begins to believe that her love is "not right". She continues, "and I guess I should try / to do what I should do / but I could fall in love / fall in love with you". During the midpoint break, Selena sings in Spanish that she is always dreaming about him, imagining that he loves her. She sings the chorus twice before the song comes to an end without her ever having come to terms with her loved one.
Critical reception "I Could Fall in Love" received a generally positive response from music critics, who commented on its similarities to songs recorded by other artists. Ed Morales of Vibe magazine felt that, because of its syncopated drums, "I Could Fall in Love" had a "Jon Secada-like feel", and it reminded Tarradell of songs recorded by American singer Brandy Norwood and by the trio TLC. An editor from the Star-News thought the song had "a whiff of" Celine Dion. James Hunter, also from Vibe, praised Selena's astute interpretation, calling it a "masterpiece" and commenting that Selena's death made the track more difficult to listen to. Larry Flick of Billboard described "I Could Fall in Love" as an "optimistic love song" that left "melancholy thoughts of what might have been" in the mind of the listener. John Lannert, also from Billboard, conceived "I Could Fall in Love" as a "sensuous narrative" recording and a "seductive romantic confessional". Tarradell, writing in The Beaver County Times, called it a "crossover staple".
Mary Talbot of the New York Daily News, praised Selena's "soft, velvety voice". A San Jose Mercury News reporter wrote that "I Could Fall in Love" and "Dreaming of You" helped Selena to become "the new Gloria Estefan". Richard Torres of Newsday considered both these songs to be romantic anthems. Enrique Fernandez of the Sun Sentinel described "I Could Fall in Love" as "beautiful", while an editor from The Sacramento Bee called the song a "Latin-influenced R&B lite". Because of its "overly simplistic and repetitive lyrics", Ramiro Burr of the San Antonio Express-News assessed "I Could Fall in Love" as the "weakest track" of Dreaming of You.
Elizabeth Rodriguez Kessler and Anne Perrin wrote in their 2007 book Chican@s in the Conversations that "I Could Fall in Love" was a "clean pop offering". Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle commented in 2008 that it had "made the Tejano goddess a posthumous crossover star". On 31 March 2010, Teresa Jusino of Popmatters expressed the view that English-speaking music fans no longer remember Selena's name, saying that on playing "Dreaming of You" or "I Could Fall in Love", many would say "I remember that song!" or "I love that one!". Randi Bergman of Fashion magazine, called the number an "epic ballad".
Recognition and accolades "I Could Fall in Love" was nominated for "Song of the Year" at the 1996 Tejano Music Awards, and won the Tejano Crossover Songs of the Year. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) recognized it as one of the most performed songs of 1995 at the 4th ASCAP Pop Music Awards. Marco Torres of OC Weekly, called the song "so sweet, so loving, so absolutely, amazingly, and astonishingly adorable!" and placed it at number seven on his "Top 10 Selena songs of All time" list. Brian Galindo of BuzzFeed believed the "melancholy ballad is another great example of Selena's ability bring an emotional vulnerability to her songs." and placed "I Could Fall in Love" at number five on his list of "The 15 Greatest Selena Songs of All Time". Latina magazine placed "I Could Fall in Love" at number three on their "Remembering Selena: Her Top Ten Songs" list. Ashley Velez of Neon Tommy commented that "Selena lends her vulnerability to this slow ballad" and that it "displays Selena's talented vocals and helped introduce the singer to the American mainstream." Velez then ranked the recording number two on her list of the "Top 5 Selena Songs".
Chart performance