Feel What You Want

"Feel What You Want" is a 1994 song by American club music singer Kristine W. It was released as the first single from her debut album, Land of the Living. The song was produced by British producer Rollo and became a huge number 1 club hit in the US. "Feel What You Want" also reached number 4 in the Netherlands and number 22 in Belgium.[1] On the Eurochart Hot 100, the song peaked at number 83. It also charted in the UK twice, first at number 33 when it was first released in 1994, then at number 40 with a 1997 remix by Peter Ries. "Feel What You Want" was also featured on the soundtrack of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories on the Rise FM radio station.

"Feel What You Want"
Single by Kristine W
from the album Land of the Living
Released	1994
Genre	Dance house hi-NRG
Label	Champion Records Dance Pool
Songwriter(s)	Rob Dougan Rollo Kristine W
Producer(s)	Rollo Rob Dougan
Kristine W singles chronology
"Feel What You Want" (1994) "One More Try" (1996)
Music video
"Feel What You Want" on YouTube

Background

Kristine wrote "Feel What You Want" with Rollo and Rob Dougan. When asked in an interview about how she came up with this song, she said:

My stepfather had died and I really was depressed over his sudden death. He was my mentor, really, and one of my heroes. And he died of an aneurysm really suddenly. So that was really feeling his loss. That song just made me think about everything from religion to pollution to the planet. I wove a lot of things that I was feeling into that song. 'Sun rises at 9, it departs at 5 again, ain't doing overtime no more. In this world of color the brightest pictures are plugged right into your wall,' in television, you know, it just seemed like everything on the news was depressing. So when you're depressed it even seems more depressing. I felt like I was numb from the death and I was not living anymore. I was just kind of existing.[2]

Critical reception

AllMusic editor John Bush said that on "Feel What You Want", Kristine W. proves that she probably is "the most soulful vocalist in dance music, period."[3] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that "after being the center of a fierce major-label bidding war, this European dance/pop smash is finally available domestically—and the odds are mighty good that it will meet with similar success here both on dancefloors and over radio airwaves. Kristine has a striking voice, and she turns in an urgent performance that transforms the house-rooted song into an anthem to be reckoned with. Will sound great on boom-boxes on the beach."[4] William Stevensen from Entertainment Weekly described "Feel What You Want" as a "infectious anthem".[5] Music & Media commented that "a keyboard and a voice alone usually lead to a ballad. Dance has its own rules though. If there was a prize for the most sparsely arranged pop dance record, this track would win."[6] Michael Morley from Muzik described the song as "storming".[7] The Network Forty noted that it is "displaying a unique dance groove".[8] Ben Wener from Orange County Register called it "irresistible".[9] People Magazine picked it as "the standout cut" on the Land of the Living album, and noted "the thumping house rhythm, exuberant keyboard motif and her whopping vocal" on the track.[10] Frank Own for Vibe choose it as the Vocal House Cut of the Year and said that "the former Vegas lounge singer moved the muscle boys this year with this sparse, smoldering floor filler."[11]

Music video

The music video of "Feel What You Want" was directed by Lindy Heymann.[12]

Impact and legacy

DJ Magazine ranked it number 91 in their list of 'Top 100 Club Tunes' in 1998.[13]

Track listing

1. "Feel What You Want" (Our Tribe Vocal Edit) 4:10
2. "Feel What You Want" (Our Tribe Vocal) 5:27
3. "Feel What You Want" (Dignity Vocal Mix) 8:15

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1994) Peak position Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[14] 22 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[15] 83 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 4 Netherlands (Single Top 100) 5 Scotland (Official Charts Company)[17] 67 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[18] 33 UK Dance (Official Charts Company)[19] 17 US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[20] 1 Chart (1997) Peak position Belgium Dance (Ultratop)[21] 12 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[22] 98 Scotland (Official Charts Company)[23] 53 UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 40 UK Dance (Official Charts Company)[24] 5 Chart (2001) Peak position UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 85 Chart (2009) Peak position Netherlands (Single Top 100) 63

Year-end charts Chart (1994) Position Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[25] 47 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[26] 46

Cover versions

"Feel What You Want" was covered by "Phonique" for their "Kissing Strangers" album in 2010.

See also

• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

Personnel

• Guitar by Skinny Jules
• All tracks written by Rob D., Rollo & Kristine W.
• Published by BMG Music/Champion Music.
• Licensed from Champion Records.

References

1. "KRISTINE W - FEEL WHAT YOU WANT (SONG)". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
2. "Kristine W interview". songfacts.com. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
3. "Kristine W. - Land of the Living". AllMusic. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
4. "Billboard: NEW & NOTEWORTHY" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
5. "Land of the Living". Entertainment Weekly. July 26, 1996. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
6. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. August 20, 1994. p. 7. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
7. "Garage: Singles" (PDF). Muzik. December 1, 1995. p. 98. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
8. "Mainstream: Music Meeting" (PDF). The Network Forty. p. 22. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
9. "Kristine W. prepares to take on dance world". Rome News-Tribune. February 28, 1997. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
10. "Picks and Pans Review: Land of the Living". People. July 29, 1996. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
11. "In 1994..." Vibe. December 1, 1994. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
12. "Lindy Heymann". mvdbase.com. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
13. "DJ Magazine Top 100 Club Tunes (1998)". discogs.com. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
14. "KRISTINE W - FEEL WHAT YOU WANT (SONG)". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
15. "Music & Media: Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
16. "Kristine W - Feel What You Want". top40.nl. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
17. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 29 May 1994 - 02 July 1994". officialcharts.com. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
18. "Feel What You Want". officialcharts.com. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
19. "Official UK Dance Singles Chart (03 July 1994-09 July 1994)". officialcharts.com. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
20. "Dance Club Play Songs 1994-07-23". billboard.com. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
21. "Ultratop Dance 19/07/1997". ultratop.be. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
22. "Music & Media: Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
23. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 29 June 1997 - 05 July 1997". officialcharts.com. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
24. "Official UK Dance Singles Chart (29 June 1997-05 July 1997)". officialcharts.com. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
25. "Jaarlijsten 1994" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
26. "JAAROVERZICHTEN - Single 1994" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved December 12, 2019.