"I Believe" is a song by American Idol third season winner Fantasia. The song was co-written by Louis Biancaniello, Sam Watters, and former American Idol contestant Tamyra Gray. Released as Fantasia's debut single on June 15, 2004, "I Believe" debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, selling 142,000 copies during its first week and winning three Billboard awards. The song also reached number one on the Canadian Singles Chart and number four on Australia's ARIA Singles Chart. It was included on Fantasia's debut studio album, Free Yourself, released on November 23, 2004.
Background
Fantasia sang "I Believe" on the third-season finale of American Idol as her last performance within the competition. Diana DeGarmo, the runner up of American Idol, sang the song first on the finale, for her first performance of the night. The judges unanimously acclaimed Fantasia the winner, a prediction that came true when she was crowned the following evening. An ecstatic and tearful Fantasia performed her new single "I Believe" minutes after the announcement. DeGarmo's performance was also well received by the judges.
Release and commercial performance "I Believe" was released in the United States on June 15, 2004, as a CD single and 7-inch single. The song debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number one, staying there for one week. During its debut week, the single sold 142,000 copies, making it the second debut solo single by a female artist to commence its chart run at number one, following Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)". It has sold 527,000 copies in the United States as of 2009. "I Believe" was the winner of two Billboard Music Awards and one Billboard American Urban Radio Networks award. In Canada, the song remained atop the Canadian Singles Chart for 10 weeks and was certified double platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA), shipping more than 80,000 units.
Outside North America, "I Believe" charted in Australia, New Zealand, and Romania. In Australia, the song was issued as a CD single on July 19, 2004. The following week, it debuted at its peak of number four on the ARIA Singles Chart. By doing so, Fantasia became the second American Idol winner to chart in Australia, after Kelly Clarkson debuted on the ARIA chart with "Miss Independent" in 2003. "I Believe" stayed in the top 50 for 11 weeks, ending 2004 as Australia's 85th-best-selling single and earning a gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipping over 35,000 copies. In New Zealand, the song charted on the RIANZ Singles Chart for five weeks, peaking at number 20 for two weeks in August 2004. On the Romanian Top 100, the single charted for one week, appearing at number 93 on July 19, 2004.
Awards YearAwardCategoryResult2004Billboard Music AwardsTop Selling Single of the YearTop Selling R&B/Hip-Hop Single of the Year2005Billboard American Urban Radio NetworksTop R&B/Hip-Hop Single
Track listings US, Canadian, and Australian CD single "I Believe" "Chain of Fools" "Summertime"
US 7-inch single A. "I Believe" B. "Summertime"
Credits and personnel Credits are lifted from the US CD single liner notes.
Studios Recorded at NRG Studios (North Hollywood, California), Homesite 13 (Novato, California), and the Record Plant (Hollywood, California) Mixed at Homesite 13 (Novato, California)
Writing and production
Tamyra Gray – writing, background vocals Sam Watters – writing, background vocals, production, arrangement Louis Biancaniello – writing, keyboards, programming, production, arrangement, mixing Steve Churchyard – string session engineering Mark Kiczula – assistant string engineering Ross Hogarth – choir session engineering Brian Scheuble – choir session engineering Jun Ishizeki – assistant choir engineering
Vocals
Fantasia – vocals Maxi Anderson – choir Eric Butler – choir Debra Byrd – choir Nick Cooper – choir Kevin Dorsey – choir Angela Fisher – choir Sybil Harris – choir Darlene Koldenhoven – choir Byron Motley – choir Bobbi Page – choir Deborah Sharpe-Taylor – choir Melanie Taylor – choir Tony Wilkins – choir Terry Wood – choir Yvonne Williams – choir
Orchestra
David Campbell – string arrangement, conducting Joel Derouin – violin Darius Campo – violin Mario DeLeon – violin Berj Garabedian – violin Armen Garabedian – violin Larry Greenfield – violin Julian Hallmark – violin Natalie Leggett – violin Alyssa Park – violin Sara Parkins – violin Bob Peterson – violin John Wittenberg – violin Evan Wilson – viola Matt Funes – viola Larry Corbett – cello Dan Smith – cello
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (2004–2005)PeakpositionCanada (Nielsen SoundScan)1Romania (Romanian Top 100)93
Year-end charts Chart (2004)PositionAustralia (ARIA)85
Certifications
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.United StatesJune 15, 2004July 6, 2004Contemporary hit radioAustraliaJuly 19, 2004CD
See also List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 2004 List of number-one singles of 2004 (Canada)
References