Crush (Jennifer Paige song)

1998 single by Jennifer Paige

"Crush"

Single by Jennifer Paige
from the album  Jennifer Paige
Released| June 9, 1998 (1998-06-09)
Genre| Teen pop
Length| 3:20
Label|

* Edel America
* Hollywood

Songwriter(s)|

* Andy Goldmark
* Mark Mueller
* Berny Cosgrove
* Kevin Clark

Producer(s)|

* Andy Goldmark
* Jimmy Bralower

Jennifer Paige singles chronology
|  | "Crush"
(1998)  | "Sober"
(1999)

|
|

Music video
"Crush" on YouTube

"Crush" is a song by American singer Jennifer Paige. The teen pop song was written by Andy Goldmark, Mark Mueller, Berny Cosgrove and Kevin Clark. It was released as the first single from her debut album, Jennifer Paige (1998). The music video for "Crush" was produced by Kati Haberstok and directed by David Hogan.[1] "Crush" topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand while peaking at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for four consecutive weeks in September 1998. In the United Kingdom, "Crush" reached number four on the UK Singles Chart, and it also reached number four in France. It became a top-10 hit in at least 11 other countries, including Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain.

## Background and composition

[edit]

In April 1998, soon after Paige recorded "Crush", producer Andy Goldmark played the song at top pop Los Angeles radio station KIIS-FM, where it met with a hugely positive reaction from programmers and was added to the station's playlist within days. During the first week of May, KIIS-FM became the first radio station to begin playing "Crush" and it began its meteoric rise up the charts, without typical record company promotion or release. Paige said "we had no pictures, photography, hadn't gotten it mastered or mass-produced it, nothing."[2] Edel Records, Paige's initial label, made an initial press run of 20,000 copies of "Crush" which sold out quickly, and it soon became KIIS-FM's most requested song.

The song, written by Paige's producer Andy Goldmark along with the songwriters Mark Mueller, Berny Cosgrove and Kevin Clark, was inspired by Paige's personal experiences and observations in her love life. "Crush" is written in the key of C♯ minor and follows a tempo of 115 beats per minute. Paige's vocal range extends from G♯3 to C♯5.[3]

## Critical reception

[edit]

Billboard wrote that Paige "succeeds in the nearly impossible task of oozing smoldering sensuality without resorting to typical groans and moans. Instead, she uses her notably flexible vocal range to convey the emotion of the tune, quickly soaring to lilting high notes and then dropping to the lowest point of her register to accentuate within the space of several seconds." They stated further that "as a result, she breathes a refreshing intensity into the song that renders it far more sexy than it would have been had she simply taken the easy route. Fortunately, this talented new artist is given a substantial song to work with," adding that producers Andy Goldmark and Jimmy Bralower "surround Paige with tense shuffle beats and twinkly synths".[4] Blender put "Crush" at 189th place on their list of 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born. They described the song as "an unusually supple and sophisticated teen-pop hit informed by the level-headed sass of great R&B... swept along by a breathy chorus, pulsing groove and Paige's exquisite multilayered vocals."[5]

## Chart performance

[edit]

"Crush" was an international hit that peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100,[6] earned a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America,[7] and sold 700,000 copies by the end of 1998.[8] It reached number one in three countries: Australia (two weeks),[9] Canada (five weeks)[10] and New Zealand (one week).[11] In Australia, the song is certified 2× platinum for more than 140,000 copies shipped,[12] while in New Zealand it is certified gold for sales of over 5,000.[13] In Europe, "Crush" reached number four in France and the United Kingdom,[14][15] going gold in both countries,[16][17] and number six in Ireland,[18] the Netherlands and Norway.[14] It also became a top-ten hit in Austria, Walloon Belgium, Denmark, Hungary and Spain,[14][19][20][21] and it reached the top 20 in Flanders, Germany, Iceland, Sweden and Switzerland.[14][22]

## Live performances and cover versions

[edit]

Katy Perry performing a snippet of "Crush" during her The Lifetimes Tour at Adelaide Entertainment Centre

In August 1998, Paige made her debut TV appearance singing "Crush" on the ABC TV show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.[23] Paige also performed the show live on the Australian prime time TV show Hey Hey It's Saturday where she was presented an award for platinum sales of "Crush" in Australia.[24] On September 11, 1998, Paige was featured and performed "Crush" on Top of the Pops, which was performed live.[25][unreliable source?]

This song was later (in Sept 1999) covered by Hong Kong singer Joey Yung, in Cantonese version of Unknown (“未知”).

In 2016, a cover of "Crush" by jazz keyboardist John Novello featuring R&B saxophonist Gerald Albright on the chorus reached number eight on the US Billboard Smooth Jazz Airplay chart.[citation needed] It entered at number 45 on the Smooth Jazz chart the week of January 26, 2016.[26] As of the March 26, 2016 chart, it had spent a total of 7 weeks in the top 30.[27][28]

A cover of "Crush" also appears on Jai Paul's album "Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones)", released in 2019[29].

In 2025, singer-songwriter Katy Perry performed a medley of the song with her song "Crush" as part of her The Lifetimes Tour.

## Track listings

[edit]

CD single (US, UK, France, Europe)[30]No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Crush"| 3:19
2.| "Crush" (Dance Mix)| 3:16
3.| "Crush" (Instrumental) (US and UK only[31][32])| 3:19

CD maxi single (US, Australia, Europe)[31]No.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Crush"| 3:19
2.| "Crush" (Dance Mix)| 3:16
3.| "Crush" (Extended Club Mix) (US and Australia only)| 5:18
4.| "Crush" (Instrumental)| 3:19

"Crush" The Remixes CD (UK, Australia, Germany)[33]No.| Title| Title (Australia)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Crush" (David Morales Radio Alt Intro)| "Crush" (David Morales Radio Mix)| 3:40
2.| "Crush" (Tiefschwarz Radio Edit[a])| "Crush" (Tiefschwarz Radio Mix)| 3:49
3.| "Crush" (David Morales Club Mix[a])|  | 7:10
4.| "Crush" (Tiefschwarz Hollywood Extended)|  | 8:03
5.| "Crush" (David Morales Alt Club Body[a])| "Crush" (David Morales Classic Club Mix)| 7:10
6.| "Crush" (David Morales La Crush Dub)|  | 7:10

1. ^ a b c Tracks 2, 3, 5: Germany and Australia releases only[33][34]

## Personnel

[edit]

* Jennifer Paige – lead and backing vocals
* Kevin Dukes – guitars
* Andy Goldmark – keyboards and drum programming
* Jimmy Bralower – additional drum programming
* Alex Acuna – percussion

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

| Chart (1998)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (ARIA)[9] | 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[14] | 10
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[35] | 17
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[36] | 7
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] | 1
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[37] | 1
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[38] | 2
Denmark (IFPI)[19] | 7
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[39] | 5
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[40] | 20
France (SNEP)[41] | 4
Germany (GfK)[42] | 15
Hungary (Mahasz)[20] | 5
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[22] | 12
Ireland (IRMA)[18] | 6
Italy (Musica e dischi)[43] | 4
Italy Airplay (Music & Media)[44] | 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[45] | 6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[46] | 6
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] | 1
Norway (VG-lista)[47] | 6
Poland (Music & Media)[48] | 3
Scotland (OCC)[49] | 5
Spain (AFYVE)[21] | 7
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[50] | 14
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[51] | 12
UK Singles (OCC)[15] | 4
UK Indie (OCC)[52] | 1
US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 3
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[53] | 23
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[54] | 19
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[55] | 3
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[56] | 26
Chart (2018)  | Peak
position

|

Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[57] | 79

### Year-end charts

[edit]

| Chart (1998)  | Position

|

Australia (ARIA)[58] | 7
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[59] | 52
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[60] | 2
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[61] | 9
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[62] | 37
France (SNEP)[63] | 63
Germany (Media Control)[64] | 84
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[65] | 43
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[66] | 71
New Zealand (RIANZ)[67] | 32
Sweden (Hitlistan)[68] | 90
UK Singles (OCC)[69][70] | 53
US Billboard Hot 100[71] | 21
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[72] | 47
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[73] | 15
US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard)[74] | 90
Chart (1999)  | Position

|

US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[75] | 49
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[76] | 80

## Certifications and sales

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Australia (ARIA)[12] | 2× Platinum  | 140,000^
France (SNEP)[16] | Gold  | 250,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[13] | Gold  | 5,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[17] | Platinum  | 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[7] | Gold  | 700,000[8]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## Release history

[edit]

Region  | Date  | Format(s)  | Label(s)  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

United States  | June 9, 1998  | Contemporary hit radio |

* Edel America
* Hollywood

| [77]
June 16, 1998  | CD  | [78]
United Kingdom  | August 31, 1998  |

* CD
* cassette

| Edel  | [79]
Japan  | November 1, 1998  | CD  | Polydor | [80]

## References

[edit]

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2. ^ Sorren, Martha (April 24, 2017). "Why "Crush" Singer Jennifer Paige Doesn't Miss The '90s". Bustle. Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
3. ^ Kevin, Clark; Berny, Cosgrove; Mark, Mueller; Andy, Goldmark (December 15, 1999). "Crush". Musicnotes.com. MN0026767. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
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14. ^ a b c d e "Jennifer Paige – Crush" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
15. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
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17. ^ a b "British single certifications – Jennifer Paige – Crush". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
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27. ^ "BDSRadio Charts". charts.bdsradio.com. Archived from the original on March 23, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
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30. ^ Crush (CD liner notes). Jennifer Paige. Edel America Records. 1998. 0038712ERE.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
31. ^ a b Crush (CD liner notes). Jennifer Paige. Edel America Records. 1998. 0039425ERE.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
32. ^ Crush (CD liner notes). Jennifer Paige. Edel America Records. 1998. 0039435ERE.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
33. ^ a b Crush (The Remixes) (CD liner notes). Jennifer Paige. Edel America Records. 1998. 0043215ERE.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
34. ^ Crush (The Remixes) (CD liner notes). Jennifer Paige. Edel America Records. 1998. 0043735ERE.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
35. ^ "Jennifer Paige – Crush" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
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39. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 49\. December 5, 1998. p. 10\. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 25, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
40. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Jennifer Paige". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 191. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
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72. ^ "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1998". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52\. December 25, 1998. p. 55.
73. ^ "Most Played Mainstream Top 40 Songs of 1998". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52\. December 25, 1998. p. 45.
74. ^ "Most Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 1998". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 52\. December 25, 1998. p. 46.
75. ^ "The Best of '99: Most Played Adult Contemporary Songs". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52\. December 24, 1999. p. 48.
76. ^ "Most Played Adult Top 40 Songs of 1999". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 7, no. 52\. December 24, 1999. p. 47.
77. ^ "New Releases". Radio & Records. No. 1251\. June 5, 1998. p. 39.
78. ^ "Crush". Amazon. Archived from the original on April 19, 2010. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
79. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. August 29, 1998. p. 35\. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 12, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
80. ^ "クラッシュ | ジェニファー・ペイジ" [Crush | Jennifer Paige] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved October 5, 2023.

* v
* t
* e

Jennifer Paige

Studio albums|

* Jennifer Paige
* Positively Somewhere
* Best Kept Secret
* Starflower

Compilation albums|

* Flowers

Singles|

* "Crush"
* "Sober"
* "Always You"
* "These Days"
* "Stranded"
* "Underestimated"
* "Beautiful Lie"

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work
* MusicBrainz release group

|

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