Top 10 (Romance) Language Crossovers

The concept of covers in music is something we're all familiar with. It's practiced with music of all languages, by artists of all nationalities, as they seek to pay tribute to the original singer of a given song. Generally, this all takes place within the context of a single language, months or years after the original piece was recorded.

What happens sometimes, though, is that the original artist himself will record a version of his own song in another language. The song is marketed at the same time as the one in the original language, allowing the singer to make a crossover into another language's market.

Quite often, the crossover will take place with an English-speaking singer recording in Spanish, or, a Spanish-speaking one singing in English to capture a new audience. Indeed, Spanish is a very common target for singers trying to make a crossover, as we will see below. This is oftentimes the case with Americans as well as Italians, as they're able to market themselves even more in the markets of Latin America and Spain. For Spanish-language artists, we see that they tend to record in English, but, also, in Portuguese, for the Brazilian market.

While a couple of the artists reviewed for this list also recorded in Japanese, we are concerned here with Romance languages. To qualify, the singer had to have recorded the versions in both languages himself, with at least one of the languages being a Romance one. Popularity, and overall success were also looked at, more than just about the songs, this is about the artists.

With that said, here are the top ten Romance language crossovers.

Each song is accompanied with a short segment from the lyrics, for comparison purposes.
Click on each picture to listen to the song. If you have trouble loading the videos, try opening them in a new window or tab.

#10. Jennifer Lopez
Languages: English, Spanish

Born in New York and of Puerto Rican descent, Jennifer Lopez has recorded many of her songs in Spanish; she even released a full album in this language in 2007. When speaking, Jennifer's accent is, as expected, mainly Puerto Rican.

"Love is paid with love" is the literal translation of the song's Spanish version.

English	Spanish
Love Don't Cost A Thing You think you gotta keep me iced, you know You think I'm gonna spend your cash, I won't Even if you were broke, my love don't cost a thing Think I wanna drive your Benz, I don't If I wanna floss I've got my own Even if you were broke, my love don't cost a thing	Amor Se Paga Con Amor Piensas que me tienes y ya voy No le pongas precio a lo que soy El amor que te doy se paga con amor Todo para ti tiene un valor Mira de una vez soy como soy El amor que te doy se paga con amor

#9. RBD
Languages: Spanish, Portuguese

The Mexican teen sensation that made its way around the world. And they made it to Brazil too (one of their interviews in Brazil discussed before).
Their Portuguese translations follow the Spanish very closely, almost word by word quite often. A peculiarity here is that they recorded with a Brazilian pronunciation, though they retained the tu verbal forms in Portuguese, which is otherwise a feature of European Portuguese.

Brazilians welcomed the Portuguese versions, but many still preferred the Spanish originals because: one, they could already understand the Spanish songs; and, two, RBD sings with a thick accent in Portuguese. The band learned the songs with the help of a tutor who taught them the pronunciation in the recording studio, as they admitted in an interview, and, other than that, they don't speak Portuguese.

Spanish	Portuguese
Ser o Parecer Pero tú en mis sueños siempre has de estar Como una luz que me ilumina y al despertar Quiero volverlo a intentar Yo... Sé que el corazón late más fuerte, más que un motor Y aunque no sabes nada de mí Que un día te habré de alcanzar, amor. Ser o parecer quien te imaginas Ser o parecer quien te imaginas	Ser ou Parecer Mas aqui em meus sonhos sempre estarás Como uma luz que me ilumina e ao despertar Quero te ver me abraçar... Eu... Sei que o coração bate mais forte, Mais que um motor Sei que não sabes nada de mim Mas ainda vou te alcançar, amor... Ser ou parecer quem te imaginas Ser ou parecer quem te imaginas

#8. Christina Aguilera
Languages: English, Spanish

Born in the US to an Ecuadorian father, Christina's Spanish pronunciation is impeccable. However, she is not fluent in Spanish, having to resort to an earpiece for simultaneous translation in interviews with the Spanish-speaking media. Nonetheless, she has taken advantage of her Hispanic ancestry to promote various works recorded in Spanish throughout her music career. Like Jennifer Lopez, Christina has also released Spanish-only albums.

English	Spanish
Genie in a Bottle My body's saying let's go, But my heart is saying no. If you wanna be with me, baby, there's a price to pay. I'm a genie in a bottle, you gotta rub me the right way. If you wanna be with me, I can make your wish come true. You gotta make a big impression, I gotta like what you do.	Genio Atrapado Mi cuerpo dice quiero, Pero mi alma tiene miedo. Si me quieres junto a ti Frota bien y ya verás Como un genio liberado Haré tus sueños realidad. Si me quieres junto a ti Gánate mi corazón Tres deseos te concedo Si me juras tu amor

#7. Tiziano Ferro
Languages: Italian, Spanish

The Italian who, in 2006, shared with the Italian public how he felt about Mexican women: "It's impossible to say that, in Mexico, you'll find the world's most beautiful women, with all due respect — they have mustaches", adding that, perhaps, Salma Hayek was one exception to that rule. His claim was not taken lightly by the Mexican media, and he was heavily criticized. His career certainly started to suffer, which caused Tiziano later to admit that he was simply joking. With Mexico being the bridge to the Latin American market, the damage caused in his Spanish-speaking audience would take time to heal.

Linguistically, Tiziano often changes his accent from Latin American to European, depending on where he's being interviewed. The same goes for his songs: some use a European pronunciation (with distinción), while in other albums he's heard using seseo.

Italian	Spanish
Sere Nere Ripenserai agli angeli Al caffè caldo svegliandoti Mentre passa distratta la notizia di noi due Dicono che mi servirà Se non uccide fortifica Mentre passa distratta la tua voce alla tv Tra la radio e il telefono risuonerà il tuo addio Di sere nere Che non c'è tempo Non c'è spazio E mai nessuno capirà	Tardes Negras Y volverán los ángeles al despertarse con tu café pasará distraida la noticia de nosotros. Y dicen que me servirá lo que no mata, fuerza te da mientras pasa el sonido de tu voz por la T.V. por la radio y el telefono resonará tu adiós. De tardes negras que no hay tiempo ni espacio y nadie nunca entenderá.

#6. Beyoncé
Languages: English, Spanish

Another American singer who doesn't speak Spanish, but whose pronunciation when singing is near flawless. Beyoncé has released several of her English songs in Spanish as well, including one in a norteño style remix.

One thing's for sure: nothing beats hearing Beyoncé utter the words Él es un perro (He's a dog) in perfect Spanish in her own Spanish version of Beautiful Liar, below. The English version is done in collaboration with Shakira, while the Spanish one is sung by Beyoncé alone.

English	Spanish
Beautiful Liar You never know Why are we the ones to suffer Have to let go He won't be the one to cry. Let’s not kill the karma Let’s not start a fight It’s not worth the drama For a beautiful liar. Can we laugh about it It’s not worth our time We can live without him Just a beautiful liar	Bello Embustero A mi tambien Siempre quiere verme sola No hay que caer En su trampa una vez más. No nos pelearemos No nos va a engañar No terminaremos Por un bello embustero. No nos va dividir No, no nos va a exitar No vamos a sufrir Por un bello embustero.

#5. Laura Pausini
Languages: Italian, Spanish

From the Emilia-Romagna region, this Italian singer has found success in the Spanish-speaking markets as well. Her earlier work shows a less polished pronunciation in Spanish, and with each recording, she has gotten progressively better to the point where she could be mistaken for a native when singing, just like her fellow countryman, Tiziano Ferro. Like Tiziano as well, she shows a variance in her Spanish, both in speech and in songs — sometimes using a more Latin American accent with seseo, other times using the more European feature of distinción, i.e. distinguishing between s and z (for example, in the piece Víveme).

The Italian and Spanish translation are very similar, word by word. Just like with Portuguese translations from and into Spanish, quite often only simple changes need to be made in order to maintain meter and rhyme.

The Spanish version of the song heard below was also used as the theme for Mexican soap opera La Madastra.

Italian	Spanish
Vivimi Vivimi senza paura Che sia una vita o che sia un’ora Non lasciare libero o disperso Questo mio spazio adesso aperto, ti prego. Vivimi senza vergogna Anche se hai tutto il mondo contro Lascia l’apparenza e prendi il senso E ascolta quello che ho qui dentro. Così diventi un grande quadro che dentro me Ricopre una parete bianca un po’ anche stanca	Víveme Víveme sin miedo ahora Que sea una vida o sea una hora No me dejes libre aquí desnudo Mi nuevo espacio que ahora es tuyo, te ruego. Víveme sin más vergüenza Aunque esté todo el mundo en contra Deja la apariencia y toma el sentido Y siente lo que llevo dentro. Y te transformas en un cuadro dentro de mí Que cubre mis paredes blancas y cansadas.

#4. Jeanette
Languages: Spanish, French

Jeanette's ancestry is anything but simple. As her Wikipedia article says: she is "a half-Belgian, half-Spanish, English-born, American-raised singer who has resided in Spain since the age of 12". She does have a slight, noticeable (foreign) accent when singing in Spanish, a stronger one when speaking. Interestingly enough, she sings her songs with a Latin American pronunciation, but, today, she speaks with distinción, as heard on this current video.

Throughout her career, she has recorded in quite a few languages, besides just the Romance ones presented here. The French version of the song below differs quite a lot from the Spanish because the lyrics content has been changed. The title in Spanish translates to "Because you're leaving", and the French one to "Why you live".

Spanish	French
Porque Te Vas Hoy en mi ventana brilla el sol Y un corazón se pone triste contemplando la ciudad Porque te vas Como en cada noche desperté Pensando en ti Y en mi reloj todas las horas vi pasar Porque te vas Todas las promesas de mi amor se irán contigo Me olvidarás, me olvidarás Junto a la estación yo lloraré igual que un niño Porque te vas, porque te vas	Pourquoi Tu Vis On t'a fait un monde trop petit pour tes idées Pour la petite des grands yeux écarquillés Sur l'infinie Tu es prisonnière de ta maison De tes parents De cet adulte qui te dit qu'il a raison Et qui te ment. Toi, tu es née pour la folie, pour la lumière Pour des pays peuplés de rois Et tu te demandes dans ta nuit de prisonnière Porquoi tu vis et où tu vas

#3. Shakira
Languages: Spanish, English

This Colombian requires no introduction to an English-speaking audience since she's just as famous to Spanish speakers as she is in the US and overseas. Having recorded most of her work in both languages, she tends to keep the content about the same, as we see from the song "Shewolf" — Loba in Spanish.

Spanish

English

Loba Una loba en el armario Tiene ganas de salir Deja que se coma el barrio Antes de irte a dormir Tengo tacones de aguja magnética Para dejar a la manada frenética La luna llena como una fruta No da consejos ni los escucha Llevo conmigo un radar especial para localizar solteros Si acaso me meto en aprietos también llevo el número de los bomberos Ni tipos muy lindos ni divos ni niños ricos, yo sé lo que quiero Pasarla muy bien y portarme muy mal en los brazos de algún caballero.

Shewolf There's a she wolf in the closet Open up and set her free There's a she wolf in your closet Let it out so it can breathe Sitting across a bar staring right at her prey It's going well so far, she's gonna get her way Nocturnal creatures are not so prudent The moon's my teacher, and I'm her student To locate the single man, I've got on me a special radar And the fire department hotline in case I get in trouble later Not looking for cute little divos or rich city guys, I just want to enjoy By having a very good time and behave very bad in the arms of a boy.

#2. ABBA
Languages: English, Spanish

While not the only Spanish song ABBA recorded, it remains as one of the most popular Spanish-language pieces in current times, having being covered by many artists throughout the years (the most recent remake in 2010 by the Spaniard Amaia Montero). According to some sources, ABBA learned the Spanish songs "phonetically", and, therefore, did not speak the language themselves. Their pronunciation is good, but, a foreign accent is easily detectable.

Chiquitita is Spanish for "little girl", which is the title for both versions of the song.

English

Spanish

Chiquitita Chiquitita, you and I know How the heartaches come and they go And the scars they're leaving You'll be dancing once again And the pain will end You will have no time for grieving Chiquitita, you and I cry But the sun is still in the sky and shining above you Let me hear you sing once more Like you did before Sing a new song, chiquitita Try once more Like you did before Sing a new song, chiquitita

Chiquitita Chiquitita, sabes muy bien Que las penas vienen y van  Y desaparecen   Otra vez vas a bailar  Y serás feliz   Como flores que florecen   Chiquitita, no hay que llorar  Las estrellas brillan por ti allá en lo alto  Quiero verte sonreír  Para compartir   Tu alegría, chiquitita   Otra vez  Quiero compartir  Tu alegría, chiquitita

#1. Mecano
Languages: Spanish, Italian, French

In the number one spot is the musical group whose hit baptized the author of this blog with the name Filius Lunae: Mecano. This group of Spaniards reached fame in Latin America and around the world, singing mostly in Spanish, but recording a few of their songs in other languages. The song showcased here is the one with the most remakes ever out of all the songs considered for this list; covers exist in all kinds of rhythms, from pop to heavy metal to ranchera, even remade in Serbian by one artist.

Here we have Mecano performing the song in three Romance languages: French, Italian, and, of course, their native Spanish. Hijo de la Luna tells the story of a gypsy woman who asks the moon for a partner; the moon gives her this man in exchange for the gypsy's first-born child.

Spanish	Italian	French
Hijo de la Luna Tonto el que no entienda cuenta una leyenda que una hembra gitana conjuró a la luna hasta el amanecer. Llorando pedía al llegar el día desposar un calé. "Tendrás a tu hombre, piel morena," desde el cielo habló la luna llena "pero a cambio quiero el hijo primero que le engendres a él. Que quien su hijo inmola, para no estar sola, poco le iba a querer." Luna, quieres ser madre y no encuentras querer que te haga mujer. Dime, luna de plata qué pretendes hacer con un niño de piel. Hijo de la luna	Figlio della Luna Per chi non fraintenda narra la leggenda di quella gitana che pregò la luna bianca ed alta nel ciel. Mentre sorrideva lei la supplicava «fa che torni da me». «Tu riavrai quell'uomo, pelle scura. Con il suo perdono donna impura però in cambio voglio che il tuo primo figlio venga a stare con me. Chi suo figlio immola per non stare sola non è degna di un re.» Luna, adesso sei madre ma chi fece di te una donna non c'è. Dimmi, luna d'argento come lo cullerai se le braccia non hai Figlio della luna	Fils de la Lune Idiot qui ne comprend pas, la légende qui comme ça dit qu'une gitane implora la lune jusqu'au levé du jour. Pleurant elle demandait un gitan qui voudrait l'épouser par amour. ''Tu auras ton homme, femme brune'', du ciel répondit la pleine lune. ''Mais il faudra donner ton enfant le premier dès qu'il te sera né.' Celle qui pour un homme son enfant immole, bien peu l'auraient aimé". Lune, tu veux être mère, tu ne trouves pas l'amour aui exhausse ta prière. Dis-moi, lune d'argent, toi qui n'as pas de bras, comment bercer l'enfant ? Hijo de la luna.