Dreaming of You is the fifth and final studio album by American singer Selena, released posthumously on July 18, 1995, by EMI Records and EMI Latin. After witnessing her performance at the 1989 Tejano Music Awards, EMI Latin's José Behar envisioned her as "the next Gloria Estefan", and redirected his efforts toward securing her prominence in the Latin music industry before attempting an American pop crossover. After a succession of Spanish-language triumphs and a Grammy Award for Selena Live! (1993), the label signed her to SBK Records to commence the crossover project. The SBK contract drew widespread attention and was hailed as the year's most significant Tejano development. Recording for Dreaming of You initially stalled, in part due to Amor Prohibido (1994), as the label prioritized her Latin marketability.
After Selena's murder on March 31, 1995, the label resolved to issue a bilingual album, featuring unreleased English-language material intended for her crossover debut, two shelved contributions from the Don Juan DeMarco soundtrack, and remixes of earlier work. On Dreaming of You's English tracks, Selena primarily collaborated with producers Keith Thomas and Rhett Lawrence, alongside songwriter Diane Warren, and recorded a duet with David Byrne of Talking Heads.
Dreaming of You sold 175,000 copies on its first day of availability–a then-record for a female artist. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first predominantly Spanish-language release to do so. It sold 331,155 units in its first week, the second-highest total for a female vocalist, trailing Janet Jackson's janet (1993). Selena became the first Tejano artist to top the chart, with Billboard editors calling the feat "jaw-dropping" and "stunning", Newsweek hailing it as historic, and the Calgary Herald deemed it a musical milestone. The release posted the largest first-week sales ever by a Hispanic artist, and Billboard ranked its debut among the top ten in history, as well as the best-selling debut for a female artist. Dreaming of You holds the Guinness World Records for the first album by a Latin solo artist to debut at number one, the first solo posthumous number-one debut, and the first female vocalist to top the chart with a Spanish-language album. It remained the best-selling Latin and Latin pop album for two consecutive years. Certified 62x platinum (Latin) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), it remains the highest-certified Latin album and the best-selling Latin and Tejano album in U.S. history.
Background In 1957, Abraham Quintanilla joined the English-language Chicano doo-wop group The Dinos. Although initially successful, their popularity waned, and Quintanilla left the music industry to support his family. While working conventional jobs, Quintanilla discovered his daughter Selena Quintanilla's vocal ability and recalled, "I saw the continuation of my dreams." He formed a family band with Selena as lead singer, her brother A.B. Quintanilla on bass, and sister Suzette Quintanilla on drums; although initially hesitant, the children grew to enjoy performing. After Abraham's Tex-Mex restaurant failed during the 1980s oil bust, the family declared bankruptcy and moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where Abraham began promoting the rebranded Selena y Los Dinos as a Tejano band. Selena saw Tejano as a strategic pathway to the mainstream pop market and embraced her ambition to become a pop musician.
In 1983, Selena y Los Dinos recorded their first singles with Freddie Records, but poor promotion and low sales led Abraham to switch to Bob Grever's Cara Records, and later, in 1986, to Manny Guerra's G.P. Productions. The group built its reputation performing nonstop at private events and local venues, with Abraham relentlessly booking shows despite rejections fueled by gender bias. Promoters dismissed them as unremarkable. The band continued pushing forward with minimal earnings and limited industry support, culminating in a 1985 appearance on the Johnny Canales Show. In 1986, "Dame Un Beso", brought wider attention, and Selena's Tejano Music Award for Female Entertainer of the Year at age 15 stirred controversy by dethroning Laura Canales. The band's 1987 pop cover of "La Bamba", reached number 20 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, but was eclipsed by Los Lobos' version tied to the film. By 1988, they were among Texas's most requested Tejano acts. In 1989, José Behar urged Capitol Records Vice Chairman and CEO Joe Smith to develop a musician like Gloria Estefan, who received acclaim with "Conga" (1985), but Smith doubted the idea's viability. At the 1989 Tejano Music Awards, Selena y Los Dinos opened the ceremony. The show drew industry executives, including scouts from CBS Records and newly established EMI Latin. While CBS presented a higher financial offer, Behar, newly appointed as Vice President of EMI Latin, expressed a strong interest in signing the group. Abraham favored EMI's proposal, drawn by the label's promise of a future crossover into the mainstream market. Abraham was intent on positioning his children as pioneers of the new imprint, and the group rebranded simply as Selena.
Development
Behar informed Smith that he found his "next Gloria Estefan," though he felt Selena's style and range evoked a synthesis of Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston. In March 1989, he signed her to EMI Latin, impressed by her talent but unsure of her chances in the male-dominated Tejano scene. He believed she could cross genre lines, first envisioning her for the English-language market, then recognizing her potential in Mexican and South American markets as a springboard to U.S. pop success. During production of Selena (1989), she hinted at an English-language album to follow. The record outperformed her female Tejano contemporaries, and in early 1990 she recorded three English-language demo tracks: "Where Did the Feeling Go?", "Is It the Beat?", and "Only Love." While Behar credited these with securing a crossover deal, Capitol Records urged him to grow her Spanish-language profile. To shift perceptions, Behar invited executives to the 1990 Tejano Music Awards, where Selena performed a reworked, Spanish-language adaptation, hip-hop-inflected "Is It the Beat?"–retitled "Enamorada de Ti." Once the label shifted its focus onto Selena, however, her career momentum accelerated dramatically. "Enamorada de Ti" appeared on her second Spanish-language studio album, Ven Conmigo (1990), which peaked at number three on the Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart.
On March 1, 1991, at a Capitol Records showcase, Selena debuted English-language tracks from her planned pop album. San Antonio Express-News critic Ben Tavera King praised her Whitney Houston-like ballad style, dynamic choreography, and rhythmic range, calling her the perfect artist at the ideal time for a mainstream breakthrough. On April 23, Selena told The Monitor that Capitol Records planned a September release, with a completed MTV-bound music video for "Where Did the Feeling Go?" Selena continued discussing the project while promoting her third Spanish-language studio album, Entre a Mi Mundo (1992), which spent eight months atop the Regional Mexican Albums chart, setting new sales benchmarks for female Tejano artists. She recorded "Missing My Baby" (1992) to prove her crossover readiness, but the album was repeatedly delayed as the label urged her to grow her fan base first. While Capitol Records publicly expressed confidence in Selena's crossover prospects, noting that they were actively cultivating her career in preparation for her crossover album, Behar and EMI Latin attorney, Stephen Finfer, met internal resistance, with Finfer baffled at the label's failure to see her potential. They considered moving her to sister label SBK Records. By August 1992, Selena told Billboard she had begun recording demos for SBK, but in October said full production would wait until 1993.
After four years of lobbying, Behar secured Smith's approval for Selena's English-language crossover album–only for Smith to leave the label in 1993. Behar began the fight anew with incoming CEO Charles Koppelman, facing persistent skepticism. Vice President of A&R Nancy Brennan, recalled Behar's tirelessness, and almost obsessive, promotion of Selena. A&R's Michell Lee championed Selena, but executives dismissed her as a Tex-Mex novelty. Brennan first met Selena at the 1993 Billboard Latin Music Convention in Las Vegas, where Lee, at his own expense, bribed executives to witness her performance. Initially expecting to see the label's Jon Secada, Brennan was captivated by Selena's opening performance. Inspired by Secada's U.S. pop success, Capitol pushed bilingual projects, and Koppelman became SBK's leading advocate for Latin crossover. Selena became the first female Tejano singer to win a Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American Album for Selena Live! (1993), which brought national attention and accelerated the crossover push. In November, she signed a $5 million multi-album contract with SBK Records, orchestrated by Finfer, with SBK preparing to invest extensively to ensure the album's success. Koppelman and EMI's Daniel Glass envisioned her as a Madonna level pop force, while Brennan led the project.
Selena became SBK's third Hispanic crossover act after Secada and the Barrio Boyzz, however, Burr noted that unlike them, she'd been a top-selling performer since 1989. Backed by years of experience, she was expected to dominate both Latino and U.S. pop markets. Calling the moment surreal on MTV, Selena admitted she feared starting fresh in the American pop scene but embraced the challenge. The deal made international headlines, Billboards front page, and was hailed as 1993's biggest Tejano news. It marked a return to her English roots, viewed by The New York Times as both compromise and artistic expansion.
Selena's fourth Spanish-language album, Amor Prohibido (1994), considered her "crowning achievement" and her best work, topped Billboards Top Latin Albums chart and cemented her status as the hottest artist in the Latin market. Her English-language debut was planned for 1994, but delayed to early 1995. Throughout 1994, Selena juggled recording sessions with her Amor Prohibido tour dates, finalizing song selections by summer. By December, she publicly announced the album's imminent release. Privately, she confided to Behar that she felt guilty for the announcement, noting she had yet to record a single track. Behar, fearing more delays, falsified to Koppelman that Selena intended to leave the label to pursue a label committed to producing an English-language record. Faced with the threat of losing her, the label capitulated, and recording sessions were promptly scheduled.
Production A.B. resisted SBK Records' attempts to control song choices, bristling at having to audition despite his track record. Under deadline, he produced a lyricless bridge, with Selena writing the words to protect creative ownership. The resulting ballad, "Oh No I'll Never Fall in Love Again", secured his role as producer, though vague credits signaled ongoing struggles over control. In February 1994, SBK sent A.B. to New York City to recruit producers for Selena's crossover album, exploring collaborations with Shep Pettibone, and choose songs for a planned fall release.