Diane Warren: la compositora del amor [ESP/ENG]

Diane Warren is a very successful American songwriter. The 14-time Oscar nominee is a hit-making machine in the industry and perhaps we haven't given her the recognition she deserves for her contributions to modern music. Although she has never married, this 1956-born songwriter and singer is a specialist in power ballads, a type of romantic or slow songs, and although you may never have heard of her, you may have heard some of her romantic hits in the voices of other artists.

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In 1985, for example, she wrote the DeBarge superclassic Rhythm Of The Night, breaking into the top 3 of the most played hits on the Billboard Hot 100. It would be followed by Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, the hit for the band Starship, her first Oscar-nominated song in 1988 and her first number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. If I Could Turn Back Time, would be a smash hit for her friend Cher and in 1990 she would return with Love will lead you back, considered one of the best songs of the nineties, interpreted by singer Taylor Dayne.

Because You Loved Me le daría otro número 1 en las listas mundiales a ella y a Celine Dion, además su segunda nominación al Óscar por mejor canción original, pero otra vez tuvo que conformarse con la nominación y su primer Grammy. También, ese 1996, conseguiría otro hito, esta vez junto a la gran Toni Braxton, consiguiendo estar 11 semanas en lo más alto del Billboard Hot 100, convirtiéndose también en el segundo hit de la cantante estadounidense.

I Don't Want to Miss a Thing se convertiría en la única canción de Aerosmith en alcanzar la cima en su debut y en el único en la lista de Billboard. Con esta canción también conseguiría otra nominación a los Óscar, pero tampoco ganaría ese año el premio sería para la gran colaboración When you believe, entre Whitney Houston y Mariah Carey. Por cierto, para Houston escribiría en 1998 las canciones I Learned From The Best y Could I Have This Kiss Forever.

Because You Loved Me would give her and Celine Dion another number 1 in the world charts, as well as her second Oscar nomination for best original song, but again she had to settle for the nomination and her first Grammy. Also, that 1996, she would achieve another milestone, this time together with the great Toni Braxton, achieving 11 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, also becoming the second hit of the American singer.

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I Don't Want to Miss a Thing would become the only Aerosmith song to reach the top on its debut and the only one on the Billboard chart. With this song he would also get another Oscar nomination, but he would not win that year either, the award would go to the great collaboration When you believe, between Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. By the way, for Houston he would write in 1998 the songs I Learned From The Best and Could I Have This Kiss Forever.

Desde entonces ha estado, prácticamente cada año, nominada al Óscar a mejor canción original. Esto mientras, por ejemplo, comenzaba el nuevo milenio con éxitos como I Turn to You de Christina Aguilera. Le siguen en nominaciones títulos como How do I live de LeAnn Rimes, Music of my heart, Grateful, Io si de Laura Pausini o Til It Happens to You interpretada por Lady Gaga. Este año, por ejemplo, volvió a perder una nominación en los Óscar con “Applause” canción que cantó en vivo en la ceremonia.

En 2021 publicó su primer álbum, llamado “The Cave Sessions Vol.1” donde tuvo artistas invitados de la talla de John Legend. Al final, ha tenido que conformarse con un Óscar honorifico, otorgado por la academia en noviembre de 2022 y que le fue entregado en manos de su amiga Cher. Lo que quiero recalcar con este post, es que a veces consumimos música que no sabemos de dónde viene, ni quienes las escriben. Para aquellos que somos apasionados por la música, conocer a leyendas como Diane Warren nos permite reconocer el trabajo de quienes están tras bambalinas. Honor a quien honor merece.

Since then she has been, practically every year, nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Song. This while, for example, the new millennium began with hits like Christina Aguilera's I Turn to You. It is followed in nominations by titles such as How do I live by LeAnn Rimes, Music of my heart, Grateful, Io si by Laura Pausini or Til It Happens to You performed by Lady Gaga. This year, for example, she lost again a nomination at the Oscars with "Applause", a song she sang live at the ceremony.

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In 2021 she released her first album, called "The Cave Sessions Vol.1" where she had guest artists such as John Legend. In the end, she had to settle for an honorary Oscar, awarded by the academy in November 2022 and presented to her by her friend Cher. What I want to emphasize with this post, is that sometimes we consume music that we do not know where it comes from, or who wrote it. For those of us who are passionate about music, meeting legends like Diane Warren allows us to recognize the work of those behind the scenes. Honor to whom honor is due.