The Lover in Me (song)

"The Lover in Me" is a song by Scottish singer Sheena Easton for her ninth studio album of the same name (1988). Released as the album's lead single on 11 October 1988, the song became Easton's first top-20 hit in the United Kingdom after a seven-year hiatus. The song was also Easton's final top-10 single on the US Billboard Hot 100.

"The Lover in Me"
Single by Sheena Easton
from the album The Lover in Me
Released	11 October 1988
Genre	Dance-pop^[1]
Length	5:01 (album version) 6:59 (extended version)
Label	MCA
Songwriter(s)	Kenneth Edmonds Antonio Reid Daryl Simmons
Producer(s)	L.A. Reid Babyface
Sheena Easton singles chronology
"Eternity" (1987) "The Lover in Me" (1988) "Days Like This" (1989)
Music video
"The Lover in Me" on YouTube

"The Lover in Me" was written by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Antonio "L.A." Reid and Daryl Simmons, and produced by Reid and Babyface, who were at the peak of their success at the time as a songwriting and production team.

Chart performance

"The Lover in Me" reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming her biggest hit there since "9 to 5 (Morning Train)", and it stayed on the chart for 25 weeks. It also peaked at number two on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart.^[2]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "The Lover in Me" was directed by Dominic Sena and features Easton singing and dancing in a nightclub.

Track listings

7-inch single and cassette single^[3][4][5]

1. "The Lover in Me" – 4:10
2. "The Lover in Me" (instrumental) – 4:10

Standard 12-inch single^[6]

A1. "The Lover in Me" (extended version) – 6:59

B1. "The Lover in Me" (radio edit) – 5:20

B2. "The Lover in Me" (instrumental) – 6:59

UK 12-inch and mini-CD single^[7][8]

A1. "The Lover in Me" (extended version) – 6:55

B1. "The Lover in Me" (instrumental) – 6:55

B2. "The Lover in Me" (bassapella) – 5:13

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1988–1989) Peak position Australia (ARIA)^[9] 88 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[10] 17 Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[11] 17 Denmark (Hitlisten)^[12] 19 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)^[13] 29 Ireland (IRMA)^[14] 12 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[15] 12 Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[16] 11 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[17] 25 UK Singles (OCC)^[18] 15 US Billboard Hot 100^[19] 2 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[20] 43 US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)^[2] 2 US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)^[21] 1 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[22] 5 West Germany (Official German Charts)^[23] 26 Zimbabwe (ZIMA)^[24] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1989) Position Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[25] 74 US Billboard Hot 100^[26] 41

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	11 October 1988	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl cassette	MCA	^[citation needed]
Japan	28 November 1988	Mini-CD		^[27]
United Kingdom	9 January 1989	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD		^[28]

References

1. Breihan, Tom (4 May 2020). "The Number Ones: Sheena Easton's "Morning Train (Nine to Five)". Stereogum. Retrieved 19 July 2023. ...but she made it up to #2 with 1988's "The Lover In Me," a squelchy new jack swing-adjacent dance-pop jam...
2. "Sheena Easton Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
3. The Lover in Me (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Sheena Easton. MCA Records. 1988. MCA-53416.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
4. The Lover in Me (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). Sheena Easton. MCA Records. 1989. MCA 1289.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
5. The Lover in Me (US cassette single sleeve). Sheena Easton. MCA Records. 1988. MCAC-53416.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
6. The Lover in Me (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Sheena Easton. MCA Records. 1988. MCA-23904.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
7. The Lover in Me (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Sheena Easton. MCA Records. 1989. MCAT 1289.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
8. The Lover in Me (UK mini-CD single liner notes). Sheena Easton. MCA Records. 1989. DMCA 1289.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
9. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
10. "Sheena Easton – The Lover in Me" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
11. "RPM 100 Singles – March 25, 1989" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 49, no. 21. 25 March 1989. p. 6. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
12. Danish Charts Archive. February 1989.
13. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 7. 18 February 1989. p. 28. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
14. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Lover in Me". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
15. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 8, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
16. "Sheena Easton – The Lover in Me" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
17. "Sheena Easton – The Lover in Me". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
18. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
19. "Sheena Easton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
20. "Sheena Easton Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
21. "Sheena Easton Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
22. "Sheena Easton Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
23. "Offiziellecharts.de – Sheena Easton – The Lover in Me" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
24. * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
25. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1989" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
26. "Billboard Top 100 – 1989". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
27. "ラバー・イン・ミー | シーナ・イーストン" [Lover in Me | Sheena Easton] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
28. "New Singles". Music Week. 7 January 1989. p. 23.