Cher, the legendary music icon, recently disclosed a significant financial loss stemming from her iconic chart-topping single, ‘Believe,’ due to what she termed a "stupid" error.
The electro-pop tune, released in 1998, soared to the top of the charts in more than 23 countries, selling over 11 million copies. Despite its success, Cher admitted to a costly mistake made during the track's recording.
In an interview on BBC Radio 2’s Tracks of My Years with Vernon Kay, the 77-year-old singer lamented her oversight in not securing recognition for her contributions to the song's lyrics, resulting in missed financial gains, as per Mirror.co.uk.
Although ‘Believe’ credits Brian Higgins, Stuart McLennen, Paul Barry, Steven Torch, Matthew Gray, and Timothy Powell as the official songwriters, Cher confessed to not advocating for acknowledgment, despite crafting two of the song's most iconic lines.
Reflecting on her lapse, Cher shared, “You can’t even imagine -- about 30 people wrote on it. And I wrote it and was so stupid -- I didn’t even ask to get a writer’s credit! I wrote, ‘I’ve had time to think it through, and maybe I’m too good for you.”
Expressing her intent behind the song's composition, she emphasized a desire to balance emotions, avoiding a full narrative of heartbreak and loneliness, stating, “A chick can be upset for one verse but not two, not on one of my songs.”
Regretting the missed financial opportunity, Cher disclosed that she could have earned a substantial amount. She further revealed a tense studio moment during the track’s recording when she walked out after producers criticized her vocals, stating, “The verse was so bad. I couldn’t make it good. I got into a big fight with Mark (Taylor, producer), and Mark kept saying, ‘You’ve got to sing it better.’ And finally I went, ‘If you want it sung better, get somebody else,’ and I walked out.”
(With Agency Inputs)
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