Enrique Iglesias & Whitney Houston, Could I Have This Kiss Forever | Dazzling Duets

In the 28^th edition of Dazzling Duets (2025), Enrique Iglesias and Whitney Houston collaborate on “Could I Have This Kiss Forever.”

Sometimes, two is better than one! That is the case when it comes to Dazzling Duets! On Dazzling Duets, we highlight ear-catching songs performed by two artists collaborating. These duets can be from any musical style, making Dazzling Duets a flexible, versatile column on The Musical Hype. In the 28^th edition of Dazzling Duets (2025), Enrique Iglesias and Whitney Houston collaborate on “Could I Have This Kiss Forever”. Let the dazzle begin!

What do those Spanish lyrics mean? “Give me a kiss forever.” That lines up with the title and theme of the Enrique Iglesias (b. 1975) and Whitney Houston (1963 – 2012) duet, “Could I Have This Kiss Forever”. Although Iglesias and Houston seem like an unlikely pairing on paper, they conjure up some magic on “Kiss,” the seventh track from Iglesias’s 1999 album, Enrique. Hall of Fame Songwriter Diane Warren (b. 1956) wrote “Kiss,” while producer extraordinaire David Foster (b. 1949) produced it. “Could I Have This Kiss Forever” marked the fourth single from Enrique.  While it failed to reach the top 40 of the pop charts, it spent 19 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 52.

Whitney Houston performs the brief spoken intro, excerpted earlier, performed exclusively in Spanish. Enrique Iglesias performs the first verse, performed in English.  He sings beautifully and expressively. “Over and over, I look in your eyes,” he asserts, and continues, he asserts, and continues, “You are all I desire / You have captured me.” Houston follows with the pre-chorus, matching his beautiful tone with her own refined pipes.  She and Iglesias join forces in the chorus, in all its Latin pop glory.

“Could I hold you for a lifetime?

Could I look into your eyes?

Could I have this night to share this night together?

Could I hold you close beside me?

Could I hold you for all time?

Could I, could I, could I have this kiss forever?”

Just before the chorus, there is an unexpected curveball: a key change.  It’s odd at first, but as the song progresses, it grows on you and is one of the reasons why “Kiss” ends up sounding distinct. Houston takes the reins in the second verse (back in the original key), as well as the pre-chorus that follows. “I want to hold you (Hold you),” she sings, and adds, “And touch you and taste you (Hold you) / And make you want no one but me.” Once more, she and Enrique sing together in the chorus. Houston and Iglesias bring the heat on the bridge, where they assert, “I don’t want any night to go by / Without you by my side…” After one final, powerful collaborative chorus, Iglesias and Houston perform an interlude in Spanglish, concluding with the outro, which fittingly asks, “Could I have this kiss forever?” All in all, Enrique Iglesias and Whitney Houston conjure up something special with “Could I Have This Kiss Forever”. Backed by a sweet, rhythmic Latin pop/adult contemporary backdrop, these two fantastic pop musicians shine. Once-in-a-lifetime? You bet! R.I.P. Whitney!

---

Enrique Iglesias » Enrique » Interscope » 1999

Enrique Iglesias & Whitney Houston, Could I Have This Kiss Forever: Dazzling Duets No. 28 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Interscope; cottonbro studio, Sachith Ravishka Kodikara from Pexels; andresilva5, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

---