Jon Secada & Shanice, If I Never Knew You | Dazzling Duets

In the 14^th edition of Dazzling Duets (2025), Jon Secada & Shanice collaborate on “If I Never Knew You.”

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 14^th edition of Dazzling Duets (2025), Jon Secada and Shanice collaborate on “If I Never Knew You”. Let the dazzle begin!

“I’d have lived my whole life through / Lost forever / If I never knew you.” Grammy-winning Cuban American artist Jon Secada (1961 – ) and Grammy-nominated R&B artist Shanice (1973 –  ) make musical magic on “If I Never Knew You”. “If I Never Knew You” is the end title from Disney’s 1995 animated feature, Pocahontas. In the soundtrack for the film, the R&B duet marks the final track (number 28).  The love song, with the relationship between Pocahantas and John Smith in mind (😏), does not have a children’s version as it was not featured in the film itself. Alan Menken (1949 – ) penned the music, while Stephen Schwartz (1948 – ) penned the lyrics. Sadly, this lovely duet wasn’t a pop hit… Another end title, released as the promo single,  earned far more buzz: “Colors of the Wind” by Vanessa Williams.  Regardless, Secada and Shanice made a mean duo.

As a standalone love song, “If I Never Knew You” is sweet. The musical backdrop is quintessential 1990s R&B – the adult contemporary sound. Jon Secada kicks things off, showing the beauty of his voice. “And if I never held you / I would never have a clue,” he sings, and continues, “How at last I’d find in you / The missing part of me.” Aww! He continues the affirmation of love, asserting, “I can see the truth so clear / In your eyes, so dry your eyes / And I’m so grateful to you.” Shanice also affirms the power and strength of their love in the second verse: “If I never knew you / I’d be safe but half as real / Never knowing I could feel / A love so strong and true.” Word.  In the chorus (of sorts), third verse, and outro, Secada and Shanice perform collaboratively. They proclaim in the chorus, “I thought our love would be so beautiful / Somehow we’d make the whole world bright.” They trade lines in the third verse.  They cap things off superbly with the key lyrics from the first two verses: “Lost forever, if I never knew you.” Underrated, “If I Never Knew You” is a stellar duet from Jon Secada (1961 – ) and Shanice.

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Various Artists » Pocahantas » The Walt Disney Company » 1995

Jon Secada & Shanice, If I Never Knew You: Dazzling Duets No. 14 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; The Walt Disney Company; cottonbro studio, Sachith Ravishka Kodikara from Pexels; AcatXIo, andresilva5, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

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