"Hero" | ||||
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Single by Enrique Iglesias | ||||
from the album Escape | ||||
Released | 3 September 2001 | |||
Format | CD single | |||
Recorded | 2001 | |||
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Length |
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Label | Interscope | |||
Writer(s) |
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Producer(s) | Mark Taylor | |||
Enrique Iglesias singles chronology | ||||
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"Hero" is a song by Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias from his second English-language studio album Escape (2001). It was written by Iglesias, Paul Barry and Mark Taylor. Iglesias first released the song to radio on 3 September 2001 to a positive critical and commercial reception. To the date the single has sold 8 million copies worldwide.
After the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, which took place eight days after the song's release, it was one of the few songs chosen by radio DJs in New York City to be remixed with audio from police, firefighters, civilians at Ground Zero, and politicians commenting on the attacks. Iglesias was asked to sing the song live at America: A Tribute to Heroes. He had performed the song earlier at that year's Miss Venezuela, but due to the terrorist attacks the show was not aired on television.
The American television series Glee featured a version of the song as a mashup mixed with the Gipsy Kings' "Bamboléo". The release from the twelfth episode (called "The Spanish Teacher") in season 3 of the show is named "Bambolero/Hero". The main vocals were done by Chord Overstreet (playing the character Sam Evans). An Italian version of this song was covered by Micheal Castaldo, in his studio album Bergamot.
Iglesias stated that his high school days were the inspiration for the song. During a 2013 radio interview with Ryan Seacrest, he stated, "I went back to when I was 17 in high school, and this might be cheesy, but I thought about what would be the song I want to slow dance to with my prom date. When I wrote it, it felt good and ... I thought I know there is something special in this song."