"Stay Here Forever" | ||||||||
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Single by Jewel | ||||||||
from the album Sweet and Wild and Valentine's Day Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||||||||
Released | January 19, 2010 | |||||||
Format | CD single, music download | |||||||
Genre | Country | |||||||
Length | 2:59 | |||||||
Label | Valory | |||||||
Writer(s) | Jewel, Dallas Davidson, Bobby Pinson | |||||||
Producer(s) | Nathan Chapman | |||||||
Jewel singles chronology | ||||||||
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"Stay Here Forever" is a song written by Jewel, Dallas Davidson, and Bobby Pinson and recorded by American recording artist Jewel. It was released to country radio in January 2010 and as a music download on February 9, 2010, and serves as the lead song for the movie Valentine's Day, as well as the lead-off single to Jewel's second country album, Sweet and Wild, which was released on June 8, 2010 via Valory Music Group. The song is Jewel's first chart single on the country charts since "Till It Feels Like Cheating," which peaked at number 57 in November 2008.
"Stay Here Forever" is a country ballad, backed primarily by percussion with occasional fiddle fills. The song's female narrator describes the feelings of being in love and lists several ideas of places to go and things to do with her lover. In assuring him that she's OK with anything as long as she spends it with him, she concludes that they don't have to go anywhere, and can simply "stay here forever."
Jonathan Keefe from Slant Magazine said that the song "lacks a strong hook and instead tries to coast by on empty clichés like 'This feels so right/It can't be wrong.' The song's relative simplicity is really all it has going for it, but it's a fair sight better than some of the album's other love songs." Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song a positive review, highlighting that the "vocal is completely chock full-o-charm," and drawing comparisons to fellow country artist Pam Tillis. Leeann Ward of Country Universe rated the song a C, referring to the song as "embarrassing" for an artist "once applauded for her introspective songs and uniquely intriguing voice." Having been produced by Taylor Swift's producer Nathan Chapman, stating that it "sounds as though it is purposely reaching to be like a Swift song, but still manages to miss the mark by not sounding nearly as credible." Juli Thanki of Engine 145 gave the song a thumbs down, described it as "exactly how you’d expect a song from a romantic comedy to sound: an inoffensive distraction while it’s on, but quickly forgotten." She elaborated on this, saying that the vocal performance and melody were "largely unmemorable" and not up to par with Jewel's previous releases (including her last Top 40 country hit "I Do").