"Kiss Me" is a song by American pop rock band Sixpence None the Richer from their self-titled third album (1997). The ballad was released as a single on August 12, 1998, in the United States and was issued in international territories the following year. Several music critics compared the song to works by English alternative rock band the Sundays, and it was nominated for a Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 42nd Grammy Awards.
"Kiss Me" is the band's highest-charting single in the US, peaking at 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the country's sixth-best-selling single of 1999. Worldwide, the song reached No. 1 on the Australian and Canadian charts as well as No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart, entering the top 10 in 16 countries altogether. Three music videos were made for the song, with one paying tribute to French romantic drama film Jules and Jim and two others featuring the band in the park, watching a portable television.
Background
"Kiss Me" originated as a draft of a song written in a Netherlands motel. Lead vocalist Leigh Nash said the band had been in their rooms for about an hour when band member Matt Slocum called to let her know that he had composed a new song. Nash went on to say, "We were on tour over there, and we had a show that night at Flevo Festival. We performed it that night! I went down into his room and learned it. It was an instant hit with fans, but it was still like a year and a half before we recorded it."
The song has a more lighthearted, "poppier" sound compared to the band's prior work; thus, the band were reluctant to include it on their self-titled third album until their producer persuaded them to reconsider. Nash said early drafts of the song had "slightly edgier lyrics, with 'silver moon sparkling' originally written as 'cigarettes sparkling.'"
Release
In January 1999, Miramax used "Kiss Me" as the main theme song of its teen romantic comedy film She's All That. The film's box office success helped "Kiss Me" to gain widespread mainstream attention and chart success. In Italy, the film was retitled Kiss Me. The song was also included on Dawson's Creeks first soundtrack in April 1999.
Critical reception
Rick Anderson of AllMusic described the song as "an utterly irresistible slice of swoony guitar pop" adding that "is impossible to shake loose from the brain and could well turn out to be this generation's 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand'". Chuck Taylor and Deborah Evans Price of Billboard magazine compared the song to those recorded by the Sundays. Taylor called the song "admirably well-written" and "brightly produced", further comparing the track to 10,000 Maniacs. British music columnist James Masterton also compared "Kiss Me" to the works of the Sundays, referring to the song as a cross with a mellow Cranberries song, and called it a "wonderful tapestry of jangling guitars". Jim Kerr of Radio & Records magazine wrote that the song is an "amazing piece of alterna-pop" reminiscent of the Sundays. Larry Flick of Billboard described "Kiss Me" as a "refreshing summertime tune" with "airy" production and "romantic" imagery. Daily Record said it is an "excellent pop song".
Chart performance
"Kiss Me" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 90 on the issue of November 28, 1998, but it fell out of the top 100 the following week. On February 13, 1999, it re-entered the listing at number 91, then took another 11 weeks to reach its peak of number two on May 1, where it stayed for a single week. It stayed in the top 100 for 33 weeks, ending 1999 as the United States' sixth-most-successful song of the year. The single additionally peaked atop the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart and reached number two on the Adult Contemporary and Adult Top 40 charts. In Canada, "Kiss Me" debuted at number 45 on the RPM Top Singles chart on March 22 and rose to number one on May 10, becoming Canada's 11th-best-performing hit of 1999. It topped the RPM Adult Contemporary chart as well.