Más Allá

{{Infobox song

| name = Más Allá

| cover = Gloria Estefan Mas Alla Single.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Gloria Estefan

| album = Abriendo Puertas

| released = {{start date|1995|12}}

| recorded =

| studio = Crescent Moon, Miami, FL
Right Track Recording, New York, NY

| genre =

| length = 5:22

| label = Epic

| writer = Kike Santander

| producer = {{flat list|

}}

| prev_title = Abriendo Puertas

| prev_year = 1995

| next_title = Tres Deseos

| next_year = 1996

| misc =

}}

"Más Allá" (English: "Beyond") is a song from Cuban-American singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan's sixth studio album, Abriendo Puertas (1995). The song was written by Kike Santander, who handled production alongside Gloria's husband Emilio Estefan. It was released as the second single from the album in December 1995. A Christmas bolero ballad, the song utilizes church bells and lyrically deals with selfless love. The song received positive reactions from music critics, who mostly praised the instruments. Commercially, it topped both the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and Latin Pop Airplay charts in the United States. Gloria Estefan performed the song live for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican and for then-US President Bill Clinton during a televised holiday special. Estefan re-recorded the song in 2020 for her fourteenth studio album Brazil305 and incorporated Brazilian music.

Background and composition

In 1995, Gloria released her second Spanish-language studio album, Abriendo Puertas , which was produced in its entirety by Kike Santander and Emilio Estefan.{{cite web |title=Emilio Estefan, Producer Settle |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2002-03-23-0203230121-story.html |website=Sun-Sentinel |access-date=January 13, 2021 |date=March 23, 2002 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210117032824/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2002-03-23-0203230121-story.html |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |url-status=live }} Abriendo Puertas is a holiday album with the tracks making references to Christmas and New Year's.{{cite web |last1=Promis |first1=Jose F. |title=Abriendo Puertas - Gloria Estefan |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/abriendo-puertas-mw0000176118 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=January 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227170905/https://www.allmusic.com/album/abriendo-puertas-mw0000176118|archive-date=February 27, 2017}} Santander penned all the songs on the album, including "Más Allá", which was released as the second single in December 1995.{{cite web |last1=O'Brien |first1=Jon |title=Gloria Estefan's 'Abriendo Puertas' Turns 25 |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/how-gloria-estefan-crossed-latin-music-boundaries-her-second-spanish-language-album |publisher=Grammy |access-date=January 13, 2021 |date=September 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101185529/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/how-gloria-estefan-crossed-latin-music-boundaries-her-second-spanish-language-album|archive-date=1 November 2020}}{{cite web |title=Spanishcharts.com – Gloria Estefan – Más Allá|url=https://spanishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Gloria+Estefan&titel=M%E1s+all%E1&cat=s |publisher=Canciones Top 50 |access-date=January 13, 2021 |language=es}} An editor for El Tiempo described the track as a bolero ballad, noting that the lyrics speak, "of love that asks for nothing in return and forgives and fights for its ideals".{{cite web |title=Abriendo Puertas |url=https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-463235 |website=El Tiempo |access-date=January 13, 2021 |language=es |date=November 21, 1995|quote=Es una entrañable balada con toques de bolero que habla del amor que no pide nada a cambio y que perdona y lucha por sus ideales.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116154325/https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-463235|archive-date=16 January 2021}}{{cite web |title=Gloria Le Cantó a Clinton |url=https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-482595 |website=El Tiempo |access-date=January 13, 2021 |language=es |date=December 15, 1995|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116153405/https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-482595|archive-date=16 January 2021}} Writing for the Grammy website, Jon O'Brien called the track a flamenco-ballad that utilizes church bells.

Promotion and reception

Estefan performed "Más Allá" live at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II in October 1995, where she was backed by a 62-piece orchestra.{{cite web |title=Gloria Estefan en el Vaticano |url=https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-441862 |website=El Tiempo |access-date=January 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924125404/http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-441862 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |language=es |date=October 30, 1995}} She also sang the track live two months later for the White House, presented by then-President Bill Clinton for a Christmas television special for the White House. A re-recording of the song was included on her fourteenth studio album Brazil305 (2020) and incorporates Brazilian music.{{cite web |last1=Ellwood-Hughes |first1=Pip |url=https://entertainment-focus.com/2020/08/12/gloria-estefan-brazil305-album-review/ |website=Entertainment Focus|title=Gloria Estefan – Brazil305 Album Review |access-date=January 13, 2021 |date=August 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124095751/https://entertainment-focus.com/2020/08/12/gloria-estefan-brazil305-album-review/|archive-date=November 24, 2020}} "Más Allá" has been covered by American Tejano musician Elsa García on the Christmas compilation album Navidad en Mi Pueblo (2002), and by Spanish singer Raphael on his holiday album Ven a Mi Casa Esta Navidad (2015).{{cite web |title=Navidad en Mi Pueblo - Various Artists |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/navidad-en-mi-pueblo-mw0000230587 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=January 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116161805/https://www.allmusic.com/album/navidad-en-mi-pueblo-mw0000230587|archive-date=16 January 2021}}{{cite web |title=Ven a Mi Casa Esta Navidad - Raphael |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/ven-a-mi-casa-esta-navidad-mw0002901636 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=January 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116160836/https://www.allmusic.com/album/ven-a-mi-casa-esta-navidad-mw0002901636|archive-date=16 January 2021}}

Billboard critic Larry Flick wrote a positive review for the single, complimenting it as a "sweet acoustic ballad", and praised Estefan's vocals as "in excellent form". He also praised the instruments in the background.{{cite magazine |last1=Flick |first1=Larry |title=Reviews & Previews |magazine=Billboard |date=December 2, 1995 |volume=107 |issue=48 |page=83 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NA0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA83 |access-date=January 13, 2021 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media |issn=0006-2510 |author-link=Larry Flick}} An editor for El Tiempo called it an "endearing ballad". J.D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun regarded the song as "one of the best ballads" Estefan has recorded.{{cite web |last1=Considine |first1=J. D. |title=Starting Over Reba McEntire (MCA 11264) Imitation may be... |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1995-10-05-1995278156-story.html |website=Baltimore Sun |access-date=January 13, 2021 |date=October 5, 1995 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210117033149/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1995-10-05-1995278156-story.html |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |url-status=live |author-link=J.D. Considine}} Chuck Campbell of the South Bend Tribune felt that the track is a "too-flowerysong about selfless love".{{cite news |last1=Campbell |first1=Chuck |title=Record Reviews |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/520693215/ |access-date=January 13, 2021 |work=South Bend Tribune |date=October 28, 1995 |page=16|url-access=subscription}} A reviewer for Music & Media complimented it as a "seductively warm track", and noted the usage of "Latin percussions and a Spanish guitar" in the background.{{cite magazine|url= https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/95/MM-1995-11-25-OCR-Page-0013.pdf |title= New Releases: Singles |magazine= Music & Media |date=November 25, 1995 |page= 13 |access-date= October 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116162404/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/90s/95/MM-1995-11-25-OCR-Page-0013.pdf|archive-date=16 January 2021}} Cashbox critic Steve Baltin remarked that the song "has the feel, at times, of a slickly produced Mexican folk song" and it "makes for a lovely, and different, listening experience for pop fans."{{cite journal |last1=Baltin |first1=Steve |title=Pop Singles |journal=Cashbox |date=December 2, 1995 |page=11 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/90s/1995/CB-1995-12-02-OCR-Page-0011.pdf |access-date=January 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116162544/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/90s/1995/CB-1995-12-02-OCR-Page-0011.pdf|archive-date=16 January 2021}} In the United States, "Más Allá" reached the top of the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and Latin Pop Airplay charts.

Charts

Chart (1995-1996) !Peak position
class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+Chart performance for "Más Allá"
{{single chart\|Billboardlatinsongs\|1\|artist=Gloria Estefan\|access-date=January 12, 2021\|refname="latinsongs"\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Billboardlatinpopsongs\|1\|artist=Gloria Estefan\|access-date=January 12, 2021\|refname="latinpop"\|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart\|Billboardtropicalairplay\|10\|artist=Gloria Estefan\|access-date=January 12, 2021\|rowheader=true}}