"Cecilia" is a song from

Ace of Base Ace of Base is a Swedish pop group formed in 1987, originally consisting of siblings Jonas, Linn, and Jenny Berggren, with Ulf Ekberg. They achieved worldwide success following the release of their debut album, '' Happy Nation'', in 1992. L ...

's third record titled ''

Flowers Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

''. It was released as a single in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

in the spring of

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

. The song was written as a continuation of the song of the same name by

Simon & Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel were an American folk rock duo comprising the singer-songwriter Paul Simon and the singer Art Garfunkel. They were one of the best-selling music acts of the 1960s. Their most famous recordings include three US number-one sing ...

. A standard disc single was never made commercially available, however, a 12"

vinyl record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog signal, analog sound Recording medium, storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, ...

was released in Italy featuring previously unreleased remixes. The song was released promotionally in Spain alongside " Travel To Romantis".

Critical reception

Swedish newspaper ''

Aftonbladet (, lit. "The evening paper") is a Swedish language, Swedish daily tabloid newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. It is one of the largest daily newspapers in the Nordic countries. History and profile The newspaper was founded by Lar ...

'' picked "Cecilia" as one of Ace of Base's songs "that are going to be hits". Quentin Harrison of ''Albumism'' said in his retrospective review of ''

'', that the band "construct whole worlds of ennui and escapism for listeners to experience" via songs like "Cecilia". He also noted that the song "boldly picks up where the

tune of the same name left off in 1970, continuing her character arc. The track is also a show-stopping number for Jenny as she handles the principal vocal." Chuck Campbell from '' The Daily News'' described it as "an instantly infectious" song "that blends a horn section, a string section and a rubbery electronic rhythm."

Track listings

Italy 12" Vinyl

# Cecilia (Ole Evenrude Radio Mix) # Cecilia (Ole Evenrude Mix) # Cecilia (In Da Nite Mix)

Spain Promo CD

# Cecilia (Album Version) # Travel To Romantis (Album Version)

References

Ace of Base songs 1999 songs Songs written by Jonas Berggren Polydor Records singles {{1990s-pop-song-stub