“DIVA TALK” ‘Believe’ in yourself like Cher
By Louie Ranieri Staff Writer On Oct. 19, 1998, the Goddess of Pop released her best-selling song of all time, “Believe.” Cher released this smash hit at nearly 53 years old, becoming the oldest woman to top the Billboard Hot 100 Chart at the time. This song’s production combined electronic sounds, energetic rhythms, and lyrics about overcoming heartbreak. The result was a song that blended emotional storytelling with the excitement of dance music that continues to transcend time. One of the most important elements of “Believe” was its distinctive vocal effect. The song used Auto-Tune, a technology originally designed to correct pitch in recorded singing. However, instead of hiding the effect, the producers made it an obvious part of Cher’s performance. This gave her voice a robotic, futuristic quality that immediately stood out. It was the first song to ever fully use Auto-Tune! Originally, some people working on the project with Cher wanted to remove the unusual effect. Cher, however, believed it was essential to the song’s identity and insisted that it remain. Her decision proved - and furthermore continues to prove - successful. “Believe” helped popularize the creative use of Auto-Tune and influenced countless musicians who later experimented with electronically altered vocals. The effect became so closely associated with Cher’s hit that it was nicknamed the “Cher effect.” Mark Taylor, the producer behind this song, criticized Cher's vocal delivery and told her to sing it better. Frustrated, Cher told him, "Well, if you want it better, get somebody else," and temporarily walked out of the session. Imagine if she didn’t go back and record it - the world wouldn’t have this iconic song! What an awful world it would be. Beyond its production and commercial success, “Believe” connected with listeners through its message. The song explores the emotional difficulties of a relationship ending and the possibility of moving forward after. Its central question about believing in life after love encourages listeners to consider whether happiness and independence are possible after heartbreak. It turns heartbreak into a reason for individuals to flourish! The combination of emotional lyrics and upbeat dance music helped make the song appealing to a wide audience. Rather than focusing entirely on sadness, “Believe” represents the idea that a person can recover from disappointment, discovering strength within themselves. Through this song, Cher simply gave herself a rebirth. I see this song as a source of encouragement and hope - a reminder to never surrender or bring yourself down, but to rise above, and to be there for yourself. When I listen to this song, it is a reminder that I am enough for myself. Even if I’m not enough for someone else, that’s their problem, not mine. And I’m not talking about relationships. I don’t do those. But I’m talking about friends and even family. If anyone makes me feel less than what I am, I carry on and leave them behind. In my eyes, one of the most important things in life is to always be your own cheerleader. Sometimes, there won’t be anyone else there for you but you, and you alone. You must persevere and plow through life in the toughest of times, and if you aren’t pushing for yourself, there is no one pushing at all. These lyrics are what resonate with me the most - “Well, I know that I’ll get through this / ‘Cause I know that I am strong / And I don’t need you anymore / Oh, I don’t need you anymore.” There are a few songs that help me remind myself that I am enough for myself and to do what I want to do. At the end of the day, as long as you are making yourself happy, that is all that matters. Don’t seek approval, approve yourself. Be the one to push yourself to be better than you are today. I have never appeased everyone during certain situations. No matter what I do, one side agrees and the other disagrees, but what really matters is that every decision I made for myself has been beneficial to me. So do what you need to do and don’t let anyone get in the way. So whenever you feel lost or not enough, just remember to "believe" in yourself and what’s meant to be will be. Take it from me and Cher.
