Constant Craving


"Constant Craving" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter k.d. lang and Ben Mink, performed by lang and included on her second solo album, Ingénue. The song was released in the United Kingdom in April 1992, by Sire and Warner Records, and won lang a Grammy Award in the category for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1993, as well as an MTV [Video Music Award] for MTV [Video Music Award for Best Female Video|Best Female Video]. The accompanying music video was directed by Mark Romanek.
"Constant Craving" peaked at number eight on Canada's RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart and number 38 on the US [Billboard Hot 100|Billboard Hot 100], giving lang her only US top-40 hit. It also reached number two on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. In the United Kingdom, the song was a modest hit when released in 1992, but following a reissue in 1993 in the wake of its American success, it reached a new peak of number 15 on the UK Singles Chart.

Song information

English rock band the Rolling Stones used a refrain very similar to that of "Constant Craving" in their 1997 single "Anybody Seen My Baby?" They later gave writing credits on that song to k.d. lang and Mink, shared with the original authors Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Critical reception

John T. Davis from Austin American Statesman complimented "Constant Craving" as "a song graced by a compelling melody and a vocal brimming with yearning." Larry Flick from Billboard magazine stated, "There is no denying the rootsy, down-home quality of this wonderfully produced tune. Lang's distinctive voice is woven into spiraling multitracked harmonies, wafting over a base of acoustic guitar strumming and subtle and xylophone interludes." Steve Morse from Boston Globe named it the best song of the album, declaring it as "a romantic number that's also the only rhythmic tune of the bunch." Clark and DeVaney from Cash Box named it Pick of the Week and a "standout" of the album. A reviewer from Daily Mirror described it as "haunting". Rufer and Fell from the Gavin Report commented, "k.d.'s forsaken country for a straight pop format that will finally win her the mass audience she's deserved. This track showcases her wonderful voice in solo and multi-part harmonies."
Pan-European magazine Music & Media described it as "a Brecht/Weil on the prairie type of song—is likely to be lang's first hit in the UK and in Ireland". On the album review, a Music & Media editor wrote, "Tales from the new west. La lang has changed her position on horseback for a more comfortable seat on the coach. In mind, she's singing in some Paris café in the decadent '20s." John Milward from Rolling Stone felt the song is "more elusive", "but there's no denying the lift of its propulsive rhythms and joyful harmonies." David Bauder from The [Salt Lake Tribune] praised "Constant Craving" as one of lang's best songs, remarking that it "concludes that a sense of longing is an inevitable part of life."

Retrospective response

Mark Deming from AllMusic felt that the "emotional core" of songs like "Constant Craving", "was obvious even when their surfaces were evasive." In 2008, the Daily Vault's Jason Warburg viewed it as a "dynamite single", that "manages to meld the spiritual with the physical while conveying a feverish desire for both kinds of fulfillment." He also remarked its "upbeat", "expansive and full of simmering appeal". In 2019 and 2025, Billboard magazine included "Constant Craving" in its lists of the "30 Lesbian Love Songs" and "100 Greatest LGBTQ+ Anthems of All Time".

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Constant Craving" was directed by American filmmaker and photographer Mark Romanek and filmed in black-and-white. It presents a fanciful recreation of the premiere of Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot in Paris, 1953. Here, she is depicted singing backstage while the actors perform. The director says the song's lyrics of desperation and waiting fit well with the themes of Beckett's play. VH1 added the video to its playlist in mid-April 1992. The clip won Best Female Video at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards.

Track listings

1992 release

  1. "Constant Craving"
  2. "Barefoot"
  3. "Season of Hollow Soul"
  • UK 7-inch and cassette single
  1. "Constant Craving"
  2. "Barefoot"
  • European CD single
  1. "Constant Craving" – 3:45
  2. "Constant Craving" – 4:38
  3. "Tears of Love's Recall" – 3:48

    1993 release

  • UK 7-inch and cassette single
  1. "Constant Craving" – 3:45
  2. "Miss Chatelaine" – 4:28
  • UK CD1 and Australian CD single
  1. "Constant Craving" – 3:45
  2. "Wash Me Clean" – 3:28
  3. "The Mind of Love" – 3:17
  • UK CD2
  1. "Constant Craving" – 4:18
  2. "Miss Chatelaine" – 4:28
  3. "Big Boned Gal" – 3:47
  4. "Outside Myself" – 5:03

    Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

Cover versions

  1. "Constant Craving"
  2. "Constant Craving"
  3. "Don't Tell Me Why"
  4. "Don't Tell Me Why"
  • CD maxi-single
  1. "Constant Craving" – 4:06
  2. "Constant Craving" – 6:24
  3. "Constant Craving" – 9:34
  4. "Don't Tell Me Why" – 4:50
  1. "Constant Craving '95" – 8:01
  2. "Constant Craving '95" – 8:01
  3. "Constant Craving '95"
  4. "What Goes Around Comes Around" – 6:03
  • CD maxi-single
  1. "Constant Craving '95" – 4:04
  2. "Constant Craving '95" – 8:01
  3. "Constant Craving '95" – 8:01
  4. "What Goes Around Comes Around" – 6:03