"Finally" is a song by American singer-songwriter CeCe Peniston, released in September 1991 by A&M Records as her debut single from her first album of the same name (1992).

Co-written by her, it received critical acclaim, becoming Peniston's first (and biggest) hit song, peaking at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 in January 1992.

Prior to that, the track was a major success on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, where it spent two weeks at number one in late 1991.

[5][6] Though Overweight Pooch's album flopped on the market, Manny Lehman (a DJ and executive producer) had noticed the powerful voice of the back-up vocalist, Peniston.

Delgado called hometown friend and music producer, Rodney K. Jackson, to help co-produce Peniston's single, which would become "Finally".

The song is performed in the key of B minor[8] with a tempo of 120 beats per minute, following a chord progression of G(9) – G/A – Bm, and Peniston's vocals span from B3 to D5.

Considine from The Baltimore Sun felt the song "is a delightful surprise, marrying a muscular, insinuating groove to Peniston's soulful, insistent vocals.

"[13] Larry Flick from Billboard complimented it as "a delicious peak-hour houser that is in a vein similar to Alison Limerick's "Where Love Lives".

"[16] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report described it as a "bright and infectious" debut release and concluded, "I had a preview of this song back in July and have been in love with it ever since!

[20] A reviewer from People Magazine felt that it's "overflowing with verve and loaded up with joyous girlie glee", noting the "ecstatic, beat-heavy power" of the track.

[21] James Hamilton from the Record Mirror Dance Update labeled it as "cheerful wailing" and a "ex–Miss America's catchy Crystal Waters–type US pop smash".

[24] Steve Pick from St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote, "This is a catchy disco number, building energy through repetition of the simple hookline and a solid bass/drum throb.

[26] Steven E. Flemming, Jr. from Albumism noted that it "skillfully melded the insistent grace of all that’s right about dance production values with grand vocals.

"[27] AllMusic editor Craig Lytle felt that the song and its follow-up, "We Got a Love Thang", "employ that rapid dancehall groove better known as house music".

"[30] Pop Rescue called it "a great track, with that fantastic hand-clap, bassline and piano opening", adding that Peniston's vocals are "sublime".

Alexis Petridis wrote, "House music as pure pop-soul, "Finally" was a hymn to an idealised boyfriend sung by a former Miss Black Arizona.

13 where she destroys the word on the break, growling it out and turning a song about meeting the man of your dreams from a cloying concept into a hard-won victory cry.

The new adaptation gained underground house music popularity and entered the local Club Tracks Chart, topping for four weeks at number one.

For the 20th anniversary of "Finally", Peniston made a number of additional remixes of the song for Paul Oakenfold, featuring Joyriders, and supported also by music video.