The song was released on August 30, 1999, by Columbia Records as the lead single from Simpson's debut studio album, Sweet Kisses (1999).

Written and produced by Louis Biancaniello and Sam Watters, "I Wanna Love You Forever" is a pop power ballad.

Upon its release, "I Wanna Love You Forever" received positive reviews from critics, many praised Simpson's vocal performance.

The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Simpson's first, and to date only, top ten single, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Simpson first developed and nurtured her talent in her local Baptist church, where her father also worked as the congregation's youth minister.

This small pressing gained her minor attention which led her to performing at concerts with other gospel legendary acts such as Kirk Franklin, God's Property, and CeCe Winans.

When she was sixteen years old, Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola heard Jessica, he was impressed with Simpson's musical talent and skill.

[2][3] Simpson immediately began working with producers such as Louis Biancaniello, Robbie Nevil, Evan Rogers, and Cory Rooney.

Biancaniello worked with Simpson on three of the album's eleven tracks, including "I Wanna Love You Forever".

AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that "I Wanna Love You Forever" gives Simpson "a chance to show off the richness of her voice.

Considine from The Baltimore Sun compared her to singers like Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera, noting the "diva-esque theatrics" on the song.

[6] Billboard described it as a "lush melodrama, complete with a raise-the-roof bridge, a theme of desperate devotion (...) and a vocal so fraught with emotion, it'll bring tears to the eyes as it wrings out every potential ounce of feeling from the song."

[8] Can't Stop the Pop said it "is unashamedly steeped in melodrama", adding that "there's an unrelenting urgency to her performance where it genuinely feels as if she's singing for her life".

[10] Kyle Anderson from MTV complimented Simpson as "a second-generation Celine Dion", and stated that "I Wanna Love You Forever" is a "pretty traditional ballad", but still a "towering achievement".

He wrote that Simpson "sits back and belts like the Titanic is sinking, and it's produced with a majestic, almost stoic air of dignity.

In the United States, "I Wanna Love You Forever" was serviced to radio on August 30, 1999, and was released as a CD single on September 28, 1999.

On January 22, 2000, Billboard reported that "I Wanna Love You Forever" was the 18th best-selling single of 1999, with 800,000 units sold (in 1999).

[29] The single eventually stayed for five consecutive weeks in the top ten in Australia, was certified Platinum by the ARIA after surpassing 70,000 units sold.

[30] As her debut video, careful attention was made to make sure that Jessica's virginal image would be used as the "anti-sex appeal" to draw viewers in.

Directed by Bille Woodruff,[31][32] the video does not follow the dramatic story told in the song at all and instead centers on Jessica in a photo shoot.

The photo shoot starts out with Simpson being photographed in front of a red Waco YMF-5C Biplane as she wears a white outfit with a blue jacket.