"Whenever You're Near Me" is the second single from Swedish group Ace of Base's third American record, Cruel Summer.

The original version of the song, "Life Is a Flower", was a huge hit in Europe and Japan.

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that the song "shows Ace Of Base revisiting the more familiar pop/reggae sound that made the group a top 40 favorite."

The song has a decidedly more complex arrangement, which is rife with sunny Caribbean percussion and a sweet smattering of acoustic guitar/synth interplay."

"[1] Gary Shipes from The Stuart News noted in his review, that "Whenever You're Near Me" and "Adventures in Paradise" are pristine pop productions worthy of ABBA and Trevor Horn's '80s confections for Buggles, Dollar and Frankie Goes to Hollywood.