Constant Craving

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.^[5]

John T. Davis from Austin American Statesman complimented "Constant Craving" as "a song graced by a compelling melody and a vocal brimming with yearning."^[6] 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 accordian [sic] and xylophone interludes."^[7] 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."^[8] Clark and DeVaney from Cash Box named it Pick of the Week and a "standout" of the album.^[9] A reviewer from Daily Mirror described it as "haunting".^[10] 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."^[11]

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".^[12] 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."^[13] 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."^[14] 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."^[15]

Mark Deming from AllMusic felt that the "emotional core" of songs like "Constant Craving", "was obvious even when their surfaces were evasive."^[16] 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".^[17] 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".^[18][19]

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.^[20] VH1 added the video to its playlist in mid-April 1992.^[21] The clip won Best Female Video at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards.^[22]

Upon release, "Constant Craving" was the most successful on the radio in some English-speaking countries. In the artist's home country, "Constant Craving" peaked at number eight on Canada's RPM 100 Hit Tracks, an airplay chart, and number 18 on The Record's Contemporary Hit Radio chart while failing to make their retail chart.^[34] In the US, it was her only top-40 hit, peaking at number 38 on the US Billboard Hot 100, one of few national record charts to include sales and airplay in its methodology. Radio made up the vast majority of its performance, as it had a comparable peak position of 33 on the airplay component chart and reached number two on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.^[35] In the United Kingdom, the song reached number 52 on the sales-only UK Singles Chart in 1992. However its 1993 re-release fared much better. It peaked at number 15 on the sales for both UK and Ireland, was number-two on the UK airplay chart and topped the airplay chart for the entire British Isles.^{[36][37][38][39]}

English singer Abigail covered the song on her 1994 debut album, Feel Good. It was first released as a single in 1993 on Klone Records. A 1995 release titled "Constant Craving '95" featuring new mixes of the song was released on the ZYX label.

• Montreal-based electropunk band Lesbians on Ecstasy reworked the song as "Kündstant Krøving" on their 2004 album Lesbians on Ecstasy.
• Charlotte Martin has also recorded a cover of the song on her album Reproductions.
• In 2011, the song was featured in the Glee episode "I Kissed a Girl" with vocals by Naya Rivera, Idina Menzel and Chris Colfer.
• Her Chariot Awaits covered the song on their 2020 self-titled album.