"Waiting for Tonight" is a song written by Maria Christensen, Michael Garvin, and Phil Temple. It was originally recorded by Christensen's girl group 3rd Party for their debut studio album, Alive (1997). Two years after the group disbanded, American singer Jennifer Lopez recorded her own version of the song for her debut studio album, On the 6 (1999). Ric Wake and Richie Jones produced Lopez's Latin house version of "Waiting for Tonight", which differs from the German-sounding Europop version that was recorded by 3rd Party. A Spanish version of the song, entitled "Una Noche Más", was adapted by Manny Benito and also recorded for the album. "Waiting for Tonight" was released on September 7, 1999, by the Work Group, as the third single from On the 6.
"Waiting for Tonight" is considered by various publications, such as Entertainment Weekly and the Chicago Tribune, to be the best song of Lopez's career. Contemporary music critics have also credited the song with making her a leading artist in the dance-pop genre. It was used frequently as a celebratory anthem in anticipation for the dawn of the new millennium. The single was a commercial success, reaching the top ten in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. "Waiting for Tonight" became Lopez's first song to top the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The song also went number one on European radio. The song earned her a nomination for Best Dance Recording at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2000.
The accompanying music video for "Waiting for Tonight" was directed by Francis Lawrence and depicts a Y2K dance party. The video was widely popular, receiving heavy rotation on MTV and VH1, while its use of lasers and body crystals has influenced a range of subsequent music videos over the years. It was nominated for numerous awards, including two at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, where it received the MTV Video Music Award for Best Dance Video. Lopez has performed "Waiting for Tonight" on various television programs, such as Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, at various award ceremonies, such as the 11th Billboard Music Awards, and at her concert tours, including the Dance Again World Tour and her Las Vegas residency show Jennifer Lopez: All I Have.
