The song was covered by English singer Martine McCutcheon in 1999 and reached number-one on the UKSingles Chart in April of that year. It was McCutcheon's first single, launching her music career after her leaving BBC soap EastEnders, where she played the character Tiffany Mitchell from 1995 to 1999. Over 12 million viewers tuned in to watch the final scenes of her tragic death after being hit by a car. The song also reached number-one in Scotland and number three in Ireland. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Perfect Moment" peaked at number ten in April 1999. It was included on her album You Me & Us. The music video was filmed in New York City.
Critical reception
editor John Lucas placed McCutcheon alongside her idols Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion, stating that "her voice soars on the chart-topping power ballad". Nigel Williamson from Billboard noted the song as a "sweeping ballad in the style of Celine Dion". CantStopThePop described it as a "orchestral, sweeping ballad" and "a real showcase for her flexibility as a pop vocalist. The first verse and chorus are strikingly ethereal; there’s a calm serenity as the song shimmers and throbs alongside the gentle, warm vocals. If there was any part of Tiffany Mitchell in the song, then this is where she wakes up at the pearly gates of heaven." Tom Ewing from Freaky Trigger said that the song "starts with a gentle, gauzy arrangement that suggests some kind of celestial waiting room." He added it as "unashamedly, open-heartedly sentimental". NME described it as "total rapture" in their review of You Me & Us.
Music video
The music video for "Perfect Moment" begins with McCutcheon standing in front of a microphone, in a room overlooking a New York City street. Sometimes she also sits against the wall or lies on a sofa while she sings. Occasionally there are black-and-white clips of McCutcheon at different sites in the city. More than halfway through the video, the singer is seen standing on a roof, singing to the microphone, overlooking the city. As the video nears its end, McCutcheon lies on the couch again, singing the last lines of the song.
