When the Heartache Is Over

It was a considerable hit both on the pop and dance charts, reaching the top 10 in Finland and the UK, and the top 20 in Denmark, Flanders, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland while peaking at number three on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart in the United States. The singles released include remixes of "When the Heartache Is Over" by among others the Metro team, 7th District Inc. and Hex Hector. Certain European CD singles also included two live recordings from Turner's 1996 Wildest Dreams Tour, "I Can't Stand the Rain" and "On Silent Wings".

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that produced by the team that catapulted Cher back to fame via "Believe", "this number has similar energy, with a bright-eyed dance beat and production so tight and joyful that listeners will be pulled in by the first chorus and singing along by the last." He added, "Lyrically, Turner sings of the joy of liberation from a love gone bad—once the heartache has passed. It's a positive message that will bring in a new generation of pop listeners, while allowing adults to crack a smile and tap a toe to the worldwide return of one of contemporary music's greatest achievers and most-cherished performers."^[2] Can't Stop the Pop noted that the track "steps back to let Tina Turner do what she does best: cut loose and tear into it with her raspy rock vocals." They also complimented its "huge chorus", stating that the singer "never fails to wring every drop of emotion from the song."^[3] The Daily Vault's Mark Millan said that "her past is also relived", "which finds Turner lamenting: "Sometimes I look back in anger, thinking about all the pain / But I know that I'm stronger without you and that I'll never need you again"."^[4] Tom Lanham from Entertainment Weekly noted that the "undaunted diva hugs synth-pop corners the way a hotdog skier schusses the slalom, kicking up soul-stirring powder at every turn. Behind her time-tested pipes is a grand chorus, pushing this winner across the finish line."^[5]

American newspaper Herald-Journal picked "When The Heartache Is Over" as one of the "highlights" of the Twenty Four Seven album, adding that it "is reminiscent of Cher's "Believe", both musically and lyrically. A hit throughout Europe, "Heartache" is posed to repeat the process in the U.S."^[6] Gustavo Rivas from The Ithacan said that the producers "do a great job at adding her voice to a mixture of disco and rock rhythms." He noted that despite the fact that the lyrics of the song "are like those of Believe, where the theme was reminiscent of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive, Tina's unique voice and attitude allow the song to stand strong."^[7] Nathalie Nichols from Los Angeles Times described it as a "pumping" "I-will-go-on inspirational anthem".^[8] Pop Rescue said that "musically and structurally, it’s basically the same track [as "Believe"] with its layers of synths swirling and bubbling around in the background. Tina sounds great here though, and the chorus gives her plenty of space to show off that vocal power we know she somehow manages to muster."^[9] A reviewer from Press-Telegram wrote that "the mighty Tina Turner returns with a single that is so scintillating, so accessible to today's pop leanings".^[10] Jon Caramanica from Salon called it a "sleek Europop affair".^[11]

The accompanying music video for the song, which was filmed by British director Paul Boyd, features Turner dancing on a giant "T" with other dancers around her on the ground. The video was choreographed by Tina Landon. The background is black with a big screen that has flashing colours on it.