Celine Dion
2003–2007: A New Day...
In early 2002, Dion announced a three-year, 600-show contract to appear five nights a week in an entertainment extravaganza, A New Day..., at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.[140] This move was generally seen as risky, but journalist Miriam Nunzio wrote it was "one of the smartest business decisions in years by any major recording artist".[141] Dion conceived the show after seeing O by Franco Dragone during her break from recording, and it premiered on 25 March 2003, in a 4,000-seat arena specifically designed for her show and modelled after the Roman Colosseum.[140] Many stars attended the opening night including Dick Clark, Alan Thicke, Kathy Griffin, Lance Bass, and Justin Timberlake, who hosted the television special.[142] The show, directed by Dragone and choreographed by Mia Michaels, was a combination of dance, music, and visual effects. It included Dion performing her biggest hits against an array of dancers and special effects. Reviewer Mike Weatherford felt that, at first, Dion was not as relaxed as she should be, and at times, it was hard to find her among the excessive stage ornamentation and dancers. However, he noted the show had become more enjoyable over the course of its run, because of her improved stage-presence and simplified costumes.[79]
The show was well received by audiences, despite the complaints of expensive tickets[citation needed]; it routinely sold out until its end in late 2007.[143] Ticket prices averaged $135.33.[144] According to Pollstar, Dion sold 322,000 tickets and grossed US$43.9 million in the first half of 2005, and by July 2005, she had sold out 315 out of 384 shows.[145] By the end of 2005, she grossed more than US$76 million, placing sixth on Billboard's Money Makers list for 2005.[146] Because of the show's success, her contract was extended into 2007 for an undisclosed sum. On 5 January 2007, it was announced the show would end on 15 December 2007, with tickets for the period after October 2007 having gone on sale from 1 March.[147] According to Billboard, A New Day... is the most successful residency of all time, grossing over US$385 million ($543.36 million in 2022 dollars)[148] and drawing nearly three million people to 717 shows.[149] The Live in Las Vegas: A New Day... DVD was released on 10 December 2007, in Europe and the following day in North America.[150]
2007–2010: D'elles, Taking Chances, and Taking Chances Tour
On 21 May 2007, Dion released the French-language album D'elles (About Them), which debuted at the top of the Canadian album charts, selling 72,200 copies in its first week. It marked her tenth No. 1 album in the SoundScan era, and her eighth to debut at the top position. In Canada, the album has been certified 2× platinum, and within the first month had already shipped half a million units worldwide.[151] D'Elles also reached No. 1 in France and Belgium. The first single "Et s'il n'en restait qu'une (je serais celle-là)" (meaning "And If There Was Only One Woman Left (I Would Be That One)") debuted at the top of the French singles chart a month earlier. Later in same year, she released the English album Taking Chances on 12 November in Europe, and 13 November in North America.[152] Her first English studio album since 2003's One Heart, it featured pop, R&B, and rock inspired music.[153] For this album, she collaborated with John Shanks and ex-Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody, as well as Kristian Lundin, Peer Åström, Linda Perry, Japanese singer Yuna Ito, and R&B singer and songwriter Ne-Yo.[154][155] Dion stated, "I think this album represents a positive evolution in my career ... I'm feeling strong, maybe a little gutsier than in the past, and just as passionate about music and life as I ever was."[156] She launched her year-long global Taking Chances Tour on 14 February 2008 in South Africa, performing 132 dates in stadiums and arenas across 5 continents.[157]
The Taking Chances Tour was a great success in the United States, reaching the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Boxscore, having sold out every concert in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, she appeared on Idol Gives Back for a second year in a row. Dion was nominated for six Juno Awards in 2008, adding to her 53 previous nominations (an all-time record). Her nominations included Artist of the Year, Pop Album of the Year (for Taking Chances), Francophone Album of the Year (for D'elles) and Album of the Year (for both Taking Chances and D'elles).[158] The following year, she was nominated for 3 Juno Awards including the Fan Choice Award, Song of the Year (for Taking Chances), and Music DVD of the Year (for Live in Las Vegas — A New Day...)[159]
On 22 August 2008, Dion presented a free outdoor concert, mostly in French, on the Plains of Abraham, for the 400th anniversary of Quebec City.[160] The celebration gathered approximately 490,000 people. The concert, called Céline sur les Plaines, was released on DVD on 11 November 2008, in Quebec and was released on 20 May 2009, in France.[161] Late October 2008 saw the worldwide release of a comprehensive English-language greatest hits album, My Love: Essential Collection.[162]
In May 2009, Dion was named the 20th best-selling artist of the decade and the second-best-selling female artist of the decade in the United States, selling an estimated 17.57 million copies of her albums there since 2000.[163] In June 2009, Forbes reported she earned $100 million during 2008. In December 2009, Pollstar announced she was the highest-grossing solo live music act in North America of the decade, second overall behind only the Dave Matthews Band.[164] she grossed $522.2 million during the decade, a large portion of sum coming from her five-year residency at Caesars Palace.[164]
On 17 February 2010, Dion released into theatres a documentary film about her Taking Chances Tour, titled, Celine: Through the Eyes of the World.[165] The documentary shows behind-the-scenes footage of her both onstage and offstage, along with footage of her with her family as they travelled the world with her. The distributor is the Sony Pictures subsidiary, Hot Ticket.[165] The film was later released on Blu-ray and DVD on 4 May 2010, along with the CD/DVD, Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert.[166] At the 52nd Grammy Awards in February 2010, Dion joined Carrie Underwood, Usher, Jennifer Hudson, and Smokey Robinson to perform the song "Earth Song" during the 3-D Michael Jackson tribute.[167]
Dion on stage performing "Eyes on Me" during her Taking Chances Tour in Montreal in August 2008
In January 2010, the Los Angeles Times presented its annual list of the top ten largest earners of the year, revealing Dion took the top spot for the entire decade, with $US747.9 million in total revenue from 2000 to 2009.[168] The largest haul came from ticket sales, totalling $522.2 million.[168] Additionally, she was named "Artist of the Decade" in Quebec, announced by Le Journal de Québec in December 2009.[169] A public online survey asked responders to vote for whom they believe deserved the above-mentioned accolade.[169]
Furthermore, in a May 2010 Harris Poll, Dion was named the most popular musician in the United States, ahead of U2, Elvis Presley, and The Beatles while factoring in gender, political affiliations, geographic region of residence, and income.[170] Specifically, she was the most popular musician in the female demographic, as well as among all Democrats, those who live in the eastern United States and southern United States, and those who have incomes between US$35k and US$74.9k.[171]
In September 2010, she released the single "Voler", a duet with French singer Michel Sardou. The song was later included on Sardou's album.[172] In addition, it was announced in October 2010 Dion wrote and composed a new song for Canadian singer, Marc Dupré entitled "Entre deux mondes".[173]
2011–2014: Celine, Sans attendre, and Loved Me Back to Life
In an interview with People published in February 2010, Dion announced she would be returning to Caesars Palace for Celine, a three-year residency for seventy shows a year, beginning 15 March 2011.[174] She stated the show will feature, "all the songs from my repertoire people want to hear" and will contain a selection of music from classic Hollywood films.[174] To promote her return to Las Vegas, Dion made an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show on 21 February, during the show's final season, marking her record twenty-seventh appearance.[175][176] In 2018, Billboard stated her residency Celine is the second most successful residency of all time.[177] By the end of 2011, Dion has sold 331,000 albums (despite not releasing any studio album since 2007) and 956,000 digital tracks in the United States.[178]
For a record sixth time, she performed at the 83rd Academy Awards, where she sang the song "Smile", as part of the ceremony's "In Memoriam" segment.[179] On 4 September, she appeared on the 2011 MDA Labor Telethon Event and presented a prerecorded performance of "Open Arms" from her new Las Vegas show.[180] On 1 October 2011, the OWN Network premiered a documentary on Dion's life, detailing the months before, during and after her pregnancy, to the makings of her new Las Vegas Show, called, "Celine: 3 Boys and a New Show".[181] The documentary became the second highest rated show on TV OWN Canada. In October, FlightNetwork.com conducted a poll asking 780 participants which celebrity they would most like to sit next to on an airplane. Dion was the top favourite, with 23.7% of the vote.[182] Also, in September, she released the 14th perfume from her Celine Dion Parfums Collection, called "Signature".[183] On 15 September, she made an appearance at the free concert of Andrea Bocelli in Central Park.[184] In 2012, she performed at the 16th Jazz and Blues Festival in Jamaica.[185]
In October 2012, Sony Music Entertainment released The Best of Celine Dion & David Foster in Asia.[186] She began recording songs for her next English and French albums during April and May 2012.[187] The French-language album, Sans attendre was released on 2 November 2012, and was a smash success in all French-speaking territories, especially in France where it achieved diamond status.[188] The English-language album was postponed to 1 November 2013.[189] Titled Loved Me Back to Life, it included collaborations with an exceptional team of songwriters and producers, including duets with Ne-Yo and Stevie Wonder.[190] The lead single, "Loved Me Back to Life" was released on 3 September 2013.[191] Dion embarked on the Sans attendre Tour in November 2013 and performed in Belgium and France.[192] "Breakaway", "Incredible" and "Water and a Flame" were chosen as next singles.[193]
In June 2013, Dion co-produced the show titled "Voices" by Véronic DiCaire at Bally's Hotel & Casino's Jubilee Theatre and was presented 145 times up until 2015.[194]
On 16 May 2014, Dion released a three-disc set (2CD/DVD and 2CD/Blu-ray) titled Céline une seule fois / Live 2013, which reached top ten on the album charts in France, Canada and Belgium Wallonia.[195][better source needed]
2014–2021: Husband's death, Encore un soir, Courage, and return to Vegas
On 13 August 2014, Dion announced the indefinite postponement of all her show business activities, including her concert residency at Caesars Palace, and the cancellation of her Asia Tour, because of the worsening of her husband's health after he underwent the removal of a cancerous tumor in December 2013.[196][197] However, on 20 March 2015, she announced she would be returning to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in late August 2015.[198] On 14 January 2016, she cancelled the rest of the January performances due to her husband's and her brother's deaths from cancer.[199] Dion resumed the residency on 23 February to a sold-out crowd and rave reviews.
In October 2015, Dion announced on social media she had begun working on a new French album, posting a photo by the side of Algerian singer Zaho.[200] Dion's French single, "Encore un soir", was released on 24 May 2016. On 20 May, she released a cover of Queen's song "The Show Must Go On", featuring Lindsey Stirling on violin.[201] She performed "The Show Must Go On" at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards on 22 May, and received the Billboard Icon Award (presented to her by her son, René-Charles) in recognition of her career spanning over three decades.[202]
Dion performing in Birmingham in 2017
Dion's new French album, Encore un soir, was released on 26 August 2016. It features fifteen tracks performed in French and, according to Dion, has a personal choice of the songs – more uplifting lyrics were chosen.[203] Encore un soir topped the charts in France, Canada, Belgium and Switzerland, and was certified Diamond in France, 2× Platinum in Canada and Platinum in Belgium and Switzerland.[204][205] It has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide.[206] In 2016 and 2017, Dion toured Europe and Canada with two sold-out concert tours.[207][208][209][210][211] On 9 September 2016, she released "Recovering", a song written for her by Pink after Angélil died in January 2016.[212] Dion also recorded "How Does a Moment Last Forever" for the Beauty and the Beast: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, released in March 2017.[213] Her compilation, Un peu de nous topped the chart in France in July and August 2017.[214]
On 3 May 2018, she released the single "Ashes" from the film Deadpool 2.[215] The remix version of the song topped the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart in July 2018.[216] From June to August 2018, she toured the Asia-Pacific region and grossed $56.5 million from 22 shows.[217] On 24 September 2018, she announced the end of her Las Vegas residency Celine, with the final date set for 8 June 2019.[218] She is working on a new English album.[219] In January 2019, she performed "A Change Is Gonna Come" at the "Aretha! A Grammy Celebration for the Queen of Soul" Franklin's tribute concert, to be broadcast in March 2019.[220][221] In March 2019, she was one of 11 singers from Quebec, alongside Ginette Reno, Diane Dufresne, Isabelle Boulay, Luce Dufault, Louise Forestier, Laurence Jalbert, Catherine Major, Ariane Moffatt, Marie Denise Pelletier, and Marie-Élaine Thibert, who participated in a supergroup recording of Renée Claude's 1971 single "Tu trouveras la paix" after Claude's diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease was announced.[222] On 3 April 2019, during a Facebook Live event, Dion announced her 2019/2020 Courage World Tour, beginning in Quebec City on 18 September 2019.[223] She also announced a new English-language album of the same name, released in November 2019.[224] Courage debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 dated 30 November 2019, earning Dion her first US number-one album in 17 years, having last topped the chart with A New Day Has Come (2002).[225] It is her fifth US number-one album, and earned 113,000 album-equivalent units, including 109,000 pure album sales.[225] It also became her 13th top ten album on the Billboard 200.[225] Thanks to Courage, Dion has collected number-one albums in each of the last three decades, being the fourth woman to achieve the feat after Janet Jackson, Barbra Streisand and Britney Spears.[225] The album also debuted at number one in Canada, becoming Dion's 15th number-one album in the Nielsen SoundScan era and 16th overall in the country.[226]
On 18 September 2019, Dion released three songs, "Lying Down", "Courage", and "Imperfections" from her upcoming album, Courage.[227] On 26 February 2020, Dion released two songs as exclusive Spotify singles: an acoustic version of Imperfections, and a cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game". Isaak joined Dion and sang vocals on the track. On 10 June 2020, Dion announced her Courage World Tour will kick off again in 2021, after the tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[228] On 21 May 2021, it was announced Dion would return to Las Vegas, in November of the same year, for a limited-run installment of ten dates in collaboration with Resorts World Las Vegas.[229] Billboard listed Dion as the third top paid musician of 2020 (second by female artist), with total of earnings of $17.5 million.[230]
Dion contributed vocals to the song "Superwoman" on Diane Warren's 2021 album Diane Warren: The Cave Sessions Vol. 1.
2022–present: Health struggles and acting debut
On 15 January 2022, a statement posted to Dion's website and social media accounts announced the U.S. and Canadian concert dates for March–April 2022 were cancelled because of "severe and persistent muscle spasms" preventing Dion from performing onstage.[231] On 8 December 2022, Dion announced she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disease,[232] and that it was the cause of her spasms. All future tour dates were cancelled as a result.[233] In May 2023, the remaining concerts were cancelled, citing her ongoing battle with the disease.[234]
Dion debuted on the big screen in the film Love Again, for which she also recorded five new songs.[235] The first single, "Love Again" premiered on 13 April 2023 and the soundtrack was released on 12 May 2023.[235]
In January 2024, it was announced that I Am: Celine Dion, a documentary about Dion's life with stiff-person syndrome, would be released by Amazon MGM Studios.[236][237]
Artistry
Influences
Michael Jackson in 1988. He is cited as the main inspiration for Dion to learn English.
Dion cites idols as varied as Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Charles Aznavour, Carole King, Anne Murray, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston and the Bee Gees, all of whom she would eventually collaborate with.[238][239][240][241] Michael Jackson in particular was a major motivation for her to learn English as early as in the 1980s.[242] Her music has been influenced by numerous genres, including pop, rock, gospel, R&B, and soul, and her lyrics focus on themes of poverty, world hunger, and spirituality, with an emphasis on love and romance.[47][243] After the birth of her first child, her work increasingly focused on maternal love.[132][244][245][246]
Musical style
Dion has faced considerable criticism from critics, who state that her music often retreats behind pop and soul conventions, and is marked by excessive sentimentality.[34][102] According to Keith Harris of Rolling Stone magazine, "[Dion's] sentimentality is bombastic and defiant rather than demure and retiring ... [she] stands at the end of the chain of drastic devolution that goes Aretha–Whitney–Mariah. Far from being an aberration, Dion actually stands as a symbol of a certain kind of pop sensibility—bigger is better, too much is never enough, and the riper the emotion the more true."[247] Her francophone releases, by contrast, tend to be deeper and more varied than her English releases, and consequently have achieved more credibility.[43][248]
Critics have stated that Dion's involvement in the production aspect of her music is fundamentally lacking, which results in her work being overproduced[248] and impersonal.[43] However, coming from a family in which all of her siblings were musicians, she dabbled in learning how to play instruments like piano and guitar, and practised with a Fender Stratocaster during the recording sessions for her album Falling into You.[249]
Occasionally, Dion has contributed to the writing of a handful of her English and French songs, as well as writing a few songs for other artists such as Marc Dupre. Additionally, as her career progressed, she found herself taking charge in the production of her albums. On her first English album, which she recorded before she had a firm command of the English language, she expressed disapproval, which could have been avoided if she had assumed more creative input.[43] By the time she released her second English album Celine Dion, she assumed more control of the production and recording process, hoping to dispel earlier criticisms. She stated, "On the second album I said, 'Well, I have the choice to be afraid one more time and not be 100% happy, or not be afraid and be part of this album.' This is my album."[43] Besides her contributions to some of her early French albums, Dion wrote a few of the songs on Let's Talk About Love (1997) and These Are Special Times (1998).[250]
She is often the subject of media ridicule[251] and parody and is frequently impersonated on shows such as MADtv, Saturday Night Live, South Park, Royal Canadian Air Farce, and This Hour Has 22 Minutes for her strong accent and onstage gesticulations. However, she has stated that she is unaffected by the comments, and is flattered that people take the time to impersonate her.[106] She even invited Ana Gasteyer, who parodied her on SNL, to appear onstage during one of her performances in New York City. While she is rarely politically outspoken, in 2005 following the Hurricane Katrina disaster, Dion appeared on Larry King Live and tearfully criticized the US government's slow response in aiding the victims of the hurricane: "There's people still there waiting to be rescued. To me that is not acceptable ... How can it be so easy to send planes in another country to kill everybody in a second and destroy lives. We need to serve our country."[252] After her interview, she stated, "When I do interviews with Larry King or the big TV shows like that, they put you on the spot, which is very difficult. I do have an opinion, but I'm a singer. I'm not a politician."[253]
