It’s been six years since Céline Dion last belted out an English-language album, 2013’s “Loved Me Back to Life.” But after the death of her husband-manager René Angélil in 2016, the Grammy-winning powerhouse behind such hits as “Because You Loved Me” and, of course, “My Heart Will Go On,” is back with “Courage,” her new studio LP. Here, we break down the most titanic moments on her comeback collection.
“Flying on My Own”
Lest you be feeling sorry for this widow, Dion opens the album with this spirited, uplifting dance anthem that emphatically embraces the future on her own: “I’m free like an eagle/Soar like an eagle/Sailing the winds of change.” And a refreshing change-up it is: Not known for her EDM tracks, she takes off twirling under the disco ball in the sky, letting those famous pipes soar all the way.
“Falling in Love Again”
Penned by singer-songwriter Skylar Grey — who co-wrote Eminem and Rihanna’s 2010 hit “Love the Way You Lie”— this spare piano ballad is stripped raw with emotion, hinting that Dion could one day open her heart again. She uses the softer shades of her voice to capture the vulnerability of “falling in love once again,” but then displays real strength when, out of nowhere, she hits that money note that you always want from her.
“Courage”
The album’s title track seems to directly address Angélil in the afterlife, with Dion bravely revealing just how much she aches for him: “I would be lying if I said I’m fine/I think of you at least a hundred times/’Cause in the echo of my voice I hear your words/Just like you’re there.” While the verses are quietly conversational, this ballad ultimately swells — behind strings and Dion’s lung power — to the heavens.
“For the Lover That I Lost”
Produced by the hit-making Stargate duo (vets of Beyoncé, Rihanna) and co-written by Sam Smith, this tender piano ballad plays like an elegy for Angélil: “Thinking about your lips and the way they kiss/There’s so much I really miss about you/Sitting on the beach, you were still in reach/And I haven’t felt free without you.” The grief lingers hauntingly, as Dion lays “a dozen roses for the lover that I lost.”
“I Will Be Stronger”
This ballad was written and produced by Eg White, who has collaborated with Adele on “Chasing Pavements” and other songs. You can hear echoes of Adele’s work here, with Dion displaying a soulful fervor, emerging triumphant in her vow to be stronger. By the end, there’s no doubting that she’s got this.
Ref;nhypost.com