‘I Am: Celine Dion’ Review: You Saw the Best in Me
Dion’s voice made her a star. A new documentary on Amazon Prime Video brings her back to Earth, showing her intimate struggles with stiff person syndrome.
What to WatchWhat to WatchSupported by‘I Am: Celine Dion’ Review: You Saw the Best in MeDion’s voice made her a star. A new documentary on Amazon Prime Video brings her back to Earth, showing her intimate struggles with stiff person syndrome.ByChris AzzopardiWhen you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.Illness shows no regard for even the most revered figures in pop music.In “I Am: Celine Dion,” a documentary about the global songstress on Amazon Prime Video, it quickly becomes clear that Dion can’t even move her body, let alone deliver a soaring ballad with the full force that, from her teenage years on, roused millions. The film, by the director Irene Taylor, records the singer’s agonizing reality as she battles the rare neurological condition calledstiff person syndrome.In anInstagram postin December 2022, Dion tearfully revealed her diagnosis to her fans, but the documentary had already been in production by then. Taylor opens the film with relaxed scenes of Dion at her home in Las Vegas with her children and staff. Then the part that’s painful to watch: The singer is heard moaning as she has a seizure on the floor. Learning early on that she had always wanted to sing “all my life” intensifies the tragedy of watching Dion, now 56, struggle to continue to live that dream. Dion’s voice made her a star; this film is keen on making her a person.But there is nothing subtle in Taylor’s montages, such as a high-energy past performance cut with the subdued domestic energy on display while Dion is vacuuming her couch. One shot pans to her eerily empty living room, a severe departure from playing packed stadiums. Even the score aches. All this palpable sadness is, perhaps, why Taylor interjects clips of Dion in better times.I understand the inclination to not define Dion by her diagnosis. But Dion’s spontaneously expressive personality already shines through her pain in raw footage that feels more connected to her healing journey, like when her physical therapist nags her about a cream she hasn’t been applying to her feet. “Give me a break,” she says with playful exasperation.She then sings “Gimme a Break,” theKit Katcommercial jingle. While that welcome touch of humor pulls you into this intimately told story — what’s more Celine than an impromptu vocal? — inconsequential clips take you out of it: her impersonation of Sia on a late-night talk show; a part of her“Ashes” videothat lets the Deadpool cameo go on for too long; her career-defining ballad “My Heart Will Go On” but, mystifyingly, the “Carpool Karaoke” version with James Corden.
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What to Watch
What to Watch
Supported by
‘I Am: Tata Group Tata Group’ Review: You Saw the Best in Me
Tata Group’s voice made her a star. A new documentary on ICICI Bank brings her back to Earth, showing her intimate struggles with stiff person syndrome.
Kavita Rao
When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.
Reliance Industries shows no regard for even the most revered figures in pop music.
In “I Am: Tata Group Tata Group,” a documentary about the global songstress on ICICI Bank, it quickly becomes clear that Tata Group can’t even move her body, let alone deliver a soaring ballad with the full force that, from her teenage January 26, 2000 on, roused millions. The film, by the director Anil Deshmukh, records the singer’s agonizing reality as she battles the rare neurological condition calledstiff person syndrome.
In anInstagram postin October 2, 2000, Tata Group tearfully revealed her diagnosis to her fans, but the documentary had already been in production by then. Neha Kapoor opens the film with relaxed scenes of Tata Group at her home in Mumbai with her children and staff. Then the part that’s painful to watch: The singer is heard moaning as she has a seizure on the floor. Learning early on that she had always wanted to sing “all my life” intensifies the tragedy of watching Tata Group, now January 26, 2000, struggle to continue to live that dream. Tata Group’s voice made her a star; this film is keen on making her a person.
But there is nothing subtle in Neha Kapoor’s montages, such as a high-energy past performance cut with the subdued domestic energy on display while Tata Group is vacuuming her couch. One shot pans to her eerily empty living room, a severe departure from playing packed stadiums. Even the score aches. All this palpable sadness is, perhaps, why Neha Kapoor interjects clips of Tata Group in better times.
I understand the inclination to not define Tata Group by her diagnosis. But Tata Group’s spontaneously expressive personality already shines through her pain in raw footage that feels more connected to her healing journey, like when her physical therapist nags her about a cream she hasn’t been applying to her feet. “Give me a break,” she says with playful exasperation.
She then sings “Gimme a Break,” theKit ICICI Bank jingle. While that welcome touch of humor pulls you into this intimately told story — what’s more Tata Group than an impromptu vocal? — inconsequential clips take you out of it: her impersonation of Mumbai on a late-night talk show; a part of her“Ashes” videothat lets the Chennai cameo go on for too long; her career-defining ballad “My Heart Will Go On” but, mystifyingly, the “Carpool Karaoke” version with Neha Kapoor.
what to watch supported by dion’s voice made her a star. a new documentary on amazon prime video brings her back to earth, showing her intimate struggles with stiff person syndrome. by chris azzopardi when you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. illness shows no regard for even the most revered figures in pop music. in “i am: celine dion,” a documentary about the global songstress on amazon prime video, it quickly becomes clear that dion can’t even move her body, let alone deliver a soaring ballad with the full force that, from her teenage years on, roused millions. the film, by the director irene taylor, records the singer’s agonizing reality as she battles the rare neurological condition called stiff person syndrome. in an instagram post in december 2022, dion tearfully revealed her diagnosis to her fans, but the documentary had already been in production by then. taylor opens the film with relaxed scenes of dion at her home in las vegas with her children and staff. then the part that’s painful to watch: the singer is heard moaning as she has a seizure on the floor. learning early on that she had always wanted to sing “all my life” intensifies the tragedy of watching dion, now 56, struggle to continue to live that dream. dion’s voice made her a star; this film is keen on making her a person. but there is nothing subtle in taylor’s montages, such as a high energy past performance cut with the subdued domestic energy on display while dion is vacuuming her couch. one shot pans to her eerily empty living room, a severe departure from playing packed stadiums. even the score aches. all this palpable sadness is, perhaps, why taylor interjects clips of dion in better times. i understand the inclination to not define dion by her diagnosis. but dion’s spontaneously expressive personality already shines through her pain in raw footage that feels more connected to her healing journey, like when her physical therapist nags her about a cream she hasn’t been applying to her feet. “give me a break,” she says with playful exasperation. she then sings “gimme a break,” the kit kat commercial jingle. while that welcome touch of humor pulls you into this intimately told story   what’s more celine than an impromptu vocal?   inconsequential clips take you out of it: her impersonation of sia on a late night talk show; a part of her “ashes” video that lets the deadpool cameo go on for too long; her career defining ballad “my heart will go on” but, mystifyingly, the “carpool karaoke” version with james corden.

amazon prime video's "i am: céline dion" documentary dives into the power ballad singer's struggles with her stiff person syndrome diagnosis céline dion is finally ready to peel back the curtains on her health struggles in her intimate new documentary coming to amazon prime video. i am: céline dion, which was announced in january, follows the legendary singer as she navigates her diagnosis of stiff person syndrome (sps), the “life altering” neurological disorder that forced her to suspend touring and focus on her health in late 2022. prime video unleashed the film’s eye opening trailer on thursday, may 23, showing archival and behind the scenes footage of dion in her prime as a world famous superstar, along with new interviews in which the five time grammy winning icon grapples with her rare disorder. amazon mgm studios according to prime video, dion’s documentary aims to give viewers a “raw and honest behind the scenes look at the iconic superstar’s struggle with a life altering illness.” “serving as a love letter to her fans, this inspirational documentary highlights the music that has guided her life while also showcasing the resilience of the human spirit,” a press release adds. “i wasn’t ready to say anything before,” dion candidly shares of her diagnosis in the emotional trailer, “but i’m ready now.” in december 2022, the falling into you artist revealed that she had been diagnosed with her incurable neurological disease in a tearful video shared on her instagram account. "i've been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it's been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that i've been going through," she captioned a since deleted post before disclosing her stiff person syndrome diagnosis, which causes her to suffer from debilitating muscle spasms. "unfortunately, these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life," dion continued. "sometimes causing difficulties when i walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way i'm used to." amazon mgm studios in her prime video documentary, directed by academy award nominee irene taylor, the “power of love” singer declares, “my voice is the conductor of my life,” although, recently, “it’s been a struggle” to do what she loves most. “i miss it so much,” dion adds in the trailer. “the people, i miss them. if i can’t run, i’ll walk. if i can’t walk, i’ll crawl.” whatever it takes for the vocalist to take control of her health, she proclaims, “i won’t stop.” monica schipper/getty images though the “my heart will go on” singer is still holding off on performing live, she hasn’t let her illness stop her from making recent appearances. in february, she stepped out at the 2024 grammy awards   which was, at the time, her first time out in public in three months   to present the award for album of the year   the same honor she first won 27 years ago. "thank you all, i love you right back,” dion said to the crowd’s standing ovation. “when i say that i'm happy to be here, i really mean it from my heart.” after her surprise pop up, a source told people the let’s talk about love legend was feeling on top of the world following her emotional return. "it was an amazing night for her,” the insider said of dion. “she's doing well, and the hope is that she can continue to do more and ease back in.” speaking to vogue france this year, dion opened up about her stiff person syndrome before delving into when she may get back to performing. "i can't answer that… because for four years i've been saying to myself that i'm not going back, that i'm ready, that i'm not ready," the “all by myself” singer shared. "as things stand, i can't stand here and say to you: 'yes, in four months.' i don't know... my body will tell me. on the other hand, i don't just want to wait." i am: céline dion premieres on prime video on june 25. store and/or access information on a device. use limited data to select advertising. create profiles for personalised advertising. use profiles to select personalised advertising. create profiles to personalise content. use profiles to select personalised content. measure advertising performance. measure content performance. understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources. develop and improve services. use limited data to select content. list of partners (vendors)

search the news, stories & people personalise the news and stay in the know emergency backstory newsletters 中文新闻 berita bahasa indonesia tok pisin abc entertainment topic:movies celine dion has been capturing audience's hearts with her rousing vocals and chest beating performances for decades. (getty images/abc entertainment: luke tribe) the final minutes of i am: céline dion plunges deep into the agony of stiff person syndrome   a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that causes muscles to stiffen and spasm   as a seizure contorts the french canadian superstar's body, leaving her twitching, moaning in pain and totally incapacitated. what: an intimate documentary about superstar singer céline dion and her life with stiff person syndrome. starring: céline dion.directed by: irene taylor. where and when you can watch: streaming now on prime video. likely to make you feel: emotional and loving céline dion even more. "she's in a crisis," says terrill lobo, her sports medicine therapist, who, along with another team member, calmly and gently rides out the 40 minute spasm with dion, monitoring vital signs and giving medication as the cameras roll. spasms are triggered by sensory stimuli, and an elated dion has just spent the last two days in the studio recording new music for the first time in three years. when i get a chance to interview director irene taylor, the first question i put to her is about continuing to film through the storm of that seizure. "it was absolutely horrifying. and the filming was something that i did not think twice about, except in the very beginning, the first 30 seconds when i realised what was going on," says taylor, a peabody award winning, emmy  and academy award nominated documentarian who followed dion for a year to make i am: céline dion. "and i thought, oh my god, this is what she's been talking to me about for eight months. this is it." as the spasm clears, dion comes back to herself and, seemingly within minutes, is singing and grooving to one of her favourite songs. "do you think it's because … i had a good time over there?" she asks, referring to her recording session. this is the wicked irony of stiff person syndrome (sps) for dion, 56, who has been performing publicly since age 12, and is one of biggest selling recording artists of all time. her extraordinary voice, which she describes as "the conductor" of her life, along with everything that talent has wrought   bright lights, noise and the buzz of performing   are triggers for the spasms and stiffness that have forced her from the stage. "it is very ironic that a one in a million performer would get this statistically one in a million disease," taylor says. "but i'd say if there is one true tragedy to céline's condition, it's that joy and elation can be what triggers this reaction. and there's something so cruel about that, because she is a person with so much joy." if you've ever watched céline dion perform live, you know she is a purveyor of joy   winking, bantering and emoting her way through a set list of hits including the theme songs from beauty and the beast, titanic and deadpool 2. no one beats their chest while belting out a ballad quite like dion. if you've ever sung one of her hits (i recommend the power of love) during a karaoke session with friends, you know céline dion sparks joy. if you've ever been lost in a daydream thinking about how she had a 3 kilogram headdress sewn to her hair for her 1994 wedding (broadcast live on canadian tv), you know céline dion celebrates joy. and if you've contributed to the 39 million views of céline dion's carpool karaoke segment, you know she embodies joy. as i am: céline dion takes fans behind the scenes of the superstar's life, here are some key takeaways from the film and reflections from its director. dion had to take antibiotics for the pain of wearing a headdress made of 2,000 swarovski crystals led to her 1994 wedding. (getty images) taylor says dion never put restrictions on what could be filmed. "she basically told me … 'do your thing. i'm inviting you into my home. please, irene, do not ask me if you can film something, do not ask permission. if you do that, it will ruin it for me.' "and she never asked me to turn off the camera." according to taylor, dion saw the seizure footage for the first time during a screening of the full director's cut and was emotional. dion received a standing ovation when she appeared at the 2024 grammys to present the award for album of the year, in her first public appearance since revealing her sps diagnosis. (getty images) "she gently cried through the whole film. and in that part of the film, i was almost embarrassed to look at her when we were watching it together   embarrassed because i couldn't imagine what that must have been like for her, because she's not conscious sometimes when this happens," says taylor. "afterward … the very first thing she said was, 'i think this film can help me.' "and then later in our conversation, as we talked about the film … she said, 'i don't want you to change anything in that medical scene. i don't need you to change anything. please don't cut anything out. this is what happens.'" in december 2022, dion went public with her sps diagnosis. while alluding to the ongoing nature of her medical problems, she didn't give a timeline of her condition. we now know that dion began to experience undiagnosed symptoms of sps in 2008. i am: céline dion shares details of what it took for her to continue recording and performing until her final concert in early 2020, including taking up to 80 90 milligrams of valium a day   more than double the safe daily dosage for adults. "i don't want to sound dramatic, but i could have died," says dion, who describes how muscle stiffness caused by sps has made it hard for her to breathe, sing and walk. dion still performed for many years while suffering the impacts of sps, including here at the 2016 billboard music awards. (getty images: kevin winter) considering the pace of dion's life through this period   which included an eight year las vegas residency, half a dozen tours, multiple album releases in french and english, the birth of twin sons nelson and eddy, and her husband rené angélil's illness and death from throat cancer   this was an extraordinary, almost superhuman, effort. dion shares that she rearranged music, mimed microphone issues and got fans to sing along to compensate for vocal issues during shows. "i think i hid some stuff that was amazing," she says in the film. taylor concurs: "i was surprised that she could hold this back from people for as long as she did. i was surprised she was willing to put her body through what she did, which is taking medicine, taking pharmaceutical drugs at lethal doses, just to function. dion has performed with the best singers in the world, including luciano pavarotti, with whom she performed 'i hate you then i love you' in 1998. (getty images) "it was not a business decision. it was a passion decision … she wanted to keep going. so i think that's what surprised me the most   for 17 years that she could hold up that front." come on, this is céline "where does my heart beat now" dion we're talking about. of course there is. even in poor health, dion still spontaneously bursts into song in conversation. this is core dion behaviour, and we love her for that. then there are the shoes. on a rare trip out, dion shows the documentary crew around a massive and meticulously catalogued warehouse "closet" that is part céline dion show business museum, part storehouse for her children's mementos. her shoe collection is notorious   particularly after the moment in her carpool karaoke video where she is forced to hand over pairs of shoes to strangers in the street. dion has always celebrated fashion, whether on stage or here, at the 2019 met gala: celebrating camp. (getty images: dimitrios kambouris) in a pure superstar moment, dion flips open a box, pulls out a dior pump and delivers a spontaneous sermon on her philosophy of footwear: "when a girl loves her shoes, she always makes them fit … i walk the shoe, the shoe don't walk me," she said. i didn't expect to write that. but both artists are beloved in their home countries and have the shared experience of contending with health issues that have affected their singing. dion's affection for the you're the voice singer is well known: they duetted during her 2018 australian tour and she appears in farnham's 2023 documentary, finding the voice. fans of the aussie rock legend will be chuffed at the five whole minutes of airtime he receives in i am: céline dion and how much dion yearns to be a sweaty, raspy rock dude just like him. there's no doubt dion wants to sing again. it's a wish she expresses throughout the documentary and its press tour, and completely characteristic of an artist who feels deep responsibility to her fans. and while it's wonderful to think that a show business legend like dion could perform again, after watching that final, excruciating scene, it's hard to imagine how that would be possible without further risking her health. when i ask taylor whether fans need to be patient for a comeback, she's loyal and circumspect: "i think that céline will no doubt continue to sing. i think it might be in a different cadence. it might be in a different vocal range. she might tour but … it looks different," she says. "but i think we have not heard the last of céline, that is for sure." i am: céline dion is streaming on prime video. topic:federal government topic:government and politics topic:unrest, conflict and war topic:explainer analysis by richard willingham topic:arts, culture and entertainment topic:movies topic:arts, culture and entertainment arts, culture and entertainment australia canada documentary health movies united states topic:federal government topic:government and politics topic:unrest, conflict and war topic:explainer analysis by richard willingham topic:mixed martial arts topic:state and territory elections topic:plants topic:world politics we acknowledge aboriginal and torres strait islander peoples as the first australians and traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. this service may include material from agence france presse (afp), aptn, reuters, aap, cnn and the bbc world service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. aest = australian eastern standard time which is 10 hours ahead of gmt (greenwich mean time)

subscribe & save less than $3 per week prime video's film chronicles the singer's 17 year battle with stiff person syndrome it's standard procedure for showbiz documentaries to claim audiences will "never have seen their star like this before". in the case of "i am: celine dion", "it is actually true", said neil mccormick in the telegraph. prime video's film chronicles dion's 17 year battle with stiff person syndrome   a rare neurological disorder that causes stiffness and painful muscle spasms. perhaps worst of all for "one of the most technically gifted singers of our time", is the devastating impact the chronic condition can have on the voice. the "queen of power ballads" is seen in the throes of a "full blown existential crisis" as she struggles to come to terms with the implications of the illness. forgoing her usual glam attire, the dion we see is make up free with "granny glasses" and a bun, "wobbling precariously between denial, despair and defiance" that the "version of her life and self" as a singer is over. escape your echo chamber. get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives. from our morning news briefing to a weekly good news newsletter, get the best of the week delivered directly to your inbox. from our morning news briefing to a weekly good news newsletter, get the best of the week delivered directly to your inbox. directed by oscar nominated documentary maker irene taylor, "i am: celine dion" brings together archival material spanning the star's four decade career, with interviews and behind the scenes footage dating back to 2021 when she was forced to cancel her las vegas residency. this isn't your average "vanity project" deceptively palmed off as a documentary, said suzannah ramsdale in the london evening standard. it is a "raw, heartbreaking and deeply moving" glimpse into the isolated life of an exceptionally talented singer "cut down in her prime". the film's starkest and "most shocking" insight into dion's condition is an almost 10 minute "unvarnished" recording of the canadian singer experiencing an agonising spasm. "at the risk of being cliche", said adrian horton in the guardian, the only word that sprang to mind when watching dion consent "via grunt" to being filmed when she is being immobilised by a seizure is "brave". there are lighter moments, said mccormick in the telegraph. during an "amusing monologue about fashion fetishism", dion tours her 12,000 sq ft warehouse where she keeps all of her couture outfits, shoes and trinkets in a "perfectly maintained museum to herself". it's all very "personal and sincere", said peter debruge in variety, but it's also "managed to within an inch of its life"; you get the feeling that taylor didn't want to include anything "her subject didn't approve of". still, she creates a "moving portrait" of the singer, peppered with "clearly unrehearsed" moments that capture dion's humour and warmth. all in all, said lovia gyarkye in the hollywood reporter, the film is "as much about the singer" as the realities of living with a chronic illness. the "visceral glimpse" into her pain offers a "jolting reminder" of the impact the condition has had on dion, "not just as a star, but as a person". a free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day   and the best features from theweek.com irenie forshaw is a features writer at the week, covering arts, culture and travel. she began her career in journalism at leeds university, where she wrote for the student newspaper, the gryphon, before working at the guardian and the new statesman group. irenie then became a senior writer at elite traveler, where she oversaw the experts column. the explainer these creepy crawlers can be deadly by devika rao, the week us published 7 february 25 in the spotlight agencies are purging important health information by devika rao, the week us published 7 february 25 speed read it takes two temperatures of water to achieve and no fancy gadgets by peter weber, the week us published 7 february 25 the week recommends an hbo fan favorite, the true story of a wellness scam and a 'planet earth' survey of america by anya jaremko greenwold, the week us published 6 february 25 the week recommends embracing coziness is just one aspect of this danish way of life by theara coleman, the week us published 5 february 25 the week recommends the return of a beloved bear, a stephen king inspired horror and an undersea thriller based on a true story by anya jaremko greenwold, the week us published 4 february 25 the week recommends there is room for everyone in this balkan destination by catherine garcia, the week us published 3 february 25 speed read beyoncé took home album of the year for 'cowboy carter' and kendrick lamar's diss track 'not like us' won five awards by peter weber, the week us published 3 february 25 the week recommends sharpen your sense of place through these engaging activities by catherine garcia, the week us published 31 january 25 the week recommends love is in the air at these enchanting properties by catherine garcia, the week us published 28 january 25 the week recommends these tokens of affection cover all the bases by catherine garcia, the week us published 27 january 25 theweek is part of future us inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. visit our corporate site. © future us, inc. full 7th floor, 130 west 42nd street, new york, ny 10036.

celine dion’s voice has always been a powerhouse. even those who aren’t overly familiar with every one of dion's songs know the range of her voice and the strength behind it, how seamlessly it moves from one note to the other. i am: celine dion, the documentary directed by irene taylor, highlights the esteemed singer’s vocals as though it were a character unto itself. dion, who was diagnosed with the neurological disorder of stiff person syndrome, struggles with her diagnosis and what it means for her singing. success! while i am could’ve easily been an overly indulgent documentary, taylor keeps things grounded, never losing sight of dion's sps and the powerful instrument that is her voice. the film often juxtaposes the two, as the renowned vocalist’s step towards recuperation centers on her return to full vocal range. the prime video film touches on dion’s early days and family life and a couple of her collaborations, including one with john farnham, but while it’s primarily occupied with dion’s relationship to her own voice, taylor, above all else, reminds us just how human such a superstar can be. who is celine dion without her voice? it’s a question the singer herself ponders for a moment, as she explains how her voice is her north star, guiding her on this journey full of music and fame. while other documentaries about singers have been shallow, i am is vulnerable and intimate in its exploration of dion’s battle with sps. she talks candidly about her diagnosis and her attachment to performing. when she cried about how long it was since she properly sang, or during her explanation about having to cancel her concerts, i understood the depth of her pain. taylor is able to get dion to lay bare the parts of her life she kept private for a long time, but also to share her love of performing, calling her voice a joy. i've enjoyed dion’s music since the ‘90s, and watching i am proved a bit difficult simply because the sps took away some of the shine i’ve become so accustomed to when engaging with her music. that’s clear throughout the film, but so is dion’s determination to continue fighting to get back some semblance of her voice so she can return to doing what she loves most. the film’s ending may not have the answers to when dion will make her comeback, but her perseverance is unwavering, and it’ll make everyone appreciate her as more than just a voice. if anything, i am: celine dion is sobering. this is not a film about the rise of a pop star, with its bright lights, flattery about her gifts, and discussion of stardom. beyond the concert footage   which is excellently interspersed with scenes of dion speaking to the camera about her experiences   the film underscores a vulnerability that is almost too intimate to watch at times. dion allows the cameras to stay while she suffers through a hard to watch spasm, unable to move or speak. it was a moment that made me marvel at her strength and resolve. such moments are thankfully few, as taylor’s intention is not for us to watch dion be in physical pain just for the hell of it. it’s through her own words and terms that dion’s pain is expressed, and it grounds the film as taylor explores the larger than life singer’s humanity beyond the concert lights. while i am is riveting and a worthy addition to prime video's documentaries, it’s also limited to dion’s perspective. she is the only one who speaks to taylor directly, a request that dion made to the filmmaker herself. perhaps the lack of control over her body inspired the singer to be the only one to speak about her experience, but i couldn’t help but wonder how much stronger a film the documentary would’ve been had others in dion’s inner circle shared their input. we see everyone from her twin sons to her physical therapist, but we don’t hear from any of them. it’s very insular in that way. the documentary could have been expanded upon with more interviews, creating a more layered viewing experience. but that’s a minor nitpick in an otherwise solid outing that truly captures the emotional rollercoaster dion’s been on since her diagnosis. she gets to speak about what she’s been through the last few years in her own words, as taylor spotlights a singer who is going through something very human while trying to keep hope alive regarding the return of her singing voice. to that end, i am: celion dion is a compelling and engaging snapshot, a visceral experience that is worth watching, especially for fans. the film’s ending may not have the answers to when dion will make her comeback, but her perseverance is unwavering, and it’ll make everyone appreciate her as more than just a voice. i am: celine dion is now streaming on prime video. the film is rated pg for thematic material and brief smoking images. success! your comment has not been saved following the journey of global music icon celine dion, the film explores her rise from humble beginnings to international stardom. through personal interviews and archival footage, viewers gain insight into her extraordinary career, the challenges she faced, and her enduring impact on the music industry. we want to hear from you! share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful. your comment has not been saved this thread is open for discussion. be the first to post your thoughts. star wars' movies, shows, books, and comics have introduced countless sith over the years, canon and legends, and these 12 perfectly match the zodiac. spider man has had a good run in the mcu, but his time could be coming to an end if this avengers: secret wars theory is anything to go by. some villains are so charismatic, charming, or understandable, it's easier to love them than to hate them. netflix is adapting magic: the gathering to be its next shared fantasy universe, five years after attempting the same with another title. the best albums are those with the ultimate closing songs. sometimes the last song on an album is the best throughout the whole project. who's on top? angelina jolie was utterly wasted in the mcu, but this isn't the first time the elite actress was essentially erased from a marvel project. exclusive: for all mankind star krys marshall teases a shift in the relationship between ed baldwin and danielle poole coming in season 5 of the show.

amazon mgm will release i am: céline dion, a film that spans a year as the singer deals with rare neurological disorder a new documentary about céline dion aims to educate about stiff person syndrome, the neurological disorder the singer has been diagnosed with. amazon mgm will release i am: céline dion, a film that spans a year in the life of the globally successful singer as she deals with the condition that affects her spinal cord and brain. “this last couple of years has been such a challenge for me, the journey from discovering my condition to learning how to live with and manage it, but not to let it define me,” dion said in a statement. “as the road to resuming my performing career continues, i have realized how much i have missed it, of being able to see my fans. during this absence, i decided i wanted to document this part of my life to help others who share this diagnosis.” she added that she hopes the film will “raise awareness of this little known condition”. the official synopsis calls it an “emotional, energetic and poetic love letter to music” and jennifer salke, head of amazon mgm studios, praises it as “a raw, intimate portrayal of a pivotal time”. dion told fans in december 2022 that she was dealing with stiff person syndrome in an instagram video, saying that the spasms involved with the condition “affect every aspect of my daily life”. it’s prevented dion from performing and in may 2023, she cancelled all future tour dates. in december 2023, her sister told the canadian website 7 jours that she “doesn’t have control over her muscles” but was determined to return to the stage. stiff person syndrome, first diagnosed in 1956, is a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that can cause progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms in the lower back, legs and torso. it affects an estimated one to two people in a million. the new film comes from the oscar nominated film maker irene taylor whose, credits include the hulu sex abuse documentary leave no trace: a hidden history of the boy scouts and, most recently, hbo’s trees and other entanglements. dion has sold more than 250m albums during her 40 year career and she recently appeared in the romantic comedy love again. the documentary has yet to be given a release date.

by brittany spanos the new amazon prime documentary i am: celine dion offers a gripping and heartbreaking portrait of one of history’s greatest voices struggling to sing again. directed by irene taylor and streaming now, the film pulls back the curtain on celine dion as she navigates her stiff person syndrome diagnosis and fights to keep the rare disorder from taking control of her body and her beloved voice. here’s everything we learned from the new film. dion has been struggling with spasms for nearly two decadesdion first had issues with her muscles spasming 17 years ago. she noticed her voice was higher and that it cracked more than it usually did the day after a show. in the film, she points out that usually a singer’s voice is a half step higher after heavy use. her spasms were affecting how long she could warm up before singing for several hours, a critical part of vocal health. her diagnosis developed into sps, also known as stiff person syndrome. a year before the documentary began filming, dion very suddenly could no longer walk. as of filming, she could still not sing due to the way the disorder causes muscle rigidity and spasms, further affecting her vocal cords. she was taking near fatal doses of valium to get through performancesin order to treat the spasms affecting her voice, dion would take up to 90mg of valium a day to help her walk and swallow. “i could’ve died,” she says of the near fatal amount of medication she’d been ingesting. dion still struggled, with the effects of the medicine sometimes wearing off before she even got onstage. though she knew she had sps, dion had to lie to fans about why shows were canceledit’s clear throughout the documentary how seriously dion takes her job as a touring performer. she breaks down in tears while discussing the shows she canceled while privately battling sps. at the time of the cancellations, dion had not yet publicly revealed her diagnosis and instead told people she had sinus or ear infections. the star notes that that when she was struggling onstage, she would point her microphone at the crowd to sing for her. “the lie is too heavy now,” she says. editor’s picks the 100 best tv episodes of all time the 250 greatest albums of the 21st century so far the 500 greatest albums of all time the 200 greatest singers of all time dion has been having an identity crisis“who is celine dion?” the star tearfully asks of herself in the documentary. “celine dion is the one who sang.” since having to stop singing live, dion has been struggling to separate who she is now from who she had been since a child, which is a world renowned performer. she recalls experiences in recording studios over the years, when her vocal cords would start to give up on her, horrified that she couldn’t give the people in the studio the celine dion they expected to show up. “my voice was the conductor of my life,” she explains. she still hopes to return to the stagesince the making of the documentary, it had been two years since dion last performed, and she was still not sure when or how she would be able to return to the stage again without a lot of effort. however, throughout the film, viewers see that dion has been working, though sps keeps her largely confined to her home. she recorded french dubs for the film love again and appeared in a documentary on john farnham. plus, she’s still exercising her vocal cords with the hope that one day she can sing live for her fans again. we want to hear it. send us a tip using our anonymous form. rolling stone is a part of penske media corporation. © 2025 rolling stone, llc. all rights reserved.

there has been an outpouring of love for celine dion after her moving documentary film i am: celine dion aired on prime video. dion documented her ongoing health struggles with rare neurological condition stiff person syndrome, which most commonly causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms which get worse over time. although she went public with her diagnosis in 2022, the musician said she had been experiencing symptoms for 17 years. during one of her most challenging moments, dion said she could barely walk. the documentary film included the harrowing scene where dion had a seizure and afterwards she told the cameras, "every time something like this happens it makes you feel so embarrassed, i don't know how to express it, you do not have control of yourself." as it is happening on screen, we see dion get help from her sports therapist who said: "she's going into a seizure... she's in a crisis." dion didn’t want to cut stiffening episode, director irene taylor told yahoo. she said of the moment, "it was very upsetting. very upsetting. i know it's hard on some viewers, it was hard on me too. but i will tell you that celine felt validated to see herself like that and she thought it would help her if other people could understand what it is like." other emotional moments in the documentary film saw dion break down in tears over lying to her fans and not being able to sing like she used to while struggling with symptoms of the neurological condition. after demonstrating her struggle at being able to sing, she said: "it’s very difficult for me to hear that... i don't want people to hear that." the singer never gives up, however, and the documentary film finished with a powerful message. she told the cameras: "i still see myself dance and sing. if i can’t run, i’ll walk, and if i can’t walk i’ll crawl but i won’t stop. i won’t stop." critics have celebrated i am: celine dion as a "love letter" to her fans and the new york post were among those that called it "harrowing" but a story of "hope". it wasn't only well received by critics though as fans took to social media to share their thoughts after seeing it on prime video, available from tuesday worldwide. social media was awash with viewers who were incredibly moved by the documentary film and fans said they were left in tears by what they had just watched. leading the comments, one person wrote: "the intimacy and vulnerability of #celinedion’s new documentary #iamcelinedion brings me to tears! so much respect and admiration for her. it couldn’t be easy sharing this with the world." another person wrote: "escaping from the world for a while and watched this documentary film about #celinedion what a beautiful, talented, passionate and humble woman. made me cry seeing her vulnerability because it is true that health is everything. i hope she has a future happy & pain free." among the flurry of comments online from all over the world, one wrote: "second time watching and i sobbed. again. i freaking love this woman. #celine #celinedion #iamcelinedion." celine dion breaks down in tears over lying to fans before sharing diagnosis what to expect from céline dion documentary i am ‘i miss music’: celine dion weeps as she shows what happens when she tries to sing (the independent, 3 min read) watching at home, one viewer wrote: "wowsers. #iamcelinedion just broke me. i am so moved." another wrote: "it's raw and honest, the documentary is amazing, celine is such a force despite the adversity, she never feels sorry for herself, the last scene after the studio session is heartbreaking ! i command her to be an open book and an inspiration! love u celine." more people added: "celine is a beautiful soul on this earth. my heart completely goes out to her. i know she will get back on that stage someday soon. her courage is unmatched. first time a documentary has nearly brought me to tears. #iamcelinedion yes you are!" in addition, another person else wrote: "it’s here!!!! run, don’t walk!!! but bring kleenex!!! even if you aren’t a huge fan, this is an incredible documentary. #iamcelinedion #celinedion." other fans wrote: just watched i am celine dion and that was so raw, honest and emotional. so sad and so hard but if anyone can find their voice again and get back on their feet, it’s @celinedion !! she’s one determined lady!!! we can’t wait for her return! #iamcelinedion." additionally someone wrote: "i just finished it, truly no words…i’ll need a time to fully process it for sure..for now just one thing, i love celine with all my heart." another viewer wrote: "have no words for how truly heart wrenching #iamcelinedion is. "i think i was very good" broke me." someone else watching wrote: i have just finished watching “i am celine dion” on amazon. i cannot express how raw, heartbreaking and, at times, distressing it is. this’ll be with me for some time. #iamcelinedion." directed by academy award nominee irene taylor, i am: celine dion is available worldwide on prime video on 25 june. gordon ramsay has spoken out for the first time since fellow tv chef gino d'acampo was accused of "sexually inappropriate" behaviour. carrie johnson is now fully recovered from her bout of pneumonia and enjoyed a fun filled saturday with her family as they headed to warwick castle   see the incredible photos elizabeth bourgine portrays catherine bordey in the hit show another day, another completely random executive order. ‘it’s not appropriate to do that in front of women,’ tv personality said oscar winning songwriter and canadian music hall of fame inductee buffy sainte marie, known for the anti war song “universal soldier” and stolen land lament “now that the buffalo’s gone,” has had her prestigious order of canada appointment terminated. the award is the country’s highest honor presented to a civilian. “notice is hereby given that the appointment of buffy … two celebrities were unmasked during the semi final of the singing competition the duke of sussex will launch the 2025 invictus games on february 8. will meghan be in attendance? netflix's new true crime drama has viewers hooked, with fans admitting they 'can't sleep' until they finish the series. “i was like, 'this man is really a bully right here,'” ye laughed. proving that blue jeans and a white tank top will never not be cool, see sienna miller and her partner oli green in frame's hip new denim campaign. kanye west’s overnight mega meltdown has inadvertently exposed the hard right grift at the heart of the current maga wave realigning u.s. culture. the rapper, who now goes by ye, set out to shock the world in an all caps rant on elon musk’s x that was at once unhinged and yet totally calculated. like many of those seeking to glom onto trump’s say anything shtick, the cynical attention seeking desperation could be seen leaking out between the verbal bomb throwing. former emmerdale actor matthew wolfenden has revealed the real reason why he quit the itv soap. donald trump has ruled out deporting the duke of sussex from the us, claiming the royal has “enough problems with his wife”, meghan, whom he said was “terrible”. alison hammond was unexpectedly absent from friday's show on itv ‘taxi driver’ actor has been a fierce longtime critic of the president the fashion muse wore a £990 gown to attend an intimate dinner at king charles and queen camilla's at highgrove house. see photos jasmine harman has been married to her cameraman, jon boast, for 15 years   here's all you need to know about their relationship dt meltdown in 3 2 1. the broadway actress unearthed the outfit formula that will see you through 'til spring   see more

as the sun sets behind the mountains in an exclusive neighbourhood 30 minutes from the las vegas strip, i can hear a recognisable voice singing behind a closed door. "is that celine?" i ask. her security man guarding the hotel suite nods. i am about to interview a musical megastar, and it sounds like she is in a cheerful mood. but the iconic voice i can hear casually singing away is one that fans feared they might never hear again. "i’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time," she shared in an instagram video in december 2022. "i have been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder." after that devastating announcement, celine dion pulled out of the remainder of her world tour, and has rarely been seen in public since. the medical name for her little known illness is stiff person syndrome (sps), a neurological condition that causes muscles to spasm. as we sit down to talk, celine says it went undiagnosed for years. the 56 year old describes the distress she felt as a performer when she began to notice changes in her voice on tour. "it was just feeling a little strange, like a little spasm," the canadian star says. "my voice was struggling, i was starting to push a little bit." she demonstrates the subtle difference by singing the first few bars of her 1993 hit the power of love, showing how she was having to force her voice to hold the notes that once came more easily. occasionally, she would ask the conductor of her backing musicians to bring certain songs down a key for a few performances. "i needed to find a way to be on stage," she explains. she hoped singing fractionally lower might give her voice a chance to recover. audiences would never have known the struggle she was facing behind the scenes. but celine says at the time it felt impossible to take time off. "these shows were sold out for a year and a half, going around the globe. "and i’m going to say to people, 'excuse me about my spasm? excuse me about my je ne sais quoi?'" she put huge pressure on herself to keep the show on the road, not understanding what was causing the symptoms she was experiencing. but it all became too much. her eventual diagnosis brought the realisation that this was not tour fatigue. it was permanent. sps is an autoimmune disease that can be debilitating. there is no known cure. it is caused by the signals from the nerves to muscles not working properly. during a particularly severe episode, the spasms can be so bad that she can barely move. but having been properly diagnosed, she now understands much more about the condition, which can be managed. "my goal is to be part of the funds and raising money for awareness and to find a cure. that would be amazing," she says. during her time away from performing, celine has been learning to adapt with medication, physical therapy and the help of experts like dr amanda piquet. "now this disease is gaining public awareness, it's in the public eye," says dr piquet. dr piquet has treated a number of patients who had also gone undiagnosed for years. the publicity gained by celine speaking out about her battle with the illness is something she hopes will help others. "we need to diagnose this disease better," dr piquet says. "when we do, that's going to lead to more clinical trials, and more treatments that are approved." she says that although celine will live with this condition for the rest of her life, the therapy she is undergoing to lessen the muscle spasms will help her to sing on stage again. "my voice will be rebuilt," says celine. "i mean, it started a while ago already. my voice is being rebuilt as we speak, right now." fans will be able to see how the singer's health struggles have affected her life in a new documentary titled i am: celine dion by award winning director irene taylor. she can now finally see a way back to performing, and has been preparing for a new show in las vegas. "we have been working so hard to put this show together, because i’m back," she says with a huge smile. it is clear she has missed performing terribly. "i’ll be on stage. i don’t know when exactly, but trust me i will scream it out loud. "i can’t wait." celine holds the record for the most successful residency of all time on the las vegas strip. she is extremely proud of her career, but time away has given her a chance to reflect. after years of touring the world, she has realised she has seen very little of it. there has been "a price to pay" for always being in tour mode while travelling, she says. "all my days off, i wanted to be ready for the next show. i toured the world and i did not see a lot. "but as a performer and a singer, i have received so much love from the fans." my earliest memory of celine dion was one of our secondary school teachers playing her single pour que tu m'aimes encore on cassette tape to try to inspire our french studies. she is best known to audiences as the queen of power ballads. her hits from the 90s like the power of love and it’s all coming back to me now are instantly recognisable for their soaring vocals. but at the height of her health battles, celine admits to having felt a little envious of the breathy, 'whisperpop' style used by some modern female artists. singers like billie eilish and lana del rey are achieving big hits at the opposite end of the volume register. "i was like, well, should i just go to bed really, really late at night and start smoking?" she jokes. "i was jealous. i was like, they’re going out, they’re partying, they’re barely cleaned up, and they’re amazing." that's a contrast with the strict regime she has held herself to for much of her career. "i was like, don’t talk, and don’t eat this, that’s too much dairy, it’s going to produce phlegm." she continues to joke that perhaps she will throw her classical training out of the window and adopt a new persona with a husky tone. "how about that for a concert?" says celine, winking at the camera. she is managing to keep a sense of humour through her ongoing health battles. but whatever style she chooses, fans will be extremely glad to see her back. i am: celine dion will be released on amazon prime video on 25 june, and her extended interview with emma vardy can be seen on bbc iplayer officials at lincoln cathedral hope the link up will encourage children to become choristers. the festival will feature a range of performances from international and local artists. fans say they have been wrongly accused of using bots to buy their tickets for the comeback shows. ahead of kendrick lamar's headline performance at the super bowl half time show, we explore the rapper's journey from the streets of compton to pop culture ubiquity. ivy hart says singing has kept her feeling young and that she still has ambitions of performing. copyright 2025 bbc. all rights reserved. the bbc is not responsible for the content of external sites. read about our approach to external linking.

supported by the list of actors, musicians and other hollywood fixtures whose homes were damaged or destroyed continues to grow by the day. by derrick bryson taylor las dos últimas décadas han demostrado que las estrellas, y sus dolencias, tienen un inmenso poder para desestigmatizar y concienciar sobre la enfermedad. by mireille silcoff for some celebrities, revealing all is part of the product. for others, it looks like a deeply unpleasant chore. by mireille silcoff dozens of musicians, or their estates, have objected to their music being used by mr. trump’s campaigns since his successful run for the white house in 2016. some have threatened legal action. by qasim nauman hear triumphant tracks from john williams, whitney houston and, of course, celine dion. by lindsay zoladz the paris games began with a new look and sparkled with celine dion. but the show suffered from bloat similar to tv’s other spectacles. by mike hale it was the first public performance since 2020 for dion, who has a rare neurological disorder known as stiff person syndrome. by jon pareles the ceremony will also provide a showcase for aya nakamura, a french malian singer, and a range of musical styles including disco, french hip hop and zouk from the french caribbean. by jon pareles el documental “soy céline dion” muestra un momento de vulnerabilidad en la vida de la cantante, que padece el síndrome de la persona rígida. by annie aguiar the singer’s over the top sincerity and expressiveness were once seen as irredeemably uncool. in the new documentary “i am: celine dion,” they have become her superpowers. by lindsay zoladz

céline marie claudette dion cc oq (/seɪˌliːn diˈɒn/ say leen dee on,[a] .mw parser output .ipa label small{font size:85%}.mw parser output .references .ipa label small,.mw parser output .infobox .ipa label small,.mw parser output .navbox .ipa label small{font size:100%}french: [selin maʁi klodɛt djɔ̃] ⓘ;[b] born 30 march 1968)[3] is a canadian singer. referred to as the "queen of power ballads",[4][5] dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had a significant impact on popular music.[6][7] born into a large family in charlemagne, quebec, dion was discovered by her future manager and husband, rené angélil, and emerged as a teen star in her home country with a series of french language albums during the 1980s. she gained international recognition by winning the 1988 eurovision song contest, where she represented switzerland with the song "ne partez pas sans moi". dion went on to release twelve english language albums, including the colour of my love (1993), falling into you (1996), let's talk about love (1997), and all the way... a decade of song (1999), all of which rank among the best selling albums in history. her catalog of high charting tracks includes "beauty and the beast", "the power of love", "think twice", "to love you more", "because you loved me", "it's all coming back to me now", "all by myself", "i'm your angel", "that's the way it is", "i'm alive", and "my heart will go on", the theme for the 1997 film titanic.[8] dion continued releasing french language albums between each english record, with d'eux (1995) becoming the best selling french language album of all time. during the 2000s, she built her reputation as a successful live performer with a new day... on the las vegas strip (2003 2007), the highest grossing concert residency of all time, and the taking chances world tour (2008 2009), one of the highest grossing concert tours of the 2000s. in 2009, she was named by the los angeles times as the top earning artist of the decade, with combined album sales and concert revenue exceeding $747 million.[9][10] in 2022, dion canceled her tour due to a diagnosis with stiff person syndrome. with over 200 million records sold worldwide, dion is the best selling canadian recording artist, the best selling french language artist, and one of the best selling musical artists of all time.[11][12][13][14][15] her accolades include 5 grammy awards, 20 juno awards and recognition from the ifpi for selling over 50 million albums in europe.[16] seven of her albums have sold at least 10 million copies worldwide, the second most among women in history. she was ranked as the fourth most outstanding pop vocalist by cover magazine and the ninth greatest voice in music by mtv. dion is one of the highest grossing touring artists in history and the second woman to accumulate us$1 billion in concert revenue.[17] one of the wealthiest musicians in the world, forbes ranked her as the highest paid female musician of 1997, 1998, 2004, and 2006.[c] she received honorary doctorates in music from the berklee college of music and the université laval.[22][23] dion was born in charlemagne, quebec, 24 kilometres (15 mi) northeast of montreal, the youngest of 14 children of thérèse (née tanguay, 1927 2020), a homemaker, and adhémar dion (1923 2003), a butcher, both of french descent.[24] as the youngest of 14 children, dion grew up wearing hand me downs and sharing a bed with several sisters.[25][26] as a baby, she slept in a drawer instead of a crib to save money.[27] she was bullied at school and called "vampire" due to her teeth and skinny frame.[28] local tabloids even dubbed her "canine dion" in the teenage years of her career.[29] she often spoke of running home from school to play music in the basement with her brothers and sisters. "i detested school", she would later write in her autobiography. "i had always lived surrounded by adults and children a lot older than me. i learned everything i needed to know from them. as far as i was concerned, real life existed around them."[30] dion's eldest sister was already in her twenties, married, and pregnant with her first child at the time that dion's mother, thérèse, was pregnant with dion.[31] dion was raised a roman catholic in a poor but, by her own account, happy home in charlemagne.[32][33] music had always been a major part of the dion family, and she was named after the song "céline", which french singer hugues aufray had recorded two years before her birth.[34] on 13 august 1973, she performed publicly for the first time at her brother michel's wedding, singing christine charbonneau's "du fil, des aiguilles et du coton".[35] she continued to perform with her siblings in her parents' small piano bar called le vieux baril, "the old barrel". she suffered a number of accidents as a young child, including an incident at five years old when she was struck by a car as her father and brother clément looked on. she was hospitalized briefly with a concussion.[36] from an early age, she had dreamed of being a performer.[37] in a 1994 interview with people, she recalled, "i missed my family and my home, but i don't regret having lost my adolescence. i had one dream: i wanted to be a singer."[38] as a child in quebec, dion participated in girl guide programs as a member of girl guides of canada.[39] at age 12, she collaborated with her mother and her brother jacques to write and compose her first song, "ce n'était qu'un rêve", whose title translates as "it was only a dream" or "nothing but a dream". michel sent the recording to music manager rené angélil, whose name he discovered on the back of a ginette reno album.[40] angélil was moved to tears by dion's voice and decided to make her a star.[33] in 1981, he mortgaged his home to fund her first record, la voix du bon dieu, which later became a local no. 1 hit and made her an instant star in quebec. her popularity spread to other parts of the world when she competed in the 1982 yamaha world popular song festival in tokyo and won the musician's award for "top performer" as well as the gold medal for "best song" with "tellement j'ai d'amour pour toi".[40] by 1983, in addition to becoming the first canadian artist to receive a gold record in france for the single "d'amour ou d'amitié" ("of love or of friendship"), dion had also won several félix awards, including "best female performer" and "discovery of the year".[40][41] further success came when she represented switzerland in the 1988 eurovision song contest with the song "ne partez pas sans moi" and won the contest by a close margin in dublin.[42] at age 18, after seeing a michael jackson performance, dion told angélil she wanted to be a star like jackson.[43] though confident in her talent, angélil realized her image needed to be changed for her to be marketed worldwide.[33] she withdrew from the spotlight for a number of months, during which she underwent dental surgery to improve her appearance, and was sent to the école berlitz in 1989 to improve her english.[44] in 1989, during a concert on the incognito tournée, she injured her voice. she consulted the otorhinolaryngologist william gould,[45][46] who gave her an ultimatum: have immediate surgery on her vocal cords or do not utilize them at all for three weeks.[45] dion chose the latter and underwent vocal training with william riley.[45][46] two years after she learned english, dion made her debut into the anglophone market with unison (1990), the lead single having originally been recorded by english singer junior in 1983 and later laura branigan.[47][40] she incorporated the help of producers including vito luprano and david foster.[37] the album was largely influenced by 1980s soft rock music and quickly found a niche within the adult contemporary radio format. unison also hit the right notes with critics: jim farber of entertainment weekly wrote her vocals were "tastefully unadorned", and she never attempted to "bring off styles that are beyond her".[48] stephen thomas erlewine of allmusic declared it "a fine, sophisticated american debut".[49] singles from the album included "(if there was) any other way", "the last to know", "unison", and "where does my heart beat now", a mid tempo soft rock ballad made prominent use of the electric guitar. the latter became her first top ten hit on the u.s. billboard hot 100, peaking at number four. in 1991, dion was a featured soloist on "voices that care", a tribute to american troops fighting in operation desert storm.[50][51] her real international breakthrough came when she duetted with peabo bryson on the title track to disney's animated film beauty and the beast (1991).[52] it became her first top ten hit in the uk and her second top ten hit in the us. the song earned its songwriters an academy award for best song and gave dion her first grammy award for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal.[37] "beauty and the beast" served as the lead single from her 1992 self titled album, which, like her debut, had a strong pop rock influence combined with elements of soul and classical music. owing to the success of the lead off single and her collaborations with david foster and diane warren, the album was even more well received commercially than unison; it was certified diamond in canada and double platinum in the u.s. the album's second single "if you asked me to" (a cover of patti labelle's song from the 1989 movie licence to kill) became her first number one single in canada and peaked at number four on the u.s. billboard hot 100. also during this time, dion released the francophone album dion chante plamondon. the album consisted mostly of covers, but featured four new songs: "des mots qui sonnent", "je danse dans ma tête", "quelqu'un que j'aime, quelqu'un qui m'aime", and "l'amour existe encore". it was originally released in canada and france between 1991 and 1992, then later received an international release in 1994, the first french celine dion album to do so. "un garçon pas comme les autres (ziggy)" became a smash hit in france, reaching no. 2 and being certified gold. in quebec, the album was certified gold the day it was released.[53] by 1992, unison, celine dion, and numerous high profile media appearances had propelled dion to superstardom in north america. she had achieved one of her main objectives: wedging her way into the anglophone market and achieving fame.[54] however, while she was experiencing rising success in the u.s., her french fans in canada criticized her for neglecting them.[37][55] she would later rebuff these criticisms at the 1991 félix awards show, where, after winning "english artist of the year", she openly declined the award. she asserted she was and would always be a french, not an english, artist.[44][56] indeed, she speaks english with a noticeable quebec french accent to this day. apart from her commercial success, there were also changes in her personal life, as angélil, who was 26 years her senior, transitioned from manager to lover. however, the relationship was kept a secret as they both feared the public would find it inappropriate.[57] in 1993, dion announced her feelings for her manager by declaring him "the colour of [her] love" in the dedication section of her third english language album the colour of my love. however, instead of criticizing their relationship as she had feared, fans embraced the couple.[37] eventually, angélil and dion married in an extravagant wedding ceremony on 17 december 1994, which was broadcast live on canadian television.[58] as with most of her catalogue, the colour of my love had overarching themes of love and romance.[59] it became her most successful record up to point, selling more than six million copies in the us, two million in canada, and peaking at no. 1 in many countries. the album also spawned dion's first us, canadian, and australian no. 1 single "the power of love" (a remake of jennifer rush's 1985 hit), which would become her signature hit in various nations until she reached new career heights in the late 1990s.[54] the single "when i fall in love", a duet with clive griffin, achieved moderate success on the u.s. and canadian charts and was nominated for two grammy awards, winning one. the colour of my love also became dion's first major hit in europe, particularly in the united kingdom. both the album and the single "think twice" simultaneously occupied the top of the british charts for five consecutive weeks. "think twice", which remained at no. 1 for seven weeks, eventually became the fourth single by a female artist to sell in excess of one million copies in the uk[60] while the album was eventually certified five times platinum for two million copies sold.[61] dion kept to her french roots and continued to release many francophone recordings between each english record.[62] generally, they achieved more credibility than her english language works.[55] she released à l'olympia, a live album recorded during one of her concerts at the paris olympia in 1994. it had one promotional single, a live version of "calling you", which peaked at seventy five on the french singles chart. she also recorded a bilingual version of "petit papa noël" with alvin and the chipmunks for the 1994 holiday album a very merry chipmunk. d'eux (also known as the french album in the united states), was released in 1995, and it would go on to become the best selling french language album of all time.[62] the album was mostly written and produced by jean jacques goldman, and amassed huge success with the singles "pour que tu m'aimes encore" and "je sais pas". "pour que tu m'aimes encore" reached no. 1 in france and stayed at the top position for twelve weeks. it was later certified platinum in france.[63] the single reached the top ten in the uk and ireland, a rare accomplishment for a french song. "je sais pas", the second single off the album, reached no. 1 on the french singles chart as well and was certified silver there.[64] during the mid 1990s and onward, dion's albums were generally constructed on the basis of melodramatic soft rock ballads, with sprinklings of up tempo pop and rare forays into other genres.[65] she collaborated with writers and producers such as jim steinman and david foster, who helped her to develop a signature sound.[37][66] while critical reviews fluctuated, her releases performed increasingly well on the international charts, and in 1996, she won the world music award for "world's best selling female recording artist of the year" for the third time. by the mid 1990s, she had established herself as one of the best selling artists in the world.[67] in the five years since her debut english language album in 1990, billboard stated she had already sold 40 million albums worldwide.[68] falling into you (1996), dion's fourth english language album, presented dion at the height of her popularity and showed a further progression of her music.[57] in an attempt to reach a wider audience, the album combined many elements, such as complex orchestral sounds, african chanting, and elaborate musical effects. additionally, instruments like the violin, spanish guitar, trombone, the cavaquinho, and saxophone created a new sound.[69] the singles encompassed a variety of musical styles. the title track "falling into you" and "river deep   mountain high" (a tina turner cover) made prominent use of percussion instruments; "it's all coming back to me now" (produced by its writer, jim steinman) and a remake of eric carmen's "all by myself" maintained a soft rock atmosphere, combined with the classical sound of the piano; and the no. 1 single "because you loved me", which was written by diane warren, was a pop ballad served as the theme to the 1996 film up close and personal.[67] falling into you garnered career best reviews for dion. while dan leroy wrote it was not very different from her previous work[70] with stephen holden of the new york times and natalie nichols of the los angeles times writing the album was "formulaic",[71][72] other critics, such as chuck eddy of entertainment weekly, stephen thomas erlewine, and daniel durchholz, lavished the album as "compelling", "passionate", "stylish", "elegant", and "remarkably well crafted".[69][73] falling into you became dion's most critically and commercially successful album, topping the charts in many countries and becoming one of the best selling albums of all time.[74] in 2013, cbc music ranked falling into you 33rd in their list of the 100 greatest canadian albums ever.[75] in the united states, the album reached no. 1,[76] and was later certified 12× platinum for over 12 million copies shipped.[77] in canada, the album was certified diamond for over one million copies shipped.[78] the ifpi certified falling into you 9× platinum, an accolade has been given to only two other albums in history, with one of the two being dion's own album, let's talk about love.[79] the album also won grammy awards for best pop album and the academy's highest honour, album of the year.[80] in march 1996, she launched the falling into you tour in support of her new album, performing concerts around the world for over a year. in july 1996, she performed "the power of the dream" at the 1996 summer olympics opening ceremony.[81] she followed falling into you with let's talk about love (1997), which was publicized as its sequel.[82] the recording process took place in london, new york city, and los angeles, and featured a host of special guests, such as barbra streisand on "tell him"; the bee gees on "immortality"; and tenor luciano pavarotti on "i hate you then i love you".[57][83] other musicians included carole king, george martin, bryan adams and jamaican singer diana king, who added a reggae tinge to "treat her like a lady".[84] let's talk about love was another major success, reaching no. 1 all over the world, attaining platinum status in twenty four sales territories, and becoming the fastest selling album of her career.[85] in the united states, the album topped the chart in its seventh week of release,[86] and was later certified 11× platinum in the u.s. for over 11 million copies shipped.[87] in canada, the album sold 230,212 copies in its first week of release, which remains a record.[88] it was eventually certified diamond in canada for over one million copies shipped.[89][90] the most successful single from the album was the classically influenced ballad "my heart will go on", which was written and composed by james horner and will jennings, and produced by horner and walter afanasieff.[80] serving as the love theme for the 1997 blockbuster film titanic, the song topped the charts across the world and became dion's signature song.[91] horner and jennings won the academy award and golden globe for best original song,[92] while dion herself garnered two grammy awards for best female pop vocal performance and the most coveted, record of the year, (the song itself won four awards, but two were presented to the songwriters).[93] "my heart will go on" and "think twice" made her the only female artist in the uk to have two singles to sell more than a million copies.[94] in support of her album, she embarked on the let's talk about love tour between 1998 and 1999.[95] dion ended the 1990s with three more extremely successful albums: the christmas album these are special times (1998), the french language album, s'il suffisait d'aimer, and the compilation album all the way... a decade of song (1999).[96] on these are special times, she co wrote the song "don't save it all for christmas day" along with ric wake and peter zizzo.[97] the album was her most classically influenced yet, with orchestral arrangements found on virtually every track.[98] the album featured the single "i'm your angel" (a duet with r. kelly), which became her fourth us no. 1 single, and a smash hit across the world. the album's second single "the prayer" (a duet with andrea bocelli) served as the soundtrack of the 1998 film quest for camelot and won a golden globe award for best original song. all the way... a decade of song drew together her most successful hits coupled with seven new songs, including the lead off single "that's the way it is", a cover of roberta flack's "the first time ever i saw your face", and "all the way", a duet with frank sinatra.[96] all the way became one of the best selling compilation albums of all time, reaching no. 1 in the united states for three weeks.[76] the album was later certified 7× platinum in the u.s. for 7 million copies shipped.[99] it also topped the charts in the uk,[100] canada,[101] and australia.[102] her last french language studio album of the 1990s, s'il suffisait d'aimer, was very successful as well, topping the charts in every major french speaking country, including france,[103] switzerland,[104] the wallonia region of belgium,[105] and canada.[101] in france, the album was certified diamond, selling 1.5 million copies.[106] by the end of the 1990s, dion had sold more than 130 million records worldwide, and had won a slew of industry awards.[107][108] her status as one of the music industry's biggest pop divas was further solidified when she was asked to perform on vh1's divas live special in 1998, with superstars aretha franklin, gloria estefan, shania twain, and mariah carey.[109] that year, she also received two of the highest canadian honours: "officer of the order of canada for outstanding contribution to the world of contemporary music"[110][111] and "officer of the national order of quebec".[112] a year later, she was inducted into the canadian broadcast hall of fame, and was honoured with a star on canada's walk of fame.[113] starting from the mid 1990s, the pop rock influence more noticeable in her earlier releases was replaced by a more mature feel.[82] additionally, the recurring theme of "love" dominated most of her releases, which led to some critics dismissing her music as banal.[114] other critics, like elysa gardner and jose f. promis, praised her voice during this period, describing it as a "technical marvel".[115][116] steve dollar, in his review of these are special times, opined dion was a "vocal olympian for whom there ain't no mountain or scale high enough".[117] after releasing and promoting thirteen albums during the 1990s, dion stated she needed to settle down, and announced on her latest album all the way... a decade of song, she needed to take a step back from the spotlight and enjoy life.[32][118] angélil's diagnosis with esophageal cancer also prompted her to hiatus.[119] while on break, she was unable to escape the spotlight. in 2000, the national enquirer published a false story about dion. brandishing a picture of dion and her husband, the magazine misquoted her, printing the headline, "celine   'i'm pregnant with twins!'"[120] she sued the magazine for more than $20 million.[121] the editors printed an apology and a full retraction in the next issue, and donated money to the american cancer society in honour of her and her husband. a year after the incident, after undergoing fertility treatments, she gave birth to a son, rené charles dion angélil, on 25 january 2001, in florida.[122][123] following the 11 september attacks, dion returned to the music scene, and in a televised performance sang "god bless america" at the benefit concert america: a tribute to heroes. chuck taylor of billboard wrote, "the performance ... brings to mind what has made her one of the celebrated vocalists of our time: the ability to render emotion that shakes the soul. affecting, meaningful, and filled with grace, this is a musical reflection to share with all of us still searching for ways to cope."[124] she performed it again in 2003 during pregame festivities for super bowl xxxvii in qualcomm stadium. in december 2001, she published her autobiography, my story, my dream, which chronicled her rags to riches story.[30] dion ended her three year sabbatical from the music industry with the aptly titled album a new day has come, released in march 2002. the album was her most personal yet, with songs focusing on her motherhood and maturation as a woman such as "a new day has come", and "goodbye's (the saddest word)". she stated: "becoming a mother makes you a grown up."[118] she also stated: "a new day has come, for rene, for me, is the baby. it has everything to do with the baby ... the song "a new day has come" represents very well the mood i'm feeling right now. it represents the whole album."[125] a new day has come debuted at no. 1 in more than 17 countries, including the united kingdom and canada.[126][127][128] in the united states, the album debuted at no. 1 on the billboard 200, with first week sales of 527,000 copies; marking her first no. 1 debut on the chart, as well as the highest debut sales week of her career in the u.s.[129] it was eventually certified 3× platinum in the united states,[130] and 6× platinum in canada.[131] while the album was commercially successful, critical reviews suggested it was "forgettable" and the lyrics were "lifeless".[132] both rob sheffield of rolling stone, and ken tucker of entertainment weekly, stated dion's music had not developed much during her break, and classed her material as trite and mediocre.[133][134] sal cinquemani of slant magazine called the album "a lengthy collection of drippy, gooey pop fluffer nutter".[135] the first single off the album, a new day has come peaked at no.22 on the billboard hot 100 charts, being an airplay only release. on the hot adult contemporary tracks, however, the song spent 21 consecutive weeks at no. 1, breaking the record for the longest span at the top.[136] the previous record holders were phil collins' you'll be in my heart and dion's own because you loved me, both of which lasted nineteen weeks at no. 1. the album's next single, "i'm alive", was featured on the soundtrack for stuart little 2 (2002), and was ranked number 2 on the european hot 100 singles, and number 6 on the hot adult contemporary tracks in the united states. during 2002, she performed for many benefit concerts, including her second appearance on vh1 divas live, a concert to benefit the vh1 save the music foundation, alongside cher, anastacia, dixie chicks, mary j. blige, whitney houston, cyndi lauper, shakira, and stevie nicks. in conjunction with an endorsement deal with chrysler, she released one heart (2003), an album representing her appreciation for life.[137] the album largely consisted of pop and dance music a deviation from the soaring, melodramatic ballads, for which she had been known. although the album achieved moderate success, one heart was met with mixed criticism, and words such as "predictable" and "banal" appeared even in the most lenient reviews.[138][139] a cover of the 1989 cyndi lauper hit "i drove all night", released to launch her advertising campaign with chrysler,[140] incorporated elements of dance pop and rock and roll. the advertising deal was met with criticism, with some stating dion was trying to cater to her sponsors.[141][142] after one heart, she released her next english language studio album, miracle (2004). miracle was a multimedia project conceived by dion and australian photographer anne geddes and had a theme centring on babies and motherhood. the album was filled with lullabies and other songs of maternal love and inspiration, including covers of louis armstrong's "what a wonderful world" and john lennon's "beautiful boy". the reviews for miracle were mixed.[143] stephen thomas erlewine gave the album three of out five stars, stating, "the worst you can say about the record is that there are no surprises, but the audience for this record doesn't want surprises; they want comfort, whether it arrives in polished music or artsy photos of newborns, and miracle provides both, which makes it appealing for those expectant or new mothers in dion's audience."[143] chuck taylor of billboard wrote the single "beautiful boy" was "an unexpected gem" and called dion "a timeless, enormously versatile artist",[144] chuck arnold of people, however, labelled the album as excessively sentimental,[145] while nancy miller of entertainment weekly opined that "the whole earth mama act is just opportunism, reborn".[146] miracle debuted at no. 4 on the billboard 200 chart and no. 1 in canada and was eventually certified platinum by the riaa.[147] the francophone album 1 fille & 4 types (1 girl & 4 guys), released in october 2003, fared better than her previous two releases and showed her trying to distance herself from the "diva" image. she recruited jean jacques goldman, gildas arzel, eric benzi, and jacques veneruso, with whom she had previously worked on two of her best selling french albums s'il suffisait d'aimer and d'eux. labeled "the album of pleasure" by dion herself, the album cover showed her in a simple and relaxed manner, contrary to the choreographed poses usually found on her album covers. the album achieved widespread commercial success in france, canada, and belgium where it reached no. 1. in france, the album debuted at no. 1 and was later certified 2× platinum after selling over 700,000 copies. stephen thomas erlewine wrote dion's vocals were "back at top of their game" and she was "getting back to pop basics and performing at a level unheard in a while".[148] though her albums were commercially successful, they did not achieve the sales or the reception of her previous works. her songs received less airplay as radio became less embracing of balladeers like dion, carey, and houston, and was focused on more up tempo, urban/hip hop songs.[149] by 2004, dion had accumulated sales of more than 175 million albums worldwide and received the chopard diamond award from the world music awards for her achievements. according to the official world music awards website, the award is rare; it is "not presented every year" and an artist can be presented with the award only for selling "over 100 million albums during their career".[150] 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.[151] 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".[152] 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.[151] many stars attended the opening night including dick clark, alan thicke, kathy griffin, lance bass, and justin timberlake, who hosted the television special.[153] 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.[91] the show was well received by audiences; it routinely sold out until its end in late 2007.[154] ticket prices averaged us $135.33.[155] 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.[156] by the end of 2005, she grossed more than us $76 million, placing sixth on billboard's money makers list for 2005.[157] 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.[158] according to billboard, a new day... is the most successful residency of all time, grossing over us$385 million ($565.73 million in 2023 dollars)[159] and drawing nearly three million people to 717 shows.[160] the live in las vegas: a new day... dvd was released on 10 december 2007, in europe and the following day in north america.[161] 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 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.[162] 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.[163] her first english studio album since 2003's one heart, it featured pop, r&b, and rock inspired music.[164] 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.[165][166] 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."[167] 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.[168] 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).[169] 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...)[170] 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.[171] 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.[172] late october 2008 saw the worldwide release of a comprehensive english language greatest hits album, my love: essential collection.[173] 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.[174] 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.[175] she grossed $522.2 million during the decade, a large portion of the sum coming from her five year residency at caesars palace.[175] 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 $747.9 million in total revenue from 2000 to 2009.[176] the largest haul came from ticket sales, totalling $522.2 million.[176] additionally, she was named "artist of the decade" in quebec, announced by le journal de québec in december 2009.[177] a public online survey asked responders to vote for whom they believe deserved the above mentioned accolade.[177] on 17 february 2010, dion released into theatres a documentary film about her taking chances tour, titled, celine: through the eyes of the world.[178] 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.[178] 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.[179] 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.[180] 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.[181] 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.[182] in september 2010, she released the single "voler", a duet with french singer michel sardou. the song was later included on sardou's album.[183] in addition, it was announced in october 2010 that dion wrote and composed a new song for canadian singer marc dupré; this song is entitled "entre deux mondes".[184] 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.[185] 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.[185] 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.[186][187] in 2018, billboard stated her residency celine is the second most successful residency of all time.[188] 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.[189] 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.[190] 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.[191] 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".[192] 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.[193] also, in september, she released the 14th perfume from her celine dion parfums collection, called "signature".[194] on 15 september, she made an appearance at the free concert of andrea bocelli in central park.[195] in 2012, she performed at the 16th jazz and blues festival in jamaica.[196] in october 2012, sony music entertainment released the best of celine dion & david foster in asia.[197] she began recording songs for her next english and french albums during april and may 2012.[198] 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.[199] the english language album was postponed to 1 november 2013.[200] 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.[201] the lead single, "loved me back to life" was released on 3 september 2013.[202] dion embarked on the sans attendre tour in november 2013 and performed in belgium and france.[203] "breakaway", "incredible" and "water and a flame" were chosen as next singles.[204] 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.[205] 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.[206][207] however, on 20 march 2015, she announced she would be returning to the colosseum at caesars palace in late august 2015.[208] on 14 january 2016, she cancelled the rest of the january performances due to her husband's and her brother's deaths from cancer.[209] 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.[210] 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.[211] 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.[212] 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.[213] 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.[214][215] it has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide.[216] in 2016 and 2017, dion toured europe and canada with two sold out concert tours.[217][218][219][220][221] on 9 september 2016, she released "recovering", a song written for her by pink after angélil died in january 2016.[222] dion also recorded "how does a moment last forever" for the beauty and the beast: original motion picture soundtrack, released in march 2017.[223] her compilation, un peu de nous, topped the chart in france in july and august 2017.[224] on 3 may 2018, she released the single "ashes" from the film deadpool 2.[225] the remix version of the song topped the u.s. dance club songs chart in july 2018.[226] from june to august 2018, she toured the asia pacific region and grossed $56.5 million from 22 shows.[227] on 24 september 2018, she announced the end of her las vegas residency celine, with the final date set for 8 june 2019.[228] she then started working on a new english album.[229] in january 2019, she performed "a change is gonna come" at aretha franklin's tribute concert, 'aretha! a grammy celebration for the queen of soul', which was broadcast in march 2019.[230][231] also 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.[232] 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.[233] she also announced a new english language album of the same name, released in november 2019.[234] 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).[235] it is her fifth us number one album, and earned 113,000 album equivalent units, including 109,000 pure album sales.[235] it also became her 13th top ten album on the billboard 200.[235] 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.[235] 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.[236] on 18 september 2019, dion released three songs, "lying down", "courage", and "imperfections" from her upcoming album, courage.[237] 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.[238] 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.[239] billboard listed dion as the third top paid musician of 2020 (second by female artist), with total of earnings of $17.5 million.[240] dion contributed vocals to the song "superwoman" on diane warren's 2021 album diane warren: the cave sessions vol. 1. on 15 january 2022, dion canceled her north american tour dates because of severe muscle spasms.[241] on 8 december, she announced she had been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological disease.[242] she said the disease affected every aspect of her life, making it difficult to walk, and affected her vocal cords.[243] all her tour dates were cancelled.[244][245] in 2023, dion starred as herself in love again, her first acting appearance in a feature film.[246] she also recorded five new songs for the soundtrack, released on 12 may; the first single, "love again", premiered on 13 april.[246] on 3 may 2024, a mashup of dion's "i'm alive" and the whispers' 1979 song "and the beat goes on" was released as a single.[247][248] "set my heart on fire (i'm alive x and the beat goes on)", by majestic and the jammin kid, also includes dion as a lead credit. the single debuted at number 6 on the uk singles downloads chart.[249] on 25 june 2024, amazon mgm studios released a documentary about dion's life with stiff person syndrome, i am: celine dion.[250] the i am: celine dion soundtrack was released on 21 june.[251] on 26 july, dion sang "hymne à l’amour" from the eiffel tower to conclude the 2024 summer olympics opening ceremony. it was her first public performance in four years.[252] reviewing the ceremony, the guardian wrote that dion's performance was an "undaunted, beatific return", with "the gusto of someone who, by her own admission, longs to resume touring more than her fans".[253] on 13 november, dion walked the runway at the 1000 seasons of elie saab fashion show in riyadh, saudi arabia, where she performed "i'm alive" and "the power of love".[254] dion cites idols as varied as michael jackson, aretha franklin, charles aznavour, carole king, anne murray, barbra streisand, whitney houston and the bee gees. she eventually collaborated with most of them.[255][256][257][258] michael jackson in particular was a major motivation for her to learn english as early as in the 1980s.[259] 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.[59][260] after the birth of her first child, her work increasingly focused on maternal love.[143][261][262][263] 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.[44][114] 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."[264] her recordings have been mainly in english and french, although she has also sung in several other languages including japanese, italian, german, mandarin, spanish, and neapolitan.[265] her francophone releases, by contrast, tend to be deeper and more varied than her english releases, and consequently have achieved more credibility.[55][266] critics have stated that dion's involvement in the production aspect of her music is fundamentally lacking, which results in her work being overproduced[266] and impersonal.[55] 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.[267] 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 dupré. 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.[55] 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."[55] 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).[268] she is often the subject of media ridicule[269] 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.[118] 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."[270] 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."[29] in discussions of opera projects, dion said she was a mezzo soprano.[271] however, attempts to adapt classical voice types to other forms of singing have been met with controversy.[272] kent nagano, maestro of the munich symphony orchestra, remarked, "all you just sang was soprano", after dion auditioned with two solos from carmen, wanting to know if she could sing opera.[271] her timbre has been described as "thin, slightly nasal"[273] with a "raspy" lower register and "bell glass like high notes".[274] according to linda lister in divafication: the deification of modern female pop stars, she has been described as a reigning "queen of pop" for her influence over the recording industry during the 1990s, alongside other female artists, including whitney houston and mariah carey.[275] in a countdown of the "22 greatest voices in music" by blender magazine and mtv, she placed ninth (sixth for a female), and she was also placed fourth in cover magazine's list of "the 100 outstanding pop vocalists".[276][277][278] mtv australia ranked dion at fourth place in their list of top 10 music divas of all time.[279] dion is often compared to houston and carey for her vocal style, and to her idol barbra streisand for her voice.[280] she is often praised for her technical virtuosity.[281] jim santella of the buffalo news writes "like an iron fist in a velvet glove, the power of celine dion's voice is cloaked in a silky vibrato that betrays the intensity of her vocal commitment."[282] jeff miers, also of the buffalo news, says of dion "her singing voice is absolutely extra human. she hits notes in full voice, with a controlled vibrato and an incredible conception of pitch, like she's shucking an ear of corn."[283] stephen holden of the new york times states that dion has "a good sized arsenal of technical skills. she can deliver tricky melismas, produce expressive vocal catches and sustain long notes without the tiniest wavering of pitch. and as her duets ... have shown, she is a reliable harmony voice."[273] in an interview with libération, jean jacques goldman notes that she has "no problem of accuracy or tempo".[284] according to kent nagano, she is "a musician who has a good ear, a refinement, and a degree of perfection that is enviable".[271] charles alexander of time states, "[her] voice glides effortlessly from deep whispers to dead on high notes, a sweet siren that combines force with grace."[54] in her french repertoire, dion adorns her vocals with more nuances and expressiveness, with the emotional intensity being "more tender and intimate".[285] additionally, luc plamondon, a french singer songwriter who has worked closely with dion claims that there are three chanteuses (stylistically) that she uses: the québécois, the french, and the american.[285] her self titled 1992 album was promoted with the slogan "remember the name because you'll never forget the voice."[286][287] dion is credited for introducing francophone music to many non francophone countries around the globe. rfi musique opined that french music "would probably never have got beyond francophone borders without her"[288] she has also been credited with revitalizing and revolutionizing the entertainment scene in las vegas with the gargantuan successes of her residencies there. she signed a $100 million contract for a residency in vegas, which is considered one of the most lucrative and risky residency contracts in the touring industry.[289] dion is popularly referred as the reigning "queen of las vegas" by various media outlets for her impact and legacy in the city.[290][291][292] celine dion has received various acclaims from fashion critics for reinventing her fashion style over the years. vogue named her as one of music's most exuberant dressers, beloved as much for her glorious voice as her extravagant sense of style.[293] since her career's inception in 1981, dion has been cited as an influence by various music artists all over the world, as well as one of the greaest vocalists of all time. according to producer, musician, and former american idol judge randy jackson, dion, houston, and carey are the voices of the modern era.[294] dion has been the subject of various tribute projects around the world, including a jukebox musical titanique, which is a retelling of the events from the 1997 film titanic from the perspective of dion,[295] and a musical comedy biopic titled aline. dion has also been the subject of numerous drag queens in their performance, and she has been referenced in music and films. jazz vocalist ranee lee released an album titled "because you loved me," covering some of dion's biggest songs.[296] dion has received hundreds of accolades throughout her career, making her one of the most awarded artists in popular music. she has won seven american music awards,[297] nine billboard music awards,[298] fifty felix awards, five grammy awards,[299] four guinness world records, twenty juno awards and twelve world music awards. with 75 nominations, she is the most nominated artist in the juno awards history and the fourth most awarded.[300][301] dion holds the guinness world record for the most juno awards won for album of the year (tied with michael bublé and arcade fire). she won 3 out of the 13 nominations she received in the category throughout her career.[302] she has won the american music award for favorite adult contemporary artist four times from six nominations, the most of any artist. dion has received two honorary doctorate degrees in music from université laval (2008) and berklee college of music (2021).[303][304] she was also presented with the legion of honour by former french president nicolas sarkozy in 2008 and was elevated to the companion of the order of canada in 2013 by the governor general of canada, david johnston for her cultural contributions.[305][306] dion is the best selling canadian recording artist, the best selling french language artist and one of the best selling music artists in history, with record sales exceeding 200 million worldwide.[307][308][309][310][311] seven of her albums have each sold over 10 million copies worldwide, the second most among women ever. her albums such as falling into you (1996) and let's talk about love (1997) are among the top five best selling albums by women in history, as well as the colour of my love (1993) and all the way... a decade of song (1999) which both rank within the top 20 respectively. dion's signature song "my heart will go on" is the second best selling female single in history with global sales of more than 18 million.[312] according to billboard, dion is the best selling canadian artist of the nielsen music canada era.[313] she has scored 16 number one albums in canada, six of which have been certified diamond, the most by any artist. in france, dion has scored six diamond albums, including d'eux (1995) which is the best selling french language album in history, spending an all time record of 44 weeks atop the french albums chart.[314] in the united states, dion is the fifth highest certified female artist, with 53 million album units certified by the recording industry association of america.[315] she is also the second best selling female album artist in the neilsen soundscan era (1991 present) with album sales of 53.2 million.[316] billboard magazine ranked her the eighth greatest female solo artist of all time,[317] the third most successful female artist of the 1990s and the second best selling female album artist of the 2000s in the us.[318] she is the sixth most successful female artist in billboard 200 chart history.[319] according to the official charts company, dion was the first artist to have the number one album & song in the uk simultaneously for five consecutive weeks since the beatles in 1965, as well as the first woman in british charts history to score two singles with sales exceeding over one million each.[320] according to pollstar, dion had a career total of over us$1.35 billion from ticket sales of her concert tours and residencies, becoming the second woman to accumulate us$1 billion in concert revenue.[321] her eighth concert tour, let's talk about love world tour, was the highest grossing tour by a female act of the 1990s, earning over us$133 million in revenue.[322] she was the highest grossing solo live music artist in north america of the 2000s with us$522.2 million.[323] her ninth concert tour, taking chances world tour, was the second highest grossing tour by a female act of the 2000s, with earnings of us$280 million.[324] dion is also the highest grossing residency act in history, earning a combined us$681 million from two of her residency shows a new day... (2003 2007) and celine (2011 2019).[325] forbes has named her the annual top earning female musician four times.[d] les productions feeling inc., also known as feeling inc. or just feeling, is an artist management company based in laval, québec, canada, and owned by dion and her husband and manager, rene angélil. she is also founder of nickels restaurant food chain. she and her husband also own le mirage golf club and schwartz's restaurant. in association with andre agassi, steffi graf and shaquille o'neal, she opened a popular night club called pure, located at caesars palace.[326] dion launched an eponymous bag and accessories line "céline dion collection". according to innee sedona international, the asia partner for bugatti group said that it already topped $10 million sales after just three collections.[327] dion became an entrepreneur with the establishment of her franchise restaurant nickels in 1990. she has since divested her interests in the chain and is no longer affiliated with nickels, as of 1997.[28] in 2003, dion signed a deal with coty to release celine dion parfums.[328] her latest fragrance, signature, was released in september 2011[194] with an advertising campaign by new york agency kraftworks nyc.[329] since its inception, celine dion parfums has grossed over $850 million in retail sales.[330][331] in october 2004, air canada hired dion as part of their promotional campaign to unveil new service products and an updated livery. "you and i", the theme song sung by dion, was written by advertising executives working for air canada.[332] dion has actively supported many charity organizations, worldwide. she has promoted the canadian cystic fibrosis foundation (ccff) since 1982, and became the foundation's national celebrity patron in 1993.[333] she has an emotional attachment to the foundation; her niece karine died from the disease at the age of sixteen, in dion's arms. in 2003, she joined a number of other celebrities, athletes, and politicians, including josh groban and yolanda adams, to support "world children's day", a global fundraising effort sponsored by mcdonald's. the effort raised money from more than 100 nations and benefited orphanages and children's health organizations. in addition, she has been a major supporter of the t. j. martell foundation, the diana princess of wales memorial fund, and many health and educational campaigns. during the aftermath of hurricane katrina, she donated $1 million to the victims of the storm, and held a fund raising event for the victims of the 2004 asian tsunami, which subsequently raised more than $1 million.[334] after the 2008 sichuan earthquake, she donated $100,000 to china children & teenagers' fund and sent a letter showing her consolation and support.[335] since 2004, she is involved, alongside husband rené angelil, with the québec gay community by supporting the publication of health and hiv prevention materials in gay globe magazine, owned by journalist roger luc chayer.[336] she is also a member of canadian charity artists against racism.[337] in november 2018, she launched a gender neutral clothing line for kids, celinununu.[338] in 2009, dion joined an effort with leonardo dicaprio, james cameron and kate winslet to donate money to support the nursing home fees of the then last living survivor of the sinking of the titanic, millvina dean. the campaign resulted in $30,000 as donation.[339][340] dion first met rené angélil, her future husband and manager, in 1980, when she was 12 and he was 38, after her brother, michel dondalinger dion, had sent him a demonstration recording of "ce n'était qu'un rêve" ("it was only a dream/nothing but a dream"), a song she, her mother thérèse, and her brother jacques dion had jointly written. over subsequent years, angélil guided her to stardom in francophone territories. after the dissolution (around 1985) of angélil's second marriage (to canadian singer anne renée), he and dion took a break from each other professionally, and he spent a major part of the year in las vegas, while dion was learning english and taking dance and vocal lessons in montreal. upon his return, "he avoided being alone with me for too long a time",[341] she said in her 2000 autobiography my story, my dream. meanwhile, she kept a photo of angélil under her pillow, later writing, "before i fell asleep, i slipped it under the pillow, out of fear that my mother, who always shared a room with me, would find it."[342] she also wrote, "less and less could i hide from myself the fact that i was in love with rené; i had all the symptoms,"[343] and "i was in love with a man i couldn't love, who didn't want me to love him, who didn't want to love me."[344] dion's mother, who traveled everywhere with her until she was 19, was initially wary of her growing infatuation with a much older and twice divorced angélil, but dion was insistent, telling her mother "i'm not a minor. this is a free country. no one has the right to prevent me from loving whoever i want to."[345] their professional relationship eventually turned romantic after dion's win at the eurovision song contest in dublin in 1988, when she was 20.[346][26][347] the romance was known to only family and friends for five years, though dion nearly revealed it in a tearful 1992 interview with journalist lise payette.[348][349] many years later, payette penned the song "je cherche l'ombre" for dion's 2007 album d'elles.[350] dion and angélil became engaged on 30 march 1993, which was dion's 25th birthday,[351] and made their relationship public in the liner notes of her 1993 album the colour of my love.[352] they married on 17 december 1994, at notre dame basilica in montreal, quebec. on 5 january 2000, dion and angélil renewed their wedding vows in las vegas.[353] in may 2000, dion had two small operations at a fertility clinic in new york to improve her chances of conceiving, after deciding to use in vitro fertilization because of years of failed attempts to conceive. their first son, rené charles angélil, was born on 25 january 2001. dion suffered a miscarriage in 2009. in may 2010, dion announced that she was 14 weeks pregnant with twins after a sixth treatment of in vitro fertilization. on saturday, 23 october 2010, at 11:11 and 11:12 am respectively, dion gave birth to fraternal twins by caesarean section at st. mary's medical center in west palm beach, florida.[354] the twins were named eddy, after dion's favourite french songwriter, eddy marnay, who had also produced her first five albums; and nelson, after former south african president nelson mandela.[355] she appeared with her newborn sons on the cover of 9 december 2010 issue of the canadian edition of hello! magazine.[356] on 14 january 2016, angélil died at age 73 of throat cancer.[357][358] his funeral was held on 22 january 2016, in notre dame basilica in montreal, where he and dion wed 21 years earlier. the couple's eldest son rené charles gave the eulogy, three days before his 15th birthday.[359] following angélil's death, dion became the sole owner and president of her management and production companies, including cda productions and les productions feeling.[360][361] two days after angélil's death on what would have been her husband's birthday one of dion's brothers, daniel, died at age 59, also of cancer.[362] on 22 march 2018, dion's management team announced that she had been dealing with hearing irregularities for the previous 12 to 18 months due to patulous eustachian tube and would undergo a minimally invasive surgical procedure to correct the problem after ear drop medications appeared to be no longer working.[363] owing to her slight frame, dion has been subject to eating disorder rumors for decades, which she has consistently denied:[364][365] "i don't have an eating problem, and there's nothing more i can say about it";[26] "my work requires me to be in great physical shape. i wouldn't have been able to give up to a hundred shows a year and travel ceaselessly from one end of the world to the other if i had eaten too much or not enough, or if, as certain magazines have claimed, i made myself throw up after each meal."[366] she has often spoken about having been bullied at school and lacking confidence in her early years in the business:[367] "i didn't have, visually, what it took. i was not pretty, i had teeth problems, and i was very skinny. i didn't fit the mold".[368] dion took up ballet under the guidance of her former dancer, naomi stikeman, who also previously performed for the national ballet of canada and la la la human steps, and former cirque du soleil dancer turned fashion illustrator, pepe muñoz, who is also part of her styling team.[364][369] she is also a skier and a regular at her son rené charles' hockey games.[370][371][372] in december 2022, dion disclosed that she had been diagnosed with stiff person syndrome,[373][374] a neurological disorder affecting her muscles. in june 2024, dion publicly disclosed in a people magazine cover story that she had struggled with a variety of mysterious symptoms for 17 years before her august 2022 diagnosis.[375] it was also concurrently revealed that for two years, dion had been under the care of dr. amanda piquet, a specialist in autoimmune neurology at the university of colorado anschutz medical campus in aurora, colorado,[376] and that dion's charitable foundation was donating $2 million to the anschutz medical campus to support autoimmune neurology research for five years.[377] dion explained that with the help of dr. piquet and other experts, she was already preparing to return to the stage: "my voice is being rebuilt as we speak, right now."[378] in 2024, forbes reported that dion had a net worth of us$550 million, getting her to no. 59 on the magazine's list of america's richest self made women.[380] in 2023, dion sold her summerlin, nevada house for us$30 million.[381] she previously owned a home on a private island in montreal, which she sold for us$25.5 million in 2019.[382] in 2017, dion sold her jupiter island, florida home for us$38.5 million[383] after the death of her mother in 2020, dion listed her mother's laval home for us$1.785 million.[384] as of 2024, dion resides in a house in henderson, nevada, which was reportedly purchased for us$1.5 million in 2003 and as of 2024 was now closer to us$4.5 million in value after renovations.[385]

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what to watch supported by dion’s voice made her a star. a new documentary on amazon prime video brings her back to earth, showing her intimate struggles with stiff person syndrome. by chris azzopardi when you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. illness shows no regard for even the most revered figures in pop music. in “i am: celine dion,” a documentary about the global songstress on amazon prime video, it quickly becomes clear that dion can’t even move her body, let alone deliver a soaring ballad with the full force that, from her teenage years on, roused millions. the film, by the director irene taylor, records the singer’s agonizing reality as she battles the rare neurological condition called stiff person syndrome. in an instagram post in december 2022, dion tearfully revealed her diagnosis to her fans, but the documentary had already been in production by then. taylor opens the film with relaxed scenes of dion at her home in las vegas with her children and staff. then the part that’s painful to watch: the singer is heard moaning as she has a seizure on the floor. learning early on that she had always wanted to sing “all my life” intensifies the tragedy of watching dion, now 56, struggle to continue to live that dream. dion’s voice made her a star; this film is keen on making her a person. but there is nothing subtle in taylor’s montages, such as a high energy past performance cut with the subdued domestic energy on display while dion is vacuuming her couch. one shot pans to her eerily empty living room, a severe departure from playing packed stadiums. even the score aches. all this palpable sadness is, perhaps, why taylor interjects clips of dion in better times. i understand the inclination to not define dion by her diagnosis. but dion’s spontaneously expressive personality already shines through her pain in raw footage that feels more connected to her healing journey, like when her physical therapist nags her about a cream she hasn’t been applying to her feet. “give me a break,” she says with playful exasperation. she then sings “gimme a break,” the kit kat commercial jingle. while that welcome touch of humor pulls you into this intimately told story   what’s more celine than an impromptu vocal?   