“Let’s dance… above the abyss, at the edges of the peaks, and let’s leave the lowlands, let’s fly, waltz, let’s dance…” It was with emotion that Celine Dion fans discovered these words of resilience and hope this Friday morning, intoned by the singer to piano notes. A new song revealed a few weeks after the announcement of his big return to Paris.
And Let’s dance was recorded this year, this romantic ballad, signed by his lifelong sidekick Jean-Jacques Goldman, was written and composed in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. “It was 2020, the world stopped and people were dancing, confined to their homes,” he said in a press release. Six years later, no more viruses but no need to change a word, the world is not turning any better, and we are still dancing “above the abyss”. »
It is therefore a very gentle return – and in French – that Céline Dion has chosen, after long years of absence for health reasons. What to conquer the hearts of your audience?
“A gradual emotional rise”
In any case, it didn’t take much to convince Alexis. “Céline Dion offers us again and again a love song filled with intense emotions. She has a very beautiful technique to move us with her exceptionally deep voice. She knows very well which word to press to bring out the beauty, the soul of a song,” estimates this 40-year-old reader who responded to our call for contributions.
For François, also in his mid-40s, Let’s dance is a “full return to the 1990s”. He elaborates: “Jean-Jacques Goldman’s style is immediately recognizable: a simple but extremely effective melody, a progressive emotional rise, and above all this sincere, almost timeless writing. »
As explained The Parisianthe song was created thanks to a small team, co-produced by Yann Macé and Luc Leroy, two producers and musicians who had already worked with Céline Dion and Goldman.
Fears about the singer’s voice
A pair, who, thirty years after their first collaboration on Twoin 1995 – the best-selling French album in the world with around 10 million copies – still hits the mark. “The Dion – Goldman duo couldn’t have aimed more accurately,” marvels Romain, 44 years old. The voice is intact, more subdued, more restrained, but with a delicious sweetness and accuracy. The rather discreet production leaves room for the performer. The few a cappella moments that punctuate these three minutes are striking proof: she has lost nothing, she has even gained nuance. »
Not everyone shares this opinion on the singer’s more “restrained” voice. Like Sandy, who appreciates this “very beautiful ballad” but expected more.
“We want to hear Céline Dion push her voice a little more (like before) but technically it must be very difficult,” notes this 53-year-old reader, probably referring to the illness which kept the artist away from the stage for almost six years. And she’s not the only one, several of our readers have expressed concerns about the singer’s vocal abilities.
A song “a little wise and less hit than expected”
Aubin, 18, is shared by this “delicate return” but with a “couldn’t be more classic” message. He explains: “Her voice is particularly highlighted on this pretty song, perhaps a little wise and less “tubesque” than hoped. We clearly recognize the signature of Jean-Jacques Goldman, even if the text lacks originality… We were perhaps expecting something more personal, after all these years of absence and the ordeals endured, something which sounds like a rebirth for Céline, a more impactful, more moving text.
Others were hoping for a “more energetic” song or “something that moves and kicks ass”. “I was impatiently waiting for this song, I woke up at 6 a.m. on purpose, and well, I find the lyrics a little tight,” regrets Ludovic, 46, who says he is “extremely disappointed”. “I would have liked to be transported. I didn’t get very far. Let’s wait for the other titles, maybe they’ll be more rhythmic,” he hopes.
Our articles on Celine Dion
As AFP points out, Sony, Céline Dion’s record company, has not confirmed press reports suggesting a second unreleased title and an album by the summer. The suspense remains.
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