Celine Dion (album)

Celine Dion
Studio album by Céline Dion
Released	March 31, 1992 (1992-03-31) (see release history)
Recorded	October 1991-February 1992
Genre	Pop
Length	61:06
Label	Epic, 550, Columbia Records
Producer	Walter Afanasieff, Humberto Gatica, Guy Roche, Ric Wake
Céline Dion chronology
Dion chante Plamondon (1991) Celine Dion (1992) The Colour of My Love (1993)
Singles from Celine Dion
"Beauty and the Beast" Released: November 16, 1991 "If You Asked Me To" Released: April 6, 1992 "Nothing Broken But My Heart" Released: July 13, 1992 "Love Can Move Mountains" Released: November 2, 1992 "Water from the Moon" Released: March 1, 1993 "Did You Give Enough Love" Released: July 17, 1993

Celine Dion is an eponymous album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on March 31, 1992. It is her second English album and 17th in total. It includes the Grammy and Academy Award winning song "Beauty and the Beast."

Album information

Dion's real international breakthrough came when she paired up with Peabo Bryson to record the title track to Walt Disney Pictures animated film Beauty and the Beast (1991). The song captured a musical style that Dion would utilize in the future: sweeping, classical and soft rock influenced adult contemporary ballads with soft instrumentation. Both a critical and commercial smash, the song became her second United States top 10 hit, and also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, and was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. That song was also the first single from Celine Dion album which had a soft rock influence that was combined with elements of soul and classical music. Due to the success of the lead-off single, the album was as well received. As with Dion's earlier releases, the album had an overtone of love.

Dion worked with a new team of writers and producers on her eponymous album. Five songs were written by Diane Warren. "With This Tear" was a gift from Prince who wrote the song especially for Céline Dion and offered it to her. The tracks were produced mainly by Walter Afanasieff, Ric Wake and Guy Roche. Thanks to Celine Dion, the singer was nominated also for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

By 1992, Unison, Celine Dion and media appearances had propelled Dion to superstardom in the North America. She had achieved one of her main objectives: wedging her way into the anglophone market and establishing fame. Apart from her rising success, there were also changes in Dion's personal life, as René Angélil would make the transition from manager to lover. However, the relationship was kept a secret as both feared that the public would find the twenty-six-year difference between their ages incongruous.

The European version of Celine Dion included "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" as a bonus track. The album was re-released on September 7, 1992 in Australia with a bonus disc containing four songs which had been previously released as singles from Unison.

Dion did the Celine Dion Tour to support the album.

"Send Me a Lover" was a "leftover" from the recording sessions of the Celine Dion album and it was released in 1994 on the charity compilation Kumbaya Album 1994.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Chicago Tribune	[2]
Entertainment Weekly	B− [3]
Robert Christgau	D+ [4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[5]

The album has received generally mixed reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic wrote that "Celine Dion's self-titled follow-up to her successful American debut is even stronger and more accomplished."^[1] Arion Berger from Entertainment Weekly commented, "She hits all the notes on Prince's graceful, desperate 'With This Tear,' but clearly she has more voice than heart."^[3] Music critic Robert Christgau called it the "Worst album of the year—that I can remember."^[4] Jan DeKnock of Chicago Tribune said that the album "is even better, because the young singer-only 24-has developed enough confidence in her second language to really deliver the emotional nuances of a lyric, especially in the ballads that dominate this album. [...] Dion has clearly joined Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston as one of the premier voices on the pop scene."^[2]

Chart success

Celine Dion has sold over 6 million copies worldwide.^[6] In the United States alone, the album has sold 2,373,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan,^[7] and was certified 2x platinum.^[8] It reached number 34 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Dion's popularity was also showing in Canada where the album peaked at number 3 and was certified diamond for 1 million copies sold.^[9]

In other regions of the world, Celine Dion peaked at number 15 in Australia, number 31 in New Zealand, number 59 in Japan, and number 70 in the United Kingdom. It was also certified gold in the UK, Japan^[10] and Australia.^[11] Dion received her first World Music Award for Best Selling Canadian Female Recording Artist of the Year.

The most successful single from the album was "Beauty and the Beast", which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold in the United States.^[8] Other singles, which reached the U.S. top 40 included: "If You Asked Me To" (number 4), "Nothing Broken But My Heart" (number 29) and "Love Can Move Mountains" (number 36).

Track listing

Charts and certifications

Awards

Release history

References