Qui peut vivre sans amour?

"Qui peut vivre sans amour?"
Single by Celine Dion
from the album Sans attendre
Released March 8, 2013
Format Digital download
Recorded March 2012
Genre Rock,[1] Pop rock
Length 3:29
Label Columbia
Writer(s) Elodie Hesme, David Gategno
Producer(s) Julien Schultheis, David Gategno
Celine Dion singles chronology
"Le miracle"
(2012)		 "Qui peut vivre sans amour?"
(2013)		 "Loved Me Back to Life"
(2013)
Music video
"Qui peut vivre sans amour?" on YouTube

"Qui peut vivre sans amour?" (meaning "Who Can Live Without Love?") is a song recorded by Canadian singer Celine Dion, released as the third single from her French-language album Sans attendre (2012). It was written by Elodie Hesme and David Gategno, and produced by Julien Schultheis and Gategno. "Qui peut vivre sans amour?" received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who called it an orchestral rock power ballad. The well-received music video for the song premiered on April 19, 2013.

Background and release

The lyrics and thirty-second previews of all songs from Sans attendre were posted on Dion's official website on October 18, 2012.[2] "Qui peut vivre sans amour?" became available as a digital download from the album on the day that Sans attendre was released. On February 10, 2013, celinedion.com announced that it was chosen as the third single.[3][4] On March 8, 2013, the promotional single cover art created by the illustrator Aurore Hutton, niece of former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing was revealed and the single was sent to radio in France.[5] In Quebec, "Qui peut vivre sans amour?" was released to radio stations on March 18, 2013.[6] The promotional single contains a new version of the song with less guitar and more piano and strings.[6][7] It makes the song "softer" but still "powerful."[6][7]

Composition

The song was written by Elodie Hesme and David Gategno, while the production was handled by Julien Schultheis and Gategno.[8] Elodie Hesme worked with Dion for the first time and wrote the lyrics to three songs from Sans attendre: "Qui peut vivre sans amour?," "Attendre" and "Si je n'ai rien de toi."[8] David Gategno already collaborated with Dion on D'elles in 2007, including composing and producing her French number-one single, "Et s'il n'en restait qu'une (je serais celle-là)." On Sans attendre he composed and produced four tracks: "Qui peut vivre sans amour?," "Attendre," "La mer et l'enfant" and "Si je n'ai rien de toi."[8] Julien Schultheis worked with Dion for the first time, producing "Qui peut vivre sans amour?" and playing instruments on it, and also on "Attendre" and "Si je n'ai rien de toi."[8] In "Qui peut vivre sans amour?", Dion "takes a dramatic tone revealing a darker side" and asks who can live without love, knowing that it can at times cause pain and suffering.[3] Dion "overwhelms the worst evils" in the song: if love is a "plague", a "criminal" and causes the most disastrous "wars," it also governs our lives and is the source of our dreams.[9] The track features Paris Pop Orchestra conducted by Stanislas.[8]

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. Łukasz Mantiuk from All About Music called it strong and feisty and chose it as the best track on Sans attendre.[10] Lea Hermann from Focus wrote that "Qui peut vivre sans amour?" is a rock inspired, drums driven, dramatic song that stands out on the album.[11] Paula Haddad from Music Story praised the production of the track and Darryl Sterdan from Ottawa Sun mentioned "Qui peut vivre sans amour?" as a song worth downloading from Sans attendre.[12][13] Alain de Repentigny from La Presse called it an orchestral rock power ballad.[1] He praised the fact that Dion is "biting" into a rock song but he felt that the guitar solo a little dated.[1] According to Jonathan Hamard from Pure Charts, "Qui peut vivre sans amour?" is the only truly dynamic song on the album and it has an effective chorus.[9] He also called it "punchy" and "electric."[5] Marty Tobin from Quai Baco wrote that "Qui peut vivre sans amour?" is a "Celine Dion rock song" with a little saturated guitar in the chorus and many layers of violins which makes it closer to Mozart, l'opéra rock than "Killed by Death" by Motörhead.[14] According to Evous France, "Qui peut vivre sans amour?" is a rock ballad with an energetic vocal, a little similar to "Et s'il n'en restait qu'une (je serais celle-là)."[15] Geneviève Bouchard from La Presse criticized the track because of the rock sounds which dominated the song and Bernard Perusse from The Gazette called it a "quasi-arena-rock showcase" with a "strangely abrasive, tuneless chorus."[16][17] After the single "Qui peut vivre sans amour?" was announced, Evous France criticized this choice, preferring the release of "Je n'ai pas besoin d'amour," "Une chance qu'on s'a," "Celle qui m'a tout appris" or "L'amour peut prendre froid."[18]

Commercial performance

"Qui peut vivre sans amour?" debuted on the Canadian Adult Contemporary Chart in late March 2013 and on the Belgian Wallonia Ultratip Chart in mid-April 2013. The song peaked at number twelve on the Belgian Wallonia Ultratip Chart and number forty-one on the Canadian Adult Contemporary Chart.

Music video

The music video for "Qui peut vivre sans amour?" was directed by Thierry Vergnes and filmed in Las Vegas on March 18, 2013.[18] Vergnes already directed clips for two previous singles form Sans attendre: "Parler à mon père" and "Le miracle."[19] The video for "Qui peut vivre sans amour?" premiered on April 19, 2013.[20] It received positive reviews from music critics who noted that the video is better than the previous two from Sans attendre.[21] It shows several pairs of dancers who, through choreography, mimic different situations that lovers may face one day.[21]

Live performances

Dion performed the song during two French television specials: Céline Dion, Le grand show on November 24, 2012 and We Love Céline on December 20, 2012.[22][23] The song was also performed during the Céline... une seule fois concert in Quebec City on July 27, 2013, as well as the Sans attendre Tour later that year; the former performance was included in the Céline une seule fois / Live 2013 CD/DVD.[24]

Track listing

Promotional single[25]
No. Title Length
1. "Qui peut vivre sans amour?" (Radio Edit) 3:23

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[26] 12
Canada AC (Billboard)[27] 41

Credits and personnel

Recording[8]
Personnel[8]
  • songwriting – Elodie Hesme (lyrics), David Gategno (music)
  • production – Julien Schultheis, David Gategno
  • recording – David Gategno, Stephane Levy-b
  • vocal recording – François Lalonde
  • recording assistant – Ray Holznecht
  • mixing – Stephane Levy-b
  • keabords and programming – Julien Schultheis, David Gategno
  • piano – Julien Schultheis
  • bass – Zizou Sadki
  • drums – Julien Schultheis
  • guitars – Michel Aymé
  • strings and horns arrangement – Julien Schultheis
  • orchestra – Paris Pop Orchestra
  • conductor – Stanislas
  • horn – Jean Michel Tavernier

Release history

Country Date Format Label
Belgium, France, Switzerland[5] March 8, 2013 Promotional single Columbia
Canada[6] March 18, 2013

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Sans attendre de Céline Dion, un album inégal". La Presse (in French). La Presse, ltée. 2012-11-03. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  2. ↑ "'Sans attendre' Song Previews". celinedion.com. 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2012-10-18.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Celine's New Single Will Be "Qui peut vivre sans amour?"". celinedion.com. 2013-02-10. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  4. ↑ "Céline Dion : son nouveau single "Qui peut vivre sans amour?"". Pure Charts (in French). Webedia. 2013-02-11. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Céline Dion : son nouvel album français "Sans attendre" dépasse le million de ventes". Pure Charts (in French). Webedia. 2013-03-09. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 ""Qui peut vivre sans amour" On Quebec Radio Today". celinedion.com. 2013-03-18. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Céline Dion : une nouvelle version de "Qui peut vivre sans amour?" pour les radios". Pure Charts (in French). Webedia. 2013-03-19. Retrieved 2013-03-19.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 "Celine Dion: Sans attendre - Deluxe booklet" (PDF). celinedion.com. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Céline Dion se livre "Sans attendre" dans son nouvel album français". Pure Charts (in French). Webedia. 2012-11-09. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  10. ↑ "Céline Dion – Sans Attendre (2012), recenzja". allaboutmusic.pl (in Polish). All About Music. 2012-11-03. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  11. ↑ "Céline Dion entdeckt mit 44 ihre Mädchenträume neu". Focus (in German). Focus Online. 2012-11-03. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  12. ↑ "Sans Attendre - Céline Dion". music-story.com (in French). Music Story. 2012-11-05. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  13. ↑ "Celine Dion: Sans Attendre". Ottawa Sun. Canoe Sun Media. 2012-11-10. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  14. ↑ "Céline Dion – " Sans attendre " : la chronique". Quai Baco (in French). SARL Karanta. 2012-11-04. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  15. ↑ "Céline Dion : Notre critique de l'album 'Sans attendre'". evous.fr (in French). Evous France. 2013-02-10. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  16. ↑ "Sans attendre de Céline Dion: la fille, la mère, l'amoureuse". La Presse (in French). La Presse, ltée. 2012-11-03. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  17. ↑ "New music review: Sans attendre, Celine Dion (Columbia)". The Gazette. Postmedia Network Inc. 2012-11-02. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Céline Dion : ’Qui peut vivre sans amour’, le nouveau single". evous.fr (in French). Evous France. 2013-02-11. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  19. ↑ "Thierry Vergnes: music videos". tvergnes.com. Retrieved 2013-03-22.
  20. ↑ "Watch The "Qui peut vivre sans amour?" Video". celinedion.com. 2013-04-19. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Céline Dion joue avec le feu dans son nouveau clip "Qui peut vivre sans amour"". Pure Charts (in French). Webedia. 2013-04-19. Retrieved 2013-04-19.
  22. ↑ "'Céline Dion, le grand show' On France 2 On November 24". celinedion.com. 2012-12-08. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  23. ↑ "'We Love Céline' On NRJ 12 On December 20". celinedion.com. 2012-12-16. Retrieved 2013-02-16.
  24. ↑ "Celine Dion: Céline une seule fois / Live 2013 (2CD+DVD/Blu-ray)". celinedion.com. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  25. ↑ "Celine Dion CD 1 Track Promo Qui peut vivre sans amour?". eBay. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  26. ↑ "Céline Dion - Qui peut vivre sans amour?" (in French). Ultratop & Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  27. ↑ "Celine Dion Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Canada AC for Celine Dion. Retrieved 14 October 2014.

External links