Album- Loved Me Back
to Life
Artist- Celine Dion
The biggest selling female artist of all time, Celine Dion
is a household name that has just had a career that many artists would kill to
have. But that career does mean that in a sense she has always had to stay
relevant and produce great music, and so Loved Me Back to Life (her first full
English language studio album for six years) comes not only with great
anticipation but also an intense critical judgement ready to see if the singer
has still got ‘it’. So is this record an amazing specimen that shows Dion is
still the best, or should she maybe just stick to playing her Vegas shows and
let some new artists take over?
Track 1- Loved Me
Back to Life
Title track and lead single Loved Me Back to Life is an
interesting song from the singer in that in a way it feels like a traditional
ballad that we would expect from her, but various elements of the song push it
into the modern and make it more intriguing. The song was co-written by the
continually rising star and awesome artist that is Sia Furler, and finds Dion
telling this person of how they have helped her fight her demons and have
giving a new zest in life through their life. The song is lyrically potent and
simple and is given power by Dion’s rich vocals that exude this sense of warmth
and power, and a belief in the words she is singing. But what is most
interesting with this song is the production, which uses some cool string
arrangements and utilises a dubstep beat drop that gives more emotional weight
to song and adds this great drama that is lovely to listen to. It also doesn’t
feel like a sound just put in to try to keep up with modern times but totally
fits the songs message and retains that Dion class, with the guitar solo at the
end being an awesome finish to the song. It shows brilliantly from the outset
that Dion is an artist who still has a lot more to give.
3.5/5
Track 2- Somebody Loves Somebody
A feisty, slightly more pop orientated number, Somebody
Loves Somebody focuses on Dion lyrically telling this person who is kind of
always picking these fights in the relationship that this isn’t the way that
love should go, and that what she is saying is the true definition of love
comes from what she is singing. The song features a really strong, commanding
vocal from Dion that really builds up from the softness of the verses to the
dominating, really listen to what I am saying essence of the chorus. The
smashing drum beats and quirky string notes of the production gives the songs a
really impactful sound that keeps you attentive throughout the track and
perfectly compliments the vocals, and if you are not sold on the message by the
end then you need to just keep replaying the song until you get it and get the
awesomeness of the track, which I personally hope is a future single.
4/5
Track 3- Incredible
(duet with Ne-Yo)
The first of a couple of duets on the record finds Dion
teaming up with RnB star Ne-Yo for a powerful a slice of RnB pop. The song is
lyrically inspirational as Dion and Ne-Yo sing of reminding these people that
they were incredible and they have really overcome the odds. There might have
been a potentially egotistical quality within the song, but Dion and Ne-Yo
totally manage to avoid that and simply create a song that could be seen as a
love song but which can also resonate on different levels. Both artists are
vocally superb and blend together well, giving the message of the track more
weight and not trying to outdo each other but simply helping each other to
really elevate the song. The tracks production is simple with the pounding
drums, and the sound has this almost dance ready energy that makes it primed
for a remix or two, and whilst the sound may be a bit safe, the song does
nicely see Dion dip a toe into the RnB genre.
3.5/5
Track 4- Water and a
Flame
A cover of a song by English singer-songwriter Daniel
Merriweather that features production from one of the song original co-writers,
Eg White, Water and a Flame is a smouldering down tempo number that shows a
different side of Dion. The song is lyrically a tug of war relationship where
Dion admits her heartbreak and blame within the relationship, comparing her and
her lover to water and a flame. The message is powerful and the song is vocally
strong as Dion still belts out some of the notes and gives the track
emotionally intense qualities, but she also nicely utilises the lower registers
of her voice to bring out the track vulnerability and show a different essence
of herself as a vocalist. The production is grand and soulful with a jazzy
feeling drumbeat that acts as the songs base, and with some powerful string
arrangement that nicely encapsulates the songs emotional qualities.
3.5/5
Track 5- Breakaway
A future single for the UK, Breakaway is a emotionally
loaded ballad that has a slight soulful feel, and finds Dion giving us a bit of
gritty vocal performance in places. The song lyrically focuses on the singer realising
the dysfunctional essence of this relationship she is in and but she questions
whether breaking away is the right thing, because she might just come out of the
relationship an empty shell. The message isn’t the most orginal sentiment
within the music world but the sheer volume and power of Dion’s vocals makes
the song so powerful and makes the sentiment of the song really speak to the
listener. The track is easily the best vocal performance of the record at this
point because it builds to such a crescendo so amazingly that you will be
captivated by the emotion of the track. The song features a snappy drumbeat
within the production that almost gives the song this swaying Motown feel and
which just adds to the songs appeal, whilst the heavy sound with the use of
strings just perfectly captures the depth and honesty of the song.
3.5/5
Track 6- Save Your
Soul
Save Your Soul is another song where we get a different side
of Dion as she tries out a bit more of an RnB flavoured song and nicely uses
the lower register of her voice to gives the song a bit more grit. The song is
a lyrically strong statement where Dion expresses her feelings for this person
and how they she won’t judge or preach against them but on the other hand she
cannot save their soul and cannot be weighed down by their baggage. The lyrics
nicely balance upon this line of love and despair, whilst vocally the piece is
strong with the use of vocal layering and the lack of big Dion vocals to just
give a soft essence to the track that highlights the emotional intensity. The
production is strong with a vibrant guitar underpinning and snappy percussion
that almost gives the track a dance feel and makes for an up tempo groove that
gives some good bit of variety to the record.
3.5/5
Track 7- Didn’t Know
Love
Another song where Eg White takes on co-writing and
producing roles but this time being a completely original piece, Didn’t Know
Love is a lovely tune in that usually Dion is a person who really expresses the
value and power of love. But here she expresses that frailty of the human
spirit and that idea that you might think that you understand love, but then
things might happen in life or just these little moments will occur when you
realise that actually just don’t understand. The song sentiment is touching and
is powerfully brought to life by Dion’s controlled vocal that exudes this sense
of vulnerability and builds up in a way Dion makes seem easy to do. White gives
the track a smouldering sound with his blend of steady drum beats, piano
melodies and rich guitar riffs, keeping the song vulnerable and fresh and
capturing the message with the sound.
3.5/5
Track 8- Thank You
Another collaboration with Ne-Yo that doesn’t feature his
vocals (aside from some backing vocals) but which was completely written by him
alone, Thank You is one of those songs on the album that feels like a
traditional Dion track from the outset. Thank you is lyrically very simple, as
Dion sweetly tells this person that she deeply appreciates their presence and
the fact that they have shaped who she is. Keeping the message very pure makes
the song more powerful and the lyrics are strong in the way that the listener
can relate the song to different elements of their own life. The rich tones of
Dion perfectly capture the song sentiment and when she reaches those high notes
you know she really means what she is singing, whilst the production value of
the track is quite simple but glamorous with a gorgeous piano melody and some
subtle use of synths that makes for a light, airy sound to compliment the sweet
lyrical message and rich vocal tone.
3.5/5
Track 9- Overjoyed
(duet with Stevie Wonder)
The second of the records three covers, and the second duet,
Overjoyed was originally sung by the featured artist Stevie Wonder himself. The
song is rich in its RnB tones and puts Dion further into that field and works
well on the record in pushing the singer as an artist, with the finger snapping
percussion and slinky rhythm of the production giving the track a lovely sleek
and modern feel. Overjoyed focuses on the two artists seemingly playing the
roles of lovers who are so overcome with the emotions that they feel. For me
the lyrics don’t necessarily capture your attention, but what is strong is the
equally as slinky and smooth vocals that meld together nicely and show this
lovely spark of love that makes the song feel more sincere.
3.5/5
Track 10- Thankful
Thankful is another track that begins with this powerful
piano melody which just makes the track feel like a classic Dion track from the
beginning. The song lyrically focuses on Dion expressing that she doesn’t know
where she has been going in life but she is just thankful that she is now
feeling alive and is perhaps in love. The message is pure and simple like Thank
You but the song also lyrically highlights some of the pain of life and also
layers the message with some faith elements that will make the song more potent
for some listeners. The rise and fall of Dion’s voice is very powerful and the
way she holds the notes of this song really shows the mastery of her voice that
she has brilliantly acquired over the years she has spent in the music industry.
The swaying drum beats and clunky but cool piano melody gives the song this
strong, almost smoky feel that brings out the passion of the message very
beautifully, with the final gospel moments of the track with the full backing
choir just being a stellar bit of mastery on the side of the producers.
3.5/5
Track 11- At
Seventeen
The final cover finds Dion taking on a Janis Ian classic in
the form of At Seventeen. Whereas the orginal song was more about the
reliastion that dreams you may have for life don’t always pan out, here Dion
really makes the song her own, turning the song more into a song where the
older Dion can give her younger self a few words of advice. The song is vocally
pure and simple and once more the singer really shows the mastery of her voice,
which is only to be expected considering the song is a staple of her Vegas
shows. The song has this simple, almost summery feel to the production with the
light guitar strumming and twinkling rhythms that gives emotional weight to the
lyrics and really allows the listener to chill out a bit against all of the big
balladry of the record.
3.5/5
Track 12- Always Be
Your Girl
Penultimate track Always Be Your Girl is a stirring, piano
led ballad that finds Dion telling her lover that he has brightened up her life
and that she will just always be his girl and help him in life. In many ways
the lyrics are quite clichéd, but for once you can just roll with the cliché
and indulge yourself, particularly when it is sent against the emotionally
powerful and goergous vocals of Dion. Producer Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds keeps
things simple with his arrangement of the piano and strings to give and
elegant, classic Dion feel to the record that make it a perfect record to mark
the almost closure of the record.
3.5/5
Track 13- Unfinished
Songs
Written by legendary songwriter Diane Warren and initially
serving as the theme song for the 2012 film Song for Marion, Unfinished Songs
is a big power ballad finish for the record that finds Dion in a very
inspirational frame of mind. Here the singer sings off how we are all just like
songs waiting to be finished and expressing in turn the idea that life and love
is really beautiful. It is a really grand lyrical affair that finds Dion really
stretching her vocal pipes and showing us a classy Celine Dion style, whilst
the production features some airy electronic undertones and stomping rhythms
that powers the song to a great, dramatic climax.
3.5/5
Final Review
Loved Me Back to Life is a return to form for the singer
that nicely sees her remain true to her artistry that has kept her career
going, whilst also utilises some more current RnB pop elements to make her work
progress into a new era. Many may just see this change in sound as a need to
try to stay current and sell records, but for me it just means that we get
interesting sides of the artist, and she still remains herself in her delivery
of the great lyrics, Her vocals are as gorgeous as ever and she utilises
different elements of her voice to great effect. Basically Loved Me Back to
Life is a really good English language album that will keep Dion’s career going
very nicely.
8.5/10
Best Track- Somebody
Loves Somebody
Worst Track-
Overjoyed (duet with Stevie Wonder)
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