Quebec superstar Céline Dion isn’t officially a one-hit wonder, but she sure does sing like one. Taking to the stage at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards with a chillingly spectacular rendition of her career-defining 1997 hit, “My Heart Will Go On,” Céline made the “Titanic” movie’s 20th anniversary worth talking about, whilst taking the clip viral with over 1.2M YouTube views to date.
This video is truly a testament to the phenomenal legacy of “Titanic.” Céline’s majestic tones have aged deep and dreamy as she sings in the midst of a gigantic, sparkling chandelier. The theme tune’s iconic flute riffs sweep a wistful nostalgia over Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena as Céline completely steals the show in her extravagant sea-foam dress.
Céline, aged 49 at the time, lets her voice float through the song as clips of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet play out in montage on the big screen, tinged with the grace of Céline’s two decades of practice mastering this track. But by the time the key change kicks in and the all-consuming final chorus hits, all you Music Man readers are bound to gush with tears, just like Céline seems she was about to as the crowd roars their applause over her final wavering notes.
Additional artists featured at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards included Camila Cabello, Miley Cyrus, Imagine Dragons, Lorde, Nicki Minaj, Halsey, and Cher, along with pre-recorded performances by Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, and Drake amongst many more. Defining pop music nostalgia, this was also the year Zayn Malik won the Top New Artist award after his hit debut album “Mind of Mine,” and Drake’s album “Views” beat Beyonce’s iconic “Lemonade” in the run for the Top Billboard 200 Album award.
Celine Dion has long been synonymous with her movie soundtrack hit, but the story of how this French-Canadian singer got roped into the Hollywood machine is hardly ever mentioned. According to legend, Celine was over the idea of being the voice of movie soundtracks after lending her voice to the Disney theme song “Beauty and the Beast” and “Because You Loved Me,” which featured on the 1996 romantic drama, “Up Close and Personal.” But it was her husband and producer, René Angélil, who encouraged her to take the Titanic slot. She recorded a rough demo so perfect it was used in the final film, and only re-recorded segments of her vocals for “Titanic”’s official soundtrack album release. Crazy, considering that director James Cameron was initially opposed to featuring a pop song in the movie at all!
If you would like to hear more from this talented artist, you can subscribe to her YouTube Channel for more incredible music. Follow Céline Dion on Facebook and Instagram or visit her official website for the latest updates.