The Singles Jukebox

Something something poptimism end of taste…

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Cassy Gress: Remember this, from last month, which seemed too staged to me, too “here is the song where I’m broken-hearted about my husband but managing to carry on nonetheless”? This is the genuine one, the one where Céline breaks my heart, that I imagine she’d hum to herself alone in the dressing room after a show, when the cracks are a little less subtle.
[7]

Peter Ryan: A study in contrasts vis-á-vis grief-stricken comebacks: she looked to Freddie Mercury for a steely-eyed recycled mission statement, and here grants herself a moment to reminisce, exhale, shed a tear courtesy of favored collaborator Jean-Jacques Goldman. Their partnership over the last two decades has produced some of her most indelible and successful works; I’m limited by my reliance on translations but I get the impression that, perhaps more than any writer she’s worked with, Goldman understands Céline’s voice, both the instrument as well as her oft-overlooked artistic perspective, the stories she’s wanted to tell at different points in her career. It makes sense that she would return to him now, and it’s so gratifying to hear them capture some of the old magic — the organic singer-songwriterly understatedness that so seldom bubbles up in her English-language work; the range of vocal textures and phrasings that she deploys (e.g., the effortless giggle-inflected “ça vous n’avez rien à craindre”); the way things seamlessly swing from a warm fondness to driving melancholia and back again. The artists themselves give a more touching rundown of the theme than I ever could, but suffice it to say this is just a very good Céline Dion single in 2016.
[9]

Thomas Inskeep: “Encore un Soir” marks Dion’s reunion with Jean-Jacques Goldman, who’s helmed much of her French-language repertoire, both writing and producing. Translated as “One More Night,” this is fairly obviously about Dion wishing she had more time with her late husband, René Angélil, and who can blame her? More importantly, this song is beautifully constructed, sensitively produced, and features an incredibly measured, contained vocal from Dion. She’s not generally known for restraint, but exhibits it in spades here.
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Will Adams: I kept reading the title as “Encore une fois,” but it was not meant to be. Instead, “Encore un Soir” opts for the timed release ballad template, something like Céline’s version of “Le bleus de businessman,” except it never quite reaches those great heights. The build is there, Céline is controlled and captivating, the choir gathers as the drums pick up, and then… it ends.
[6]

Edward Okulicz: Part of the second verse threatens to turn into “I Will Survive,” for god’s sakes! The song is so well-measured and expertly felt that the ending feels jarring, though. It’s like it’s reached its natural end about 3:10 in, then it tries to comes back for 20 seconds and where there’d be a key change or some power chords, it just stops. Would give all the points to an extended version that doesn’t stuff the landing so bad.
[7]

Katherine St Asaph: Perhaps I’m just used to hearing it everydangwhere, particularly in No. 1 European hits, but when the beat first comes in, it seems to me Dion’s attempt to make sense of tropical “Waves”-wave, assimilate the sound of today into her sound as she does. Purists tend to take issue with that, or things like the electrical buzz of autotune around her voice; but I prefer my classical crossover shameless, swooning or tacky, not restrained, every emotion swelled to fairytale dungeon scale. The melody, sea-spritzed folk lilt and “I Will Survive,” would suit that; Dion’s approach of late and this acoustic blandness, not so much. Extrapolate from the last couple seconds and you’d get close.
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Scott Mildenhall: This song is not much fun. Céline’s occasional laughter sounds like a tragic attempt at plugging a dearth of comfort, and although people may well find some in this, it doesn’t seem to actively offer any. It’s the complete flipside of something as rousing as “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now,” yet not self-serious either. The thing about plaintiveness is that it’s not supposed to be. Everything is epitomised by just one line: “oh si je pouvais.” It’s not particularly dressed up, just an honest statement of sadness.
[8]

Katie Gill: Look, I already showed my love for Céline and I’m seeing Josh Groban in concert in a few weeks so I know I’m the target demographic for this style of “singing something slow in a foreign language but building up to a big loud powerful climax” that him, Il Divo, and Céline have built a brand on. So I’m going to love this song because of that–but I also love this song because this is exactly what it needs to be. ‘The Show Must Go On’ was Céline doing Ballad Céline, telling the world that she’s going to power through her grief. ‘Encore un Soir’ is Céline doing Gentle Céline, taking a moment or two out of powering through to settle in that grief, voice lilting over those notes as she succumbs to memories and what-ifs. Aside from a strangely abrupt ending, this is just wonderful. 
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Ramzi Awn: I emailed my French teacher from high school the other day. She used Céline Dion’s French songs so we could all fill in the blanks on a worksheet, and I remember her saying, “Yes, I do love Céline Dion. Her voice — so romantic.” And still it is.
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