The year was 2013. A year for pop music that saw competing projects from Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. A year when Miley Cyrus let loose with a foam finger. A year when Cher ended her 12-year hiatus.
However, while the year was jammed packed with releases from Justin Timberlake, Selena Gomez, Britney Spears and Ariana Grande, one glorious album was pushed off to the sidelines far too quickly. Ultimately selling just 300,000 copies in the states following an impressive number two debut.
Following the release of her 2007 English language album Taking Chances, Las Vegas diva Celine Dion shared the critically-acclaimed Loved Me Back to Life, an album that showcased the artist stepping out of her adult contemporary comfort zone in order to compete with the other pop artists dominating the radio airwaves at the time. Though the title track and Ne-Yo duet “Incredible” were spot-on choices for official singles, the era ended without much more promotion.
While powerful second UK single “Breakaway” was the brightest album moment, the empowering semi-rock ballad could have struggled on airwaves other than adult contemporary. Every note was sung in perfect register, authentic sentiment was intact and lyrical content stirred up emotions, but its commercial success was questionable.
But, there were still plenty of other options. When “Incredible” failed to make a dent in the charts, even when chosen as the official theme song for the 2014 Winter Olympics, Dion and her team should have immediately pushed forward with sending album closer “Unfinished Songs” to pop radio. Penned by Diane Warren, the lyrics of the inspirational track may have been a little cheesy, ones that have been heard countless times before, however, when the chorus turned the corner, all that was forgiven.
The closing number is something that we had heard from Dion numerous times before, but when uplifting, upbeat songs of encouragement are done to perfection, who could find fault? “Because we’re all unfinished songs, waiting for the best part to come along, hey hey, hey hey, and we’re all pictures half drawn, we can be anything we want,” Dion sings to the defeated with her trademark vocals of optimism. In the end, it is never too late to be whoever you want to be, a message that would have resonated with many over the radio airwaves.
Or, if Dion and her label wanted to throw a curveball to fans, expanding her base in the process, “Save Your Soul” would have been an appropriate single choice. As a perfect example of experimentation with the crossover potential of pop and R&B, the end result was quite compelling. The track seemed to have divided critics, and does sound as if it could be found on a late 90s Jewel album, but Dion's one-of-a-kind vocals allowed a peek into the darker side of a relationship pack a punch.
There’s a sense of urgency and slight anger in the delivery and progression of the track, as Dion contemplates how to proceed with an imperfect love. “I'll forget what you've done, but I can't save your soul, I won't preach, I won't judge, save your soul, you could get on your knees, but I can't save your soul,” she sings on the hook, ultimately making the decision to walk away from the pain and constant lies. The song showcased not everything is joyous in the artist’s life, sometimes she just needs a moment to vent frustration, as we all do.
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