Overview
Celine Dion is the eleventh studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, and her second English-language album. It was originally released by Sony Music on 30 March 1992, and features the Grammy and Academy Award-winning song "Beauty and the Beast", and other hits like "If You Asked Me To" and "Love Can Move Mountains". The album was produced by Walter Afanasieff, Ric Wake, Guy Roche and Humberto Gatica. It reached number one in Quebec, number three in Canada and was certified Diamond there, denoting shipments of over one million copies in this country. At the 35th Annual Grammy Awards, Celine Dion was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The album has sold over five million copies worldwide. To support it, Dion toured as the opening act for Michael Bolton on his "Time, Love and Tenderness Tour" in the summer of 1992 through the United States. From August 1992 till March 1993, she toured Canada with her Celine Dion in Concert tour.
Background and content
Dion's real international breakthrough came when she paired up with Peabo Bryson to record the title track to Walt Disney Pictures animated film Beauty and the Beast (1991). The song captured a musical style that Dion would utilize in the future: sweeping, classical and soft rock influenced ballads with soft instrumentation. Both a critical and commercial smash, the song became her second United States top 10 hit, and also won many awards. As with Dion's earlier releases, the album had an overtone of love.
Dion worked with a new team of writers and producers on her eponymous album. Five songs were written by Diane Warren. "With This Tear" was a gift from Prince who wrote the song especially for Dion. The tracks were produced mainly by Walter Afanasieff, Ric Wake and Guy Roche.
By 1992, the release of her previous English-language album Unison (1990) and Celine Dion, as well as various media appearances, had propelled Dion to superstardom in North America. She had achieved one of her main objectives: wedging her way into the anglophone market and establishing fame. Apart from her rising success, there were also changes in Dion's personal life, as René Angélil would make the transition from manager to lover. However, the relationship was kept a secret as both feared that the public would find the twenty-six-year difference between their ages incongruous.
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