Let's Talk About Love

Following the worldwide success of Falling into You (1996), Let's Talk About Love was developed as an internationally oriented project recorded in London, New York, and Los Angeles. The album brought together a wide range of collaborators, reflecting Celine Dion's rising global profile and her work across pop, classical, and contemporary styles. Guest artists included Barbra Streisand on the duet "Tell Him", the Bee Gees on "Immortality", Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti on "I Hate You Then I Love You", and Jamaican singer Diana King with American R&B group Brownstone on "Treat Her Like a Lady".

One of the album's central tracks, "The Reason", was co-written by Carole King and produced by George Martin, known for his work with The Beatles. The album's most widely recognized recording, the ballad "My Heart Will Go On", was composed by James Horner with lyrics by Will Jennings. Used as the love theme for the 1997 film Titanic, the song achieved major international success and became closely associated with Dion's career.

Production on Let's Talk About Love was led by David Foster, Ric Wake, Walter Afanasieff, Humberto Gatica, and Corey Hart, who shaped the album's mix of orchestral ballads, contemporary pop, and crossover material. The tracklist also includes several cover songs, such as Leo Sayer's "When I Need You" and Mina's "Grande grande grande", adapted as the English-language duet "I Hate You Then I Love You".

Multiple editions of the album were issued by Columbia Records and Epic Records for different regional markets. In addition to the standard 13 tracks, "To Love You More" appeared on the US and Latin American editions, "Be the Man" on the European, Australian, and Asian editions, "Amar Haciendo el Amor" on releases outside the United States, and "Where Is the Love" on editions outside Latin America. These variations supported the album's reach in international markets.

The album was supported by a series of international singles. The lead single, "Tell Him", a duet with Barbra Streisand, premiered on US radio on 7 October 1997. Although it was not commercially released in the United States and therefore did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, the physical single was issued on 31 October 1997 in Germany and on 3 November 1997 across Europe and Australia, where it became a major hit. The song reached number one in the Netherlands and entered the top 10 in Ireland, Belgium, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Norway, and Australia. It earned platinum certifications in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Australia, and gold in the UK, France, Australia, Switzerland, and Norway. In Japan, "Be the Man" was released as the first single on 13 November 1997, peaking at number 24 on the Oricon chart and receiving a platinum certification from the RIAJ.

Between 5 and 8 December 1997, "The Reason" was issued as the second single in select European markets. It charted in Belgium and reached just outside the top 10 in the UK and Ireland.

"My Heart Will Go On", the love theme from Titanic, premiered on US radio on 25 November 1997 and was released commercially on 10 February 1998. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for two weeks, and was certified four times platinum in the United States. The physical single was first issued in Germany on 5 December 1997 and later that month in Australia, with most international releases following in January 1998. In France, it appeared as a double A‑side with "The Reason", while in the UK it was released on 9 February 1998. The song topped charts worldwide for multiple weeks, becoming Dion's biggest hit, one of the best‑selling singles of all time, and the world's best‑selling single of 1998. Often regarded as Dion's signature song, it received diamond, multi‑platinum, platinum, and gold certifications globally, including four million copies sold in the United States, 2.4 million in the UK, two million in Germany, and 1.2 million in France.

"To Love You More" was released as a promotional single in the United States on 5 May 1998. Although ineligible for the Billboard Hot 100, it topped the Adult Contemporary chart and reached number 11 on the Hot 100 Airplay ranking. "Immortality", recorded with the Bee Gees, followed as the next commercial single in Europe, Australia, and Canada in June 1998. It was first released on 5 June 1998 in Germany and three days later in France, with a UK release on 6 July 1998. The song reached the top 10 in Germany, Austria, the UK, and Switzerland, and received platinum certification in Germany and gold in the United Kingdom, France, Canada, New Zealand, and Sweden.

In late September 1998, "Miles to Go (Before I Sleep)" entered the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart, peaking at number 17. The final single, "Treat Her Like a Lady" (with Diana King and Brownstone), was released in select European countries, appearing on 19 March 1999 in Germany and 28 June 1999 in the UK. It reached the top 40 in Austria, the UK, and Ireland.

In the United States, Dion began promoting Let's Talk About Love with a performance of the title track on Good Morning America in November 1997. That same month, she joined the Bee Gees on stage to perform "Immortality" during their One Night Only concert in Las Vegas. In December 1997, she performed "My Heart Will Go On" on The Rosie O'Donnell Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and at the Music for UNICEF Concert in New York. On 14 December 1997, she also attended the premiere of Titanic in Hollywood.

In January 1998, Dion performed "My Heart Will Go On" and "Let's Talk About Love" on The Today Show, followed by another performance of "My Heart Will Go On" on The Oprah Winfrey Show in February. She sang the song at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards on 25 February 1998 and at the 70th Academy Awards on 23 March 1998. In April 1998, Dion performed "Treat Her Like a Lady" with Diana King and Brownstone at the Essence Awards in New York. Later that month, she appeared at the inaugural VH1 Divas concert, performing "My Heart Will Go On", "The Reason" (with Carole King), and other selections alongside artists such as Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Gloria Estefan, and Shania Twain. In May 1998, she returned to The Rosie O'Donnell Show to perform "To Love You More".

Dion also promoted the album widely outside the United States. In November 1997, she performed "Let's Talk About Love", "When I Need You", and "Treat Her Like a Lady" during the Canadian television special Parlons d'amour. That month, she also performed "The Reason" on the Dutch program Kanjer Surprise. In December 1997, Dion sang "The Reason" on The Lottery Show and performed both "The Reason" and "My Heart Will Go On" at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party in the United Kingdom. She also appeared on Fantastico in Italy and Les Années Tubes in France.

In January 1998, Dion performed "My Heart Will Go On" on Des O'Connor Tonight in the UK, followed by appearances on Top of the Pops in the UK, Wetten, dass..? in Germany, and the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy in February 1998, where she also performed "The Reason". In April 1998, she appeared on the French television special La Soirée Spéciale: Céline Dion, performing "My Heart Will Go On", "Let's Talk About Love", "Treat Her Like a Lady" with Diana King, and "The Reason". In June 1998, she performed on the French program Hit Machine, singing "The Reason", "Treat Her Like a Lady" with Diana King, "Immortality" with the Bee Gees, and "My Heart Will Go On". That same month, she performed "My Heart Will Go On" and "Immortality" with the Bee Gees on the German show Geld Oder Liebe. On 9 June 1998, Dion joined Luciano Pavarotti at the Pavarotti & Friends charity concert in Italy, performing "I Hate You Then I Love You" and "My Heart Will Go On". In July 1998, she reunited with the Bee Gees to perform "Immortality" on Top of the Pops in the UK.

On 21 August 1998, Dion began the Let's Talk About Love World Tour in Boston. She toured North America through the end of 1998, performed in Asia in early 1999, and returned to North America in March and April 1999. She continued the tour in Europe in June and July 1999 before concluding with additional North American dates later that year. Several European concerts scheduled for May and June 1999 were cancelled following the diagnosis of her husband René Angélil with throat cancer. In August and September 1999, the live album Au cœur du stade and its accompanying DVD were released in Europe and Canada, presenting the Francophone setlist from the tour.

More information Review scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Billboard (Paul Verna)	positive[3]
Billboard (Larry Flick)	positive[4]
The Boston Globe	positive[5]
Entertainment Weekly	C[6]
The Guardian	[7]
Los Angeles Times	[8]
Music Week	[9]
Public	17/20[10]
Toronto Star	[11]

Close

Let's Talk About Love received generally positive reviews, with many critics praising its scale and vocal performances, while some offered more cautious responses to its stylistic range.

Billboard editor Paul Verna offered one of the strongest endorsements, praising Dion's "super-charged vocals" and identifying tracks such as "Immortality", "To Love You More", "The Reason", "Us", and "My Heart Will Go On" as highlights.^[3] Larry Flick, also writing for Billboard, described "My Heart Will Go On" as a carefully delivered ballad and noted Dion's ability "to pack volumes of emotion in a whisper".^[4]

At AllMusic, senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine awarded the album four out of five stars, calling it a well‑constructed mainstream release intended to build on the success of Falling into You. He praised the ballads, the duets, and the contributions from leading adult contemporary producers, while noting that the album's wide stylistic range may feel extensive to some listeners. He concluded that those drawn to its major singles would find much to appreciate.^[2]

Steve Morse of The Boston Globe praised the album's polished production and Dion's "unshakable vocal authority", describing it as confident, radio‑ready pop.^[5] Peter Howell of the Toronto Star awarded the album three and a half stars out of four, calling it "a sweeping, emotionally charged pop statement" and noting Dion's ability to elevate even the most elaborate arrangements.^[11] Music Week also responded positively, praising the album's melodic focus, production quality, and Dion's consistent vocal strength. The review noted its balance of ballads and mainstream pop and described it as one of the year's notable commercial releases.^[9] The French outlet Public gave the album a score of 17/20, citing its emotional impact and Dion's vocal command, and describing it as one of her most accomplished works.^[10]

Other publications offered more reserved assessments. Entertainment Weekly's David Browne graded the album a C, suggesting that its large-scale production and numerous guest appearances sometimes overshadowed the songwriting, though he acknowledged Dion's commitment to each track.^[6] Elysa Gardner of the Los Angeles Times awarded the album two out of four stars, praising Dion's technical skill while noting that her delivery at times lacked the interpretive nuance associated with classic pop vocalists.^[8]

Before its release, Sony announced advance orders of 10 million copies worldwide.^[12] By the end of 1998, Let's Talk About Love had sold 27 million copies globally (including 8.1 million in the US and 1.7 million in Canada), making it the year's best‑selling album both domestically and internationally.^[13] To date, the album has sold over 31 million copies worldwide, placing it among the best‑selling albums by a female artist and among the best‑selling albums in history.^[1]

At the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, "My Heart Will Go On" received four major awards: Record of the Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Song of the Year, and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television. Let's Talk About Love was also nominated for Best Pop Album. One year earlier, "Tell Him" was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

At the American Music Awards of 1999, Dion won Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist. Let's Talk About Love was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Album, while Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture won Favorite Soundtrack. In 1998, Dion received six Billboard Music Awards, including Top Billboard 200 Album Artist, Top Billboard 200 Album Artist – Female, Hot Adult Contemporary Artist, and Hot Soundtrack Single ("My Heart Will Go On"). Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture also won Top Billboard 200 Album and Hot Soundtrack Album. Additional Billboard nominations included Top Pop Artist – Female, Hot Adult Contemporary Singles & Tracks ("My Heart Will Go On"), and Top Billboard 200 Album (Let's Talk About Love).

At the Juno Awards of 1999, Dion won four awards: Best Female Vocalist, Best Album (Let's Talk About Love), Best Selling Album (Foreign or Domestic) (Let's Talk About Love) and the International Achievement Award. She also received nominations for Best Single ("My Heart Will Go On"), Best Pop Album (Let's Talk About Love), Best Selling Album (Foreign or Domestic) (Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture) and the Producer of the Year (for Corey Hart's work on "Miles to Go (Before I Sleep)" and "Where Is the Love").

Dion received two World Music Awards: World's Best Selling Canadian Artist of the Year (1998) and World's Best Selling Female Pop Artist of the Year (1999). At the 25th People's Choice Awards, she won Favorite Female Musical Performer. In 1998, she also received three VH1 Awards: Artist of the Year, Best Female Artist and Diva of the Year. "My Heart Will Go On" also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

Other honors included the Amigo Award for Best International Female Artist, the ASCAP Film and Television Music Award for Most Performed Song from Motion Picture ("My Heart Will Go On"), and multiple ASCAP Pop Awards for Most Performed Songs ("My Heart Will Go On" twice and "To Love You More"). She also received the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favourite Song from a Movie ("My Heart Will Go On"), the BMI Film & TV Award for Most Performed Song from a Film, and several BMI Pop Awards for Most Performed Songs ("My Heart Will Go On" and "To Love You More" twice).

Dion won the Gold Otto for Female Singer at the Bravo Otto Awards, the Echo Award for International Female Artist of the Year (1999), the Félix Award for Artist of the Year Achieving the Most Success in a Language Other Than French (1999), and the Gémeaux Award for Best Variety Special (Let's Talk About Love avec Céline Dion). Additional awards included the Hungarian Music Award for International Album of the Year (Let's Talk About Love), two Japan Gold Disc Awards (International Artist of the Year and International Pop Album of the Year), the Japan Record Award for Special Achievement ("My Heart Will Go On"), the Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Song, the Malta Music Award for Best Selling Female International Artist, the MuchMusic Video Award for Peoples Choice: Favourite Artist ("My Heart Will Go On"), the NARM Best Seller Award for 1997–1998 Soundtrack (Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture), the Performance Magazine Award for Best Pop Act, the Pop Corn Music Award for Best Female Singer of the Year, two Satellite Awards (Best Original Song and Best Original Score for Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture), and the South African Music Award for Best Selling International Album (Let's Talk About Love).

Dion also received nominations for the Brit Award for Best International Female (1998), the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Female, the MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film ("My Heart Will Go On"), and the MTV Video Music Award – Viewer's Choice ("My Heart Will Go On"). Additional nominations included the Danish Music Awards (Best International Female Singer and Best International Hit), the Edison Awards (Best International Female Singer and Single of the Year for "Tell Him"), and the Fryderyk Award for Best Foreign Album (Let's Talk About Love). Her television special Celine Dion – Let's Talk About Love was also nominated for a Gemini Award for Best Photography in a Comedy, Variety or Performing Arts Program or Series.

ET Canada included four of Dion's albums—including Let's Talk About Love—in its ranking of the ten most successful Canadian music albums of all time.^[21]

The album strengthened Dion's profile as an international pop artist, particularly following the global success of its lead single, "My Heart Will Go On", which became widely associated with her career.^[22] Let's Talk About Love is often listed among the best‑selling English‑language albums by a Canadian performer, with worldwide sales reported at over 31 million copies.^[23]

The album played a role in the late‑1990s popularity of adult contemporary ballads and presented a mix of pop, operatic, and cinematic elements. Its collaborations with artists such as Barbra Streisand, Luciano Pavarotti, and Carole King demonstrated Dion's range and contributed to its international reach.^[24] Several vocalists have noted Dion's vocal approach as an influence on their own work.

In retrospective commentary, Let's Talk About Love is frequently discussed as a representative example of late‑1990s pop production. Its continued cultural visibility—supported by its association with the film Titanic—has secured the album a lasting place in discussions of popular music from the era.^[25]

Credits adapted from AllMusic.^[26]