My Love: Essential Collection

Dion gave her final performance of A New Day... on 15 December 2007. The Las Vegas production, which had been seen by nearly three million spectators across 717 shows since its premiere in March 2003, came to an end.^[1] On 14 February 2008, she began her first worldwide concert tour in over nine years. The Taking Chances World Tour included many of her best-known songs, as well as material from her then-new album, Taking Chances. The tour played to sold-out stadiums and arenas throughout 2008. By its conclusion at the end of February 2009, it had visited five continents, 23 countries, and 93 cities, performing for an audience of more than three million people.^[2]

On 27 August 2008, Dion's official website announced that a new greatest hits album would be released in October 2008.^[3] On 5 September 2008, it was confirmed that the album would be issued in two formats: a one-disc edition titled My Love: Essential Collection and a two-disc edition titled My Love: Ultimate Essential Collection.^[4] The track listing was posted on 11 September 2008.^[5] "My Love", originally included on Taking Chances, was confirmed as the first single in an official press release on 22 September 2008.^[6] My Love: Essential Collection includes a live version of the song, which premiered on 17 September 2008,^[7] and the live music video was released seven days later.^[8] The lyrics to the album's only new track, "There Comes a Time", were posted on 7 October 2008 on Dion's official website,^[9] followed by an excerpt of the song on 23 October 2008.^[10]

The artwork for My Love: Essential Collection shows a close-up photograph of Dion wearing a white blouse and a black camera around her neck.^[11] The background consists of blurred white and purple imagery, with Dion's name and the album title printed in white lettering.^[11] The photograph was taken by Denise Truscello in a Los Angeles studio in 2007.^[11] Dion expressed appreciation for working with Truscello, describing their collaboration positively: "Out of all the people I've worked with, she's the absolute best. I've worked with her for six years, and she's always kind to everybody. Super, super kind".^[11]

My Love: Essential Collection includes 17 songs on the US edition and 18 on the European edition. The US version contains the Billboard Hot 100 number one singles "The Power of Love", "Because You Loved Me", "My Heart Will Go On", and "I'm Your Angel". The European edition includes the UK number one single "Think Twice".^[12]

A two-disc edition, titled My Love: Ultimate Essential Collection, was released at the same time. It contains 27 songs on the US version and 36 on the European version. The US edition includes three rare recordings not previously issued on a Dion album: "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (from Tapestry Revisited: A Tribute to Carole King), "Dance with My Father" (from So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross), and "I Knew I Loved You" (from We All Love Ennio Morricone).^[2] The European edition also includes singles that were successful in European markets.^[13]

In July 2011, the album was reissued as part of The Essential series,^[14] using either the US or European track listing depending on the country. A limited US-exclusive edition, titled The Essential 3.0, was released on 29 August 2011. It includes a bonus third disc with seven additional tracks, among them alternate versions of "Think Twice" and "Only One Road".^[15] On 5 April 2024, the album was issued on vinyl for the first time. The track listing is similar to the original European edition, but also includes "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" and "If You Asked Me To", while omitting "Alone".

The performance of "My Love" was broadcast for the first time on television on 31 August 2008 during the 43rd annual MDA Labor Day Telethon.^[16] On 28 October 2008, an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show was dedicated to Dion, as well as several stories about parents and young children facing serious illnesses.^[17] Dion appeared throughout the special, titled Miracle Children with Celine Dion, which also addressed her own challenges with childbirth.^[17] She concluded the episode with a live performance of "My Love".^[17] The following day, Dion postponed her 30 October concert in Minneapolis, along with several November 2008 dates, citing illness.^[18] On 1 December 2008, she performed "My Love" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.^[19] On 13 December 2008, her official website posted behind-the-scenes footage from the recording sessions for "There Comes a Time".^[20]

The Taking Chances World Tour ended on 26 February 2009, and on 1 March 2009 Dion made her final public appearance before a temporary break from the music industry on Star Académie in Canada.^[21] She performed a medley of her French- and English-language hits with the contestants.^[21] After the appearance, Dion began a temporary hiatus to focus on her family and attempts to conceive another child. Aside from her televised performances, "My Love" was included throughout the Taking Chances World Tour, beginning with the concert in Seoul on 18 March 2008. The song was later included on Taking Chances World Tour: The Concert, released on DVD and CD in April 2010.^[22]

My Love: Essential Collection was released while Dion was on her Taking Chances World Tour. During her concert in Stockholm, Sweden, on 7 June 2008, she recorded a live version of "My Love",^[23] which was later confirmed as the first single from the compilation. The song premiered on radio on 22 September 2008, and a digital single was issued the following day,^[6] accompanied by a live music video. Chuck Taylor, senior editor at Billboard, described "My Love" as a strong selection for the album and praised Linda Perry's songwriting and Dion's performance, calling it a highly emotive ballad about longing and uncertainty.^[24] After debuting on the US Adult Contemporary chart, "My Love" became Dion's 16th adult contemporary entry of the 2000s, giving her the most charted titles in the format during that decade.^[25] The song peaked at number 15.^[26]

The next single, "I'm Alive", was remixed by Laurent Wolf and released to French radio in October 2008 to promote the album instead of "My Love".^[27] In January 2009, new remixes of "I'm Alive" by Maurice Joshua were distributed to US clubs.^[28] They reached number 35 on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.^[29] "I'm Alive" had originally been released as a single from A New Day Has Come in 2002, peaking at number seven in France^[30] and number six on the US Adult Contemporary chart.^[31]

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Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[32]
Daily Express	[33]

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Stephen Thomas Erlewine, senior editor of AllMusic, wrote that My Love: Essential Collection compensates for how All the Way... A Decade of Song (1999) focused heavily on newer material at the expense of Dion's earlier hits.^[32] He stated that My Love: Essential Collection "fits the bill well" for listeners seeking an overview of Dion's two decades as an international star, noting that it includes all of her major adult contemporary successes.^[32] Erlewine also observed that although Dion achieved additional hits in the decade following All the Way... A Decade of Song, with the exception of her cover of Roy Orbison's "I Drove All Night", few of her 2000s singles are as enduring as her 1990s output.^[32]

My Love: Essential Collection debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200, becoming Dion's 11th top 10 album on the chart, with first‑week sales of 57,000 copies.^[34][35] On the Canadian Albums Chart, it debuted at number two with sales of 17,700 copies,^[36] and fell to number three the following week with an additional 11,000 copies sold.^[37] In its third week, the album dropped to number six,^[38] and by January 2009 it was certified double platinum by CRIA, denoting shipments of 160,000 copies.^[39] In 2021, My Love: Essential Collection was further certified four times platinum for sales of 320,000 units.

In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number five with sales of 42,411 copies and was certified five times platinum for shipments exceeding 1,500,000 units.^[40] In Ireland, it reached number one^[41] and was certified double platinum in 2008.^[42] The album remained popular in both countries, re‑entering the charts multiple times and spending 327 weeks on the Irish chart.^[43]

My Love: Essential Collection debuted at number one in France^[44] and the Netherlands,^[45] holding the top position for two weeks in both countries. It also topped the chart in Belgium's Flanders and reached the top 10 in several European markets, peaking at number six on the European Top 100 Albums.^[45][46] The album also entered the top 10 in New Zealand and Mexico,^[45] and earned platinum certifications in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, and the Netherlands,^[47] and gold certifications in Germany, Finland,^[48] Hungary,^[49] and Mexico.^[50]

Worldwide, the album ranked as the 42nd best‑selling album of 2008, according to the IFPI.^[51] In 2011, Sony Music issued The Essential with the same track listing. The release was certified gold in Australia and Poland, and silver in the UK.^[40]

Adapted from AllMusic.^[52][53]

In July 2011, My Love: Ultimate Essential Collection was reissued with the same track listing as part of Sony Music's The Essential series. It charted and was certified separately from the original release.

• 2008 in British music charts
• List of number-one albums of 2008 (Ireland)