That's the Way It Is (Celine Dion song)

It was written and produced by Swedish songwriters Andreas Carlsson, Max Martin, and Kristian Lundin, who had created a run of hit singles for artists such as NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, and Britney Spears.^[3]

Several club remixes were prepared by Metro. Some pressings of the single included "I Met an Angel (On Christmas Day)", a non-album track. The song was later included on The Collector's Series, Volume One (2000) and My Love: Essential Collection (2008).

"That's the Way It Is" opens in the key of E major with a moderate tempo of 93 beats per minute. The verses follow a chord progression of C♯m–A–B, and Dion's vocals span from B₃ to E₅.^[4] After the bridge, the chorus returns in the key of A major.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote that the dance-pop "That's the Way It Is" succeeds and marked it as a standout on All the Way... A Decade of Song.^[5] Another editor, Jose F. Promis, reviewed the US CD maxi-single and rated it three out of five stars. He described the song as a "cheerful pop nugget", called the album version a "definitive hit", and referred to the "Metro club remix" as a "bubbly dance" take.^[6] Michael Paoletta from Billboard singled it out on the album and described it as a "welcome uptempo number".^[7]

Chuck Taylor also praised "That's the Way It Is". He wrote that Dion "ups the tempo with the irresistible" first single. According to Taylor, the track, a joyful ode to keeping faith while allowing love to unfold naturally, pairs Dion with a new team of collaborators, consistent hitmakers Max Martin, Kristian Lundin, and Andreas Carlsson. He noted its mandolin line and midtempo beat, and stated that the song is "destined to enrapture" top forty and AC radio, countering claims that Dion's music was "too adult". He added that the song shows a fresh direction for Martin, known for his work with youth-oriented acts. Taylor concluded that "That's the Way It Is" stands among "the most compelling radio releases yet" from "one of the core voices of the decade".^[8]

Can't Stop the Pop wrote that the song "doesn't sound like it's trying to be Britney Spears; it sounds like the authentic evolution of a superstar – this is a Celine Dion song through and through – and it's hard to imagine it being performed by anyone else".^[9]

The song became a major hit, reaching number one on the adult contemporary charts in Canada and the United States, and entering the top 10 in many other countries. It was Dion's first airplay-only single to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number six and becoming her 10th and final top 10 hit (number two on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay). The commercial single was released nine months later as a double A-side with "I Want You to Need Me", reaching number 62 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales.

It placed at number 12 on the decade-end US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart for 2000–2009. The song spent one week at number one and a total of 85 weeks on the chart, making it one of the longest-running singles in its history.^[10]

"That's the Way It Is" was certified platinum in Sweden and gold in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium, Australia, and New Zealand.

According to Billboard, the song received the "BDS Certified Spin Award - 500,000 Spins" in August 2006. Since its release in November 1999, it has accumulated 500,000 spins across almost 1,400 radio stations in Canada and the US.

The music video for "That's the Way It Is" was directed by Liz Friedlander and produced by Heather Heller. It was filmed in Los Angeles and premiered on VH1 on 8 November 1999. It received a nomination for a MuchMusic Video Award. The video was later included on Dion's All the Way... A Decade of Song & Video DVD. The upload of the music video on YouTube on 25 October 2009 surpassed 400 million views.

Dion performed it live with *NSYNC on backing vocals during her 1999 CBS Special.^[11] She also sang "That's the Way It Is" on Top of the Pops on 12 November, the 1999 Billboard Music Awards, the Bambi Awards on 11 December, The Rosie O'Donnell Show on 13 December, The Today Show on 31 December, and as the closing number on the Let's Talk About Love Tour.^[12][13]

When Dion returned to the music scene after her two-year break in 2002, the song was included in promotional performances for the A New Day Has Come album, including another appearance on The Today Show, The Early Show, and at the concert for World Children's Day.

In 2015, for the first time in 13 years, Dion added the song as an acoustic version, later returning to the full arrangement in her second Las Vegas residency, Celine, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. She also performed it during her 2017 European tour and 2018 tour. "That's the Way It Is" was part of her BST Hyde Park concert in London on 5 July 2019, and it appears on the setlist of the Courage World Tour in North America.

• Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2000
• List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 1999
• List of Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles in 2000