Let's tell Sony: What should the next U.S. single be from "Taking Chances"?

[nystrele]

Greetings Celine Forum friends! Chuck Taylor from Billboard here. Next week, I'm going to be speaking with John Doelp, who does Celine's A&R (and has since the second English album). I would love to be able to share with him the educated opinions of our forum buddies about what we think would make the right single for AC radio after "Taking Chances." As we know, she continues to perform "Alone" on TV. While that may just be because of its familiarity factor, I know that many here believe it would be a mistake.

 

I, for one, continue to discover just how much depth there is on the album... I have a new favorite song every week... and that's a good sign. But obviously she gets one shot with radio programmers and there's little room for error.

 

Incidentally, "Taking Chances" is screwed... AC stations have now adopted their usual year-end Christmas programming and the song has peaked at No. 11... and this week will fall to No. 14 on Billboard. Of course, there's the hope that it will return after the holiday, but I was really hoping it would squeak into the top 10 before the holiday programming began... sigh...

 

I was wondering if you guys would be interested in some personal stories behind my recent cover story in Billboard. By no means do I want to seem self-indulgent, but if ever there were a place where I think folks might care about what happened behind the scenes to get that story on the page, it's here...

 

As always, I am so grateful for the wonderful response you guys gave to my story. It was a thrill for me (my sixth Celine cover story!).

 

Best regards,

=Chuck=

(nystrele)

Edited November 28, 2007 at 02:38 AM by nystrele

[DuonganhCDF]

Its so hard to choose as I like all of them, just like you said, every week another fav. But from the non_fans opinions, all fell in love right away with Eyes on me. But we are Asian, not USer, and we have different taste hainz Edited November 28, 2007 at 02:44 AM by DuonganhCDF

[Thecolourofmylove]

First off, thank you for letting us put our "two cents" in!! I have to go with 'Shadow Of Love'. My mother loves listening to the radio all day and she just can't stop listening to that song. 'World to Believe In' would be great as well eventhough my personal fav right now is 'Suprise, Suprise'.

 

Thanks again Chuck!

[karatedude317]

Greetings Celine Forum friends! Chuck Taylor from Billboard here. Next week, I'm going to be speaking with John Doelp, who does Celine's A&R (and has since the second English album). I would love to be able to share with him the educated opinions of our forum buddies about what we think would make the right single for AC radio after "Taking Chances." As we know, she continues to perform "Alone" on TV. While that may just be because of its familiarity factor, I know that many here believe it would be a mistake.

 

I, for one, continue to discover just how much depth there is on the album... I have a new favorite song every week... and that's a good sign. But obviously she gets one shot with radio programmers and there's little room for error.

 

Incidentally, "Taking Chances" is screwed... AC stations have now adopted their usual year-end Christmas programming and the song has peaked at No. 11... and this week will fall to No. 14 on Billboard. Of course, there's the hope that it will return after the holiday, but I was really hoping it would squeak into the top 10 before the holiday programming began... sigh...

 

I was wondering if you guys would be interested in some personal stories behind my recent cover story in Billboard. By no means do I want to seem self-indulgent, but if ever there were a place where I think folks might care about what happened behind the scenes to get that story on the page, it's here...

 

As always, I am so grateful for the wonderful response you guys gave to my story. It was a thrill for me (my sixth Celine cover story!).

 

Best regards,

=Chuck=

(nystrele)

 

Mr. Taylor,

 

I think I speak for all of us here when I say how extremely appreciative we are of everything that you are doing in terms of spreading the good word about Celine and her new album. It is so refreshing to see someone in the business being so good to Celine, especially when she isn't perceived as "cool" or "hip". It is great to see someone from Billboard be such a huge fan of her as we all are. To not only write great stories about her, but to be a member of this forum, to communicate with us, to ask us for our opinions (to actually care about what we think) and to bring our opinions to the people in charge means VERY much to us. A lot of times we feel like our voices aren't heard. THANK YOU SO MUCH for making our voices heard! On behalf of everyone here, we very much appreciate EVERYTHING you are doing for not just Celine, but for her fans as well. Please accept my sincere gratitude.

 

As for what I think her next single should be, NOT ALONE as you mentioned, I think This Time would be perfect! Why? First, it showcases her "new sound". It has that rock edge to it, plus, the lyrics will strike a chord to millions of listeners. Domestic violence is a huge problem in our society, and as someone who has witnessed domestic violence in my own home, this song struck a chord with me. Celine said herself that this song can help a lot of people. I think it is safe to say that Celine would like this song on radio as well, it can reach millions of people and make a huge difference to them. This song should defintely be released. It's different for her, it's not about sappy love, but a real problem in this country and in this world. I think it will get a lot of attention for the lyrics. You hear a lot of songs about love on the radio, but not a lot of songs about a love gone bad. Please spread the word about this song to those in charge. If not This Time, then Surprise Surprise, it should be a hit on pop stations for its rock and edgy sound. Eyes on Me is a great song, single material for the AC stations, but not Z100 worthy even though it sounds like Shakira's Hips don't Lie, I don't think it would do spectacular on the radio. This Time, seems Z100 worthy as does Surprise Surprise. In case you're not familiar, Z100 is an extremely popular station in New York that normally doesn't play Celine at all, but has been playing TC 15 times a week, and even interviewed her in the studio. They've been VERY kind to her, so I think it's important that a song be picked that Z100 would play. Maybe we can ask them what they think????????

 

I agree with what you said about TC on the radio, if it had been released sooner, it may have made the top 10. What are the chances of it making the top 10 after the holidays? Do you think it will be forgotten about by then?

 

 

Again I want to thank you for posting here and listening to us, the fans. O and please do tell us your story!

 

Thanks again

Shaun

Edited November 28, 2007 at 02:56 AM by karatedude317

[clbmed02]

First of all, would love to hear about your story.

 

You said it the best, everyday I fall in love with a different song everyday. My favorite song is still Eyes On Me, however, I think her next single should be a ballad... which one?

 

Thank you for asking our opinion.

[lyn]

I voted This Time; though it's not my favourite on the album, I feel it has the right amount of edgy and an issue to carry it forward. A lot of the other songs on the album, though a unique sound for Celine, aren't a unique sound for the public. She has to capture them with something new. Many of the songs on the album are also peppy, positive tunes, and I feel the US just isn't in the mood for happy, life affirming music these days.

[rhaps]

if i'm not a celine fan, i would prefer to hear "eyes on me" as the single. i think it could catch up the listener. however, my favorite is "my love & this time".

[Ted]

I voted for "My Love"!!!!! This Old School Celine and it's haunting. It's beautiful song.

[algorhythm]

I believe Surprise Surprise and Fade Away are good contenders.

 

Fade Away is an up-tempo rock song which would surely make a good hit. It is very different from other Celine singles. Rock and very modern.

 

Surprise Surprise is a rock-ballad which is kinda like Taking Chances but more powerful and more emotional.

 

To widen Celine's fan base, they can release different singles in different parts of the world. For instance, in Europe, they can release Eyes On Me cos i think it is really popular there. In US, they can release Fade Away. In Asia, they can release Alone. They can actually use that technique because different continent has different musical taste.

[stevethefan]

Although "Alone" would seem to be a safe, familiar choice for a single I really think "Eyes on Me" would make a great choice. It sounds different, at least for Celine, and I think it could get more airplay.

[Only one celine]

It's really hard to say, I see three songs which can be released as singles : Eyes on Me , Shadow of Love and Fade Away.

 

1 - Fade Away : This a great song with a catchy chorus that we can remember easily. This pop-rock song is very "Kelly Clarkson" but with Celine's voice. I think that can do very well on the AC radios but also on Pop radios and she needs pop radios to have a big hit.

2 - Shadow of Love : This song is just wonderful;uptempo, catchy chorus but the only con i have to say about this song is that it is maybe a bit too European for USA.

3 - Eyes on Me : with the album version it would be a disaster, don't get me wrong I love the song but I think the song needs to be reworked before being released.

 

These three are great and can be released so I would be a disappointed if Alone is released because Celine's version represents the "Old Celine" and also because I think that Celine could have done way better with this song than she did.

Edited November 28, 2007 at 03:09 AM by Only one celine

[bronzey]

I voted for Surprise Surprise, Shadow Of Love and Fade Away (in order).

 

Thanks Chuck for everything. We appreciate every effort you're making. We must bring Celine again to the top.

Edited November 28, 2007 at 03:18 AM by bronzey

[Xpresso]

Thanks Chuck for all your Celine support!

I don't think Sony should release another cover just yet (Alone). There is such great material to choose from on this new album. Releasing Alone would just send a different message (as if there is nothing better than a cover on that album).

 

I think the next single should surprise people, even shock them. That's why I would go with Fade Away or Eyes on Me. There is one thing I don't understand however... Why only aim for AC stations? We see that even now, some Hot AC and POP stations are still adding Taking Chances to their playlists. Celine's great performance on AMA is probably one of the reasons why these stations are now adding her song. And the next single should also aim to please POP and Hot AC stations and keep the (slow) momentum going. When we look at the type of music that AC plays nowadays, Fade Away and Eyes on Me would also get played there (and most likely on Hot AC and POP which is important for her image).

 

And why couldn't Sony release Right Next to The Right One to country stations while releasing another single to AC/Hot AC/POP? It's such a great song, and it would probably eventually cross over to AC stations... Not sure if this is feasible but Sony has to think "outside the box".

 

And of course we want to hear about the behind-the-scenes story to get Celine on the cover of Billboard. I suspect you got a lot of negative comments about pushing for Celine... Very curious to hear your story!

[stew]

EYES ON ME!!!

[William2005]

I think Celine needs a song released that will show that she truly is taking chances. A song that would grab attention of radio programmers across the country enough to where they would actually play it. I think the two best songs on the album that has a chance of bringing Celine back to the mainstream audience instead of only Adult Contemporary listeners are "Fade Away" and "Eyes On Me". I think Eyes On Me is a good choice because it brings something from Celine that most people wouldn't expect. With a little r&b flair and a strong beat this song has a good chance of performing well. I also think Fade Away would do well. It has a pop/rock theme recently made popular by Kelly Clarkson and I think radio listeners would definitely respond well to it. With that said I think the best choice for a second single release from "Taking Chances" would be Eyes On Me. I am glad that there is someone who can pass on the fan's thoughts to people dealing with Celine's career. Thx Chuck.

[GoldenLeaf]

I voted for ''Eyes On Me'' but ''Fade Away'' would be a good choice too!

[caroline_reynolds]

I think that Celine needs a major AC hit for this album. She entered the Billboard hot 100 at no 54 which means top 40 radios gave it attention but lets not forget that Celines biggest market is the Adult Contemporary music so this might be a reason why the album is selling well but nothing really huge yet. A lot of old school Celine buyers did not buy Taking Chances album because they missed the ''old celine'' and this is also a reason why it didnt make a hit on AC radios.

 

So even if ''Eyes on me'' would surely get radio's attention, it wont make people buy the album that much... Top 40 radio listeners might love Celine's new sound but most of them will never pay for her stuff, the song can be found on the Internet and it sadly stops there.

 

Alone is, to me, a great single choice. Fade Away is also catchy as a pop rock ballad.

Edited November 28, 2007 at 03:35 AM by caroline_reynolds

[celinesounds]

. Fade Away

. My Love

. Shadow of love (new single version duet with Kylie Minogue)

[CelineFreak]

Forget Eyes on Me....that would fall through the cracks just as much as TC has. It's not bold enough. It's almost like an uptempo ballad - if that's possible? Some people mentioned it already that Celine's next single needs to shock people...open their eyes and ears. The 3 candidates I believe would do that are, Fade Away, This Time, and Can't Fight the Feeling. I voted for Fade Away because its rockish and catchy as well as uplifting. I LOOOVE this song. But Can't Fight the Feeling is really heavy as well. It's so hard to choose!

 

Shadow of Love - NO... it starts off too slow and drowsy. It doesn't really start to pick up until the finale at the end. The next single has to hook people from the first 5 seconds. People do not wait around until the middle of a song to decide whether or not they like it.

 

The next single has to sink its teeth into the listener and not let go!

 

Whatever you do - don't choose a ballad!!!

Edited November 28, 2007 at 04:09 AM by CelineFreak

[celinefan1985]

In a world full of Celine haters, it's nice to see that she still has fans in the industry. I have enjoyed your columns for many, many years and really think Sony should be kissing your *SS

 

As much as I never thought Taking Chances was "hit" material, overtime, I came to feel that it was a perfect choice for radio. Too bad it never quite took off. In retrospect, I think Sony needed to sell her "comeback" a lot earlier to give this song a fair chance at radio.

 

As far as the next single, I have been quite vocal on this forum that it should not be Eyes on Me or Alone! EOM will not go anywhere, it is just BAD! I just don't understand why people think it is so "fresh". To me, it's like a Shakira/ Beyoncé reject. As for as Alone is concerned, the original is too good to touch and Celine's version doesn't bring anything new to the song. Oh, and did i mention that is is another cover...

 

So what should the next single be? I have been thinking about it quite a bit and I go back to thinking it should be whatever can get her a "hit" on radio. The only song that I think has the potential of becoming a hit at radio is I Got nothing Left. Unfortunately, besides the helium vocoded voice, it is a "ballad" and should really be an eventual 3rd single. Other than that, I am not sure there are any songs that could do well besides maybe a shorter version of Surprise Surprise or perhaps Shadow of Love. Don't get me wrong, I am not taking anything away from this album because I do enjoy listening to it (one of my favs is CFTF!) But as I have said many times, I believe the next choice for a single is crucial to Celine's future at radio. Hope Sony makes the right choice This Time...

 

And YESSSSSSSSSSS, I would love to know about the "stories" behind the cover story.

Edited November 28, 2007 at 04:24 AM by joeym

[Ph03n1xfalling]

Fade Away---pop/rock sound is Celine's best bet for another Top 10 hit

A World To Believe In---massive potential in AC radio

[mebe]

Well, we can see that there are more than one songs that are appealing. Everyone is coming out with a different one and with several choices too.

It's very hard to choose ONE single.

I like Eyes On Me but i'm not sure it would have a big success. It's true that it's new for Celine but not so fresh for the music industry in general.

 

I love Shadow Of Love. It's so catchy! I can't see this song failing. But as many said, maybe it would be a better choice for Europe.

 

I also agree that we need an edgier song as a second single. The promotion has been done regarding a new sound. We need to make it play.

Fade Away and This Time would be great choices I guess.

 

Surprise surprise is amazing too. But I dont know why, I dont see it as edgy as some might see it.

 

As you can see, I have a hard time choosing. But for sure I would not choose Alone even if I like her version.

 

Thanks Chuck Taylor for your help!

And I wanna know the behind-the-scene stories too!

[kathyc25]

Definitely Fade Away, Shadow of Love or Surprise Surprise. But Fade Away First because its very very radio friendly, I could see it being a top 10 hit on z100 even.

[nrcda88]

First I would like to say it's really great that someone in the business still looks out for Celine. I've read quite a few articles with reviews of Taking Chances & I don't like them at all. This album has so many great songs if given the chance they could be huge. It's time for people (non Celine fans) to see there is more to Celine, she doesn't only sing ballads.

I voted for This Time although its not my absolute favourite...cuz I don't have one yet, but it's one that I really like. Also there's Fade Away and Shadow Of Love. These are great to showcase Celine's new sound to everyone. Any of these would be wonderful singles.

[Krys]

thank you Chuck for your support

 

i'd say Eyes On Me or This Time should be the next single. i voted for Eyes On Me as non-Celine fans actually thought it was nice and different from the usual Celine songs. This Time just sounds great! not the usual sappy love songs Celine usually sings about. it has the Evanescene-y touch to it. another 3rd song that i consider to be single material would be Fade Away. i see there are already 17 people who voted for Fade Away. Fade Away is a great pop/rock song. something i would call Kelly Clarkson material

 

anyways, thank you Chuck again for helping us out

 

ooo yes, do tell us about the personal stories behind the article

[CelinesDIVO5]

Dear Chuck,

 

I believe we should be focusing more on Celine getting back on top 40 charts because lets face facts here, ANY Celine Dion song is worthy to be a contender on the AC charts. We need something different out there to broaden her fan base. FADE AWAY, CAN'T FIGHT THE FEELIN', THIS TIME...these are all songs that would do awesome on top 40 stations, and although most would probably disagree with me, but I GOT NOTHIN' LEFT I also believe would be a good choice as it is a collaboration with Ne-yo whom is one of the biggest top 40 stars at the present time whether writing, or singing. When you meet with John Doelp, run that by him because we want our girl back on top where she belongs. We all have extreme faith in her for Adult Contemporary radio, but with SONY's single choices, that's the only place she's going to be heard. We need her new edge on Z100 in NYC, and WBLI out here on Long Island and any other big top 40 radio stations around.

[mickeycyl]

I voted "surprise surprise" that I love it so much

[RLAAMJR.]

I voted for "Alone" cos it's already played in the u.s. and here in the Philippines too. If "Alone" will not be released as the second single, then it should not be released at all cos like what i said, it has been played already. And it would not be good if "Alone" will not be released.

[Prince Whiskers]

Please, please, Chuck, read my thread on this forum called "A SENSIBLE strategy for TCH". Feel free to add your reply. Thanks a million.

[morfino]

OMG! i can't believe we are given this opportunity. Thanks Chuck! You're heaven sent, bless you!

 

Well, i might say that Sony should release "FADE AWAY"!!! Definitely!!!

The song has a very good tune, has a very, very good recall and just how much it showcases Celine's versatility and vocal acrobats. I really believe that this will catapult Celine's position as queen of all charts once again! If she does really want to let people know how much she is Taking Chances with this new music and new chapetr of her life, Sony and Celine should let people know and hear of this magnificent song (Fade Away).

 

Releasing Eyes on me will only let more people hate her, trying to be hip and cool, although i might add that it's not a bad song.

 

Please Chuck, convince SONY to release FADE AWAY!!!!

 

FADE AWAY!!!

FADE AWAY!!!

FADE AWAY!!!

FADE AWAY!!!

FADE AWAY!!!

FADE AWAY!!!

FADE AWAY!!!

 

Thanks a lot Mr. Taylor!