Celine on Ask Billboard

[rhaps]

WHEN A MILLION'S JUST A MILLION

 

Hi Keith,

 

One of my friends and I are having an argument about Celine Dion's latest album, "Taking Chances."

 

Billboard just reported that it has now shipped one million copies in 16 weeks. I must admit that selling a million albums is quite an achievement but I nevertheless believe that, with her standards (which are quite high, I concede), this latest album constitutes a disappointment.

 

No artist who once sold 10 million copies of their earlier albums hope to sell a (mere) million copies. My friend keeps telling me she's still on top of her art and cites as an example her incredible concert ticket sales in South Africa.

 

Would you agree with me that Dion's career likely peaked a few years ago and that she's coasting on the fumes of her past successes? Do you see "Taking Chances" coming back strongly in the next few weeks?

 

Thanks a lot for your comments!

 

Natalia Mendes

Montreal, Quebec

 

 

Hi Natalia,

 

First, it's hard for any artist, much less Celine Dion, to sell a million albums these days.

 

It's likely that you read a story about how "Taking Chances" was certified platinum in the U.S. by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping one million copies to retailers.

 

It's actually just shy of selling a million in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. It has shifted 926,000 so far.

 

(The RIAA, a completely separate entity from Billboard and Nielsen SoundScan, bases their gold and platinum awards on units shipped to U.S. retail. For further information on the RIAA, visit its official Web site.)

 

It is unfair to compare "Taking Chances," in terms of sales, to Dion's earlier albums like "Falling Into You." The latter set, which has sold 10.8 million in the U.S., is one of those once-in-a-lifetime albums. It'd be like comparing Madonna's new album's sales to how well "Like a Virgin" or "True Blue" sold. Or, bashing Alanis Morissette because her last album didn't sell as well as the phenomenon that was "Jagged Little Pill."

 

Certain albums simply capture the attention of what seems like the entire country. For a time in the '90s, Dion was everywhere (and in everyone's stereo).

 

Considering that "Taking Chances" is her first pop album since 2003, and that's she's been basically off the pop radar for years (working in Las Vegas), it's doing fairly well.

 

Dion's extensive world tour has dates lined up through January 2009. In the next week, she visits South Korea while she'll hit Australia at the end of the month. In April, she heads to Malaysia and China, followed by a tour of Europe in May through July. Her North American tour begins on Aug. 12 in Boston.

 

 

>>>>very well said!

[Bellamy]

http://www.celinedionforum.com/index.php?showtopic=32111

 

repeat topic closed.