Céline being cool again

[Critiaslux]

I do not know if this article has been posted somewhere, so posting it here.

Céline is receiving good press and reviews lately, so I thougt maybe we could have positive articles post highlighting this new wave of appreciation and love

 

http://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/boshra-column-for-saturday-july-23

 

Boshra: God help me, I think I like Céline Dion now

Basem Boshra, Montreal Gazette

Published on: July 23, 2016 | Last Updated: July 23, 2016 8:57 AM EDT

 

Any lingering pretensions I have to being remotely cool — hey, stop laughing! — will be obliterated by this column.

 

But I’m OK with that. Because the burden of the secret I’ve been harbouring is growing too heavy for me to bear.

 

So, here goes: I think I like Céline Dion. Like, for real, not out of any sense of detached hipster irony.

 

For the sake of full disclosure, I have spent too many years being one of those people who ridiculed Céline for her hyper-emotional, chest-beating demeanour, her yen for saccharine power ballads and her unleavened sentimentality, on stage and off, which, when combined, made her such an easy target.

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But I’ve been wrestling with this sea change in my world view for months now, ever since Céline — and I’m breaking with Gazette style here by using her first name on second reference, but if ever any star in this province has earned that kind of familiarity, it is she — appeared at the visitation for her late husband and manager René Angélil at the Notre-Dame Basilica in January.

 

It was a sight that still gives me chills whenever I think about it, which is surprisingly often. There was Céline, the biggest pop star Quebec has ever produced, standing for hours to personally greet the hundreds of fans who had gathered to pay their respects.

 

That mutual outpouring of affection was, as I wrote at the time, a visceral reminder of the fact that Céline occupies a special, rarefied place in the hearts of so many Quebecers.

 

And in the months since Angelil’s passing, the Céline who has re-emerged in the public spotlight over the past few weeks in particular has seemed like a new woman, on multiple levels.

 

The first signs of change were external, as Céline — long a fan of flamboyant frocks befitting a diva who had a years-long Las Vegas residency — turned heads at Paris Haute Couture Week this month with a chic, new look. The change has been widely credited to her new stylist Law Roach, who Céline herself has said has been instrumental to her fashion transformation since Angelil’s death. “Working with Law Roach is quite an experience to be honest with you,” she recently told Entertainment Tonight. “He brought me out of my closet and now flowers are growing.”

 

Céline’s new look reached an early apex when she was photographed in Paris wearing a sweatshirt bearing images from the film Titanic. That’s right, the woman who became a global icon with the phenomenal success of My Heart Will Go On, the treacly super-ballad from the soundtrack to that even more treacly box office smash starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, was wearing a Titanic sweatshirt. (This is still Céline, after all, so it wasn’t like the sweatshirt was a last-minute pickup at Winners; it’s from high-end Paris design house Vetements and retails for $885.) It was just refreshing to see that Céline hasn’t got too big to be ironic or too sheltered to not be in on the joke. And it was hard not to smile at the perfection of it all.

 

That heretofore obscured knowingness and playfulness was on even more evident display when I watched Céline’s genial appearance on Thursday night’s edition of the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. In particular, her game turn in the show’s

segment, during which Céline sang in the style of fellow pop stars Cher, Rihanna and Sia, revealed a self-deprecating and whimsical side of her that I’m sure her friends and family know well, but which she has rarely unleashed in public.

 

Céline’s music is always going to be the most challenging part for me to embrace. I checked out her latest single,

, with no small amount of trepidation, and was pleasantly surprised: it was, unshockingly, a ballad, but a spare and beautiful one, free from the vocal gymnastics that mar too many of Céline’s English pop songs, and once again highlighted the contrast between those and her more grounded French oeuvre. It augurs well for her forthcoming album, also titled Encore un soir, which is set to drop on Aug. 26.

 

With this intriguing new music and Céline set to play 17 shows in Montreal, Quebec and Trois-Rivières in late July and August, this is certainly shaping up to be the summer of Céline in Quebec.

 

And at least now I won’t have to pretend I’m too cool to care.

 

bboshra@postmedia.com

Twitter.com/basemboshra

[jpatdeleon09]

Well, some is talking about her... looking old. She stop using botox. But most praised her body and legs. Like they are saying a 50 year old face in a 20 year old body.

[Neddo]

Well, some is talking about her... looking old. She stop using botox. But most praised her body and legs. Like they are saying a 50 year old face in a 20 year old body.

 

With decent makeup /like in Alix Malka 2012 photoshoot she could look younger

 

In videos she looks amazing

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEMie7Lsg6U

[enno2007]

Well, some is talking about her... looking old. She stop using botox. But most praised her body and legs. Like they are saying a 50 year old face in a 20 year old body.

 

And this is a problem? Gosh, talking about what Celine wears or her hairstyle may be alright (even if I personally care little) but debating whether she looks old, should take Botox etc is in my view way out of line - especially if it comes from someone claiming to be a fan. What a ridiculously shallow statement - it ranks up high on the 'stupid comments that demonstrate a lack of decency chart', together with this other 'fan' who recently complained about her having a belly when appearing on the Fallon show .

Edited July 24, 2016 by enno2007

[Peppercorn1991]

Well, some is talking about her... looking old. She stop using botox. But most praised her body and legs. Like they are saying a 50 year old face in a 20 year old body.

 

Why is everything about looks with you? She is a singer.... I think she looks good anyway

 

You keep comparing her from ten years ago in your posts.... Who looks the same 10 years later.... And I've got news for you... She will be getting even older.... Get ready...

 

Kev x

[flutefreak]

I think Celine looks spectacular! I could only wish to look as good as her and I'm a good 11 years or so younger than her. Just don't get the criticism around her looks and never will. I hope she never does anything to her face she is perfect as is. I know how old she is and I don't care. I like it that she is real in a world of so much fake in the industry.

[duri]

Céline looks great! And IMO she looks even better when you see her live than she looks on photos. I saw her in Paris few times in front hotel and on concerts and I also had a chance to do selfie with her so she was very close to me for few moments and I can tell that she looks better when you see her face to face.

[jpatdeleon09]

Why is everything about looks with you? She is a singer.... I think she looks good anyway

 

You keep comparing her from ten years ago in your posts.... Who looks the same 10 years later.... And I've got news for you... She will be getting even older.... Get ready...

 

Kev x

 

it keeps bothering me that most of the comments are about her looks. Like they are saying that she looks terrible, that they can't even watched her in the face while watching her interviews, etc. i hate it. Well, mostly this generation is all about looks now. Sad, but true.

Edited July 25, 2016 by jpatdeleon09

[jpatdeleon09]

And this is a problem? Gosh, talking about what Celine wears or her hairstyle may be alright (even if I personally care little) but debating whether she looks old, should take Botox etc is in my view way out of line - especially if it comes from someone claiming to be a fan. What a ridiculously shallow statement - it ranks up high on the 'stupid comments that demonstrate a lack of decency chart', together with this other 'fan' who recently complained about her having a belly when appearing on the Fallon show .

 

"Like they are saying a 50 year old face in a 20 year old body", "She looks terrible, etc." It's not me that who said that. It's from the comments in youtube that i always see. I just want to share it with this forum.

[Boy]

together with this other 'fan' who recently complained about her having a belly when appearing on the Fallon show .

 

OMG, seriously?? A belly? Celine? I think she had a belly only twice in her life

[LukeD]

Even during her prime Celine not cool. She will never be that. Not even for us who love her! It is just that more people seem to embrace her which is amazing! Edited July 25, 2016 by LukeD

[Remon]

Found this article thru Celine Dion Holland's FB page:

 

http://www.mtv.com/news/2909904/the-grown-#ss-pop-star-guide-to-not-giving-a-s***-celine-dion-edition/

[CelineDionForeverNY]

Staying at Niagara Falls right now and I was just going through channels when there was some news about Celine's style and an interview with Law on The Insider. She's everywhere I go!

[Katie]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/people/if-you-feel-beautiful-and-pretty-you-cant-be-sad-and-miserable-c/?platform=hootsuite

[Ronny83]

Found this article thru Celine Dion Holland's FB page:

 

http://www.mtv.com/n...e-dion-edition/

Fakeness! MTV is/was the first network that doesn't/didn't air Celine's music.

[scielle]

First there was the Basem Boshra article (here and here).

 

And then the MTV one...I'd argue this is not about Celine being cool again. It's about Celine being cool, period. Because her being un-ironically cool rather than a 'guilty pleasure' and finally getting credit for being her authentic, badass self, is IMHO completely new.

 

Finally somebody's putting pen to paper and publishing things we here have known all along! My favourite thing about Celine - more so than her music - is that she's always apologetically been her authentic self and always owned it! No matter how 'uncool' that made her. She always stuck to her guns and Anne Donahue finally gives her props for it -

 

"In short, she let her freak flag fly and became increasingly badass in the process. Meanwhile, we all had to grow up a bit to understand how refreshing that is. […]

But Celine Dion has always been bravely individualistic. [she] wore a backward tuxedo to the Oscars before anybody thought that was fine. Celine Dion didn’t get cool; she’s always been cool. We just had to grow into realizing it. […]

Being one’s self carries a currency. And if there’s anything to take away from Celine Dion’s triumphant return to the spotlight, it’s that life (and art) are just better when the artist doesn’t care what you think."

 

Amen.

 

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Edited July 26, 2016 by scielle

[Daysleeper]

I think there is a difference between being "cool" and being yourself. Being yourself means staying true to yourself no matter what other people think. Being "cool" has nothing to do with you, but with how other people perceive you. The word "cool" is nothing more than a label that society is putting on you for this or that reason. In fact I don't think there is a strong definition of that word. What is actually "cool" and what is not? Who is defining it? Medias have a huge impact and power on our own perception. It's like they make general opinions and people tend to like what the majority likes.

 

Céline was never trying to be cool. She was just being herself and that's what makes her special and worth of admiration. She was always like that and she never changed. What changed is the perception of other people. The medias removed her once from the "cool" list. Now she is back there? Who makes those lists and will they remove her again?

 

I remember having many friends who were Céline's fans. I met them through fan clubs, forums etc. At the time when she was on the top of her popularity they were praising her to death. Later, when medias started to disparage her, they all stopped being fans and they were repeating almost the same words that they read or heard in the medias. They all seemed ashamed of being fans once. Also I have a friend from France who was never a fan of Céline. He used to make fun of her. He always openly said he doesn't like her. But now, after the concerts in Paris and lots of positive reviews in the medias including the success of EUS, look who is liking every photo of Céline on FB. Who is adding her videos on FB. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad when somebody becomes a fan. Good for him. But Will it last? Why now? Just because she is "cool" again?

 

What bothers me is that people care too much whether something is cool or not. Like it's a question of value. As I said, Céline never changed and articles like "I didn't like Céline, but I think she is cool now" don't have sense. Especially if the article is titled "God help me, I think I like Céline Dion now". What a stupid title! What a hypocrisy! And again, why now? Just because she is suddenly "cool" again. Why Is she now and she wasn't before?

[Javito]

^^ I wholeheartedly agree with that post!

 

But in the end, cool or not, I think we're at the start of a Céline Dion resurrection in the media! At least for fashion purposes, but the media is raving about her these days

[flutefreak]

So what makes us different? Everyone here on the forum has for the most part been fans for life through good and bad times. Just got me to wondering...

[scielle]

That's the beauty.

She never changed. Has always been individualistic and completely, unapologetically owned it.

It's just that those who use to disparage her have finally grown up to recognize and respect that.

[BartFCS]

That's the beauty.

She never changed. Has always been individualistic and completely, unapologetically owned it.

It's just that those who use to disparage her have finally grown up to recognize and respect that.

exactly

[québecflower]

So what makes us different? Everyone here on the forum has for the most part been fans for life through good and bad times. Just got me to wondering...

i'll just talk about me, i really love her voice , no matter what. she is the best. And now that she is putting more emotion, not being so afraid of doing mistakes, i love her even more. The fact that she is silly helps a lot too... She does whatever she wants now, 100% . René was good for her , but i find sometimes he wanted to protect her so much that he isolated her a bit much. Anyway , it is true that we will see the best .

[flutefreak]

i'll just talk about me, i really love her voice , no matter what. she is the best. And now that she is putting more emotion, not being so afraid of doing mistakes, i love her even more. The fact that she is silly helps a lot too... She does whatever she wants now, 100% . René was good for her , but i find sometimes he wanted to protect her so much that he isolated her a bit much. Anyway , it is true that we will see the best .

 

I agree and it's exciting times to be a fan.

[ryba]

Its like something must have happeded, looks like the media got heavily paid to praise Celine just kidding... But I love that!!

[Daysleeper]

That's the beauty.

She never changed. Has always been individualistic and completely, unapologetically owned it.

It's just that those who use to disparage her have finally grown up to recognize and respect that.

 

True! She never changed. And it's really awesome to have her back in the spotlight.

 

But have those people who said negative things about her really grown up? I guess some of them have. It's normal to change opinions through life. But there are also some who maybe just feel ashamed of disparaging her before so now they change the side because they feel afraid of being in the minority. The title that I quoted above "God help me, I think I like Céline now" says it all. It's like: "Hey I never liked Céline, and I'm not even quite sure if I like her now, but since everyone is writing nice things about her, I should do it too for the sake of being cool"

[Ronny83]

If she were cool again, radio stations and TVs would play her again. That's not the case. So, I'm sorry, I can't see an upgrade of Celine's status. Edited July 26, 2016 by Ronny83

[mirage]

Ugh so true!!

It's amazing to have some many good article's written about her.

 

But where were they the last few years?

Celine never changed, she is still the same.

 

So many interviews where she is goofy, crazy and cool but no word about it.

Suddenly BIG sites writing about a cool celine, and now everybody's talking about it.

 

Like that she is getting new fans with this, but I hate the fact that some new fans are just fans because the world tells them she is cool.

 

I hope this will continue and stay, not that she will be dragged through the mud when she does something that's not cool...

 

Talking about always been cool,her interview with Wayne Brady, god I loved that one!! Haha

[incognito]

I don't think she was ever cool. I've been a fan since 1994 and I guess I must have fallen asleep for the first cool period? Because even at the height of her mega-selling fame I was made fun of for liking her and she was heavily criticized by the media. Edited July 26, 2016 by incognito

[Lotty]

I think we have to thank Rene another time. Because IMO all this attention and respect for her is due not only to the last good choises, but mostly to the affection many People and the society are feeling for her and for the loss of the love of her life. This is something that's pushing her image up even for the ones who didn't Like her music.

[ryba]

Talking about "cool", I got a question for you: what is "cool"? I think everybody has a different definition for cool. For me, Celine has always been funny, nice and humble, just a great personality and I admire her for her talent, discipline and strong will. Huge inspiration Edited July 26, 2016 by ryba