Courage is the twenty-seventh studio album and twelfth English-language album by Canadian singer Celine Dion. Released by Columbia Records on 15 November 2019, it was created with a diverse group of writers and producers, including Sia, Sam Smith, David Guetta, Lauv, LP, Greg Kurstin, StarGate, Jimmy Napes, Jörgen Elofsson, Stephan Moccio, Eg White, and Liz Rodrigues of The New Royales.
The album marked Dion's return to the studio following the end of her Las Vegas residency, Celine, in June 2019. She released "Flying on My Own" as a gift to fans shortly afterward, and in September 2019 launched the Courage World Tour, where she premiered three additional songs: "Imperfections", "Lying Down", and "Courage". Courage includes 16 tracks, with four more on the deluxe edition, and received generally favourable reviews from music critics.
The album debuted atop the US Billboard 200, becoming Dion's first number-one album there in 17 years. It also entered at number one in Canada, Belgium, and Switzerland, and reached the top 10 in numerous other countries, including number two in the United Kingdom, France, and Australia, number four in Germany, Austria, and Croatia, and number five in Ireland, New Zealand, and Portugal.
Background and development In November 2013, Dion released her previous English-language studio album, Loved Me Back to Life. The following month, her husband René Angélil was diagnosed with throat cancer and underwent surgery. In June 2014, Angélil stepped down as Dion's manager to focus on his health, and in August 2014 Dion postponed her show business activities because of the worsening of her husband's condition. Angélil died on 14 January 2016.
On 22 May 2016, in her first public performance outside The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Dion performed "The Show Must Go On" during the 2016 Billboard Music Awards, where she received the Billboard Icon Award. In August 2016, she released her French-language album Encore un soir, which received critical and commercial success. The following month, she premiered "Recovering", a song written by Pink in honor of her late husband. The song was marketed as the first track from her upcoming English-language album, which at the time was projected for release in 2017. She performed it during the Stand Up to Cancer Live Event on 9 September 2016. In March 2017, Dion's "How Does a Moment Last Forever" was released on the Beauty and the Beast: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. She also embarked on two summer tours in Canada and Europe in 2016 and 2017.
In 2018, she released "Ashes" from the American superhero film Deadpool 2, and toured Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. In September 2018, she announced the end of her Las Vegas residency Celine, with the final date set for 8 June 2019.
On 3 April 2019, Dion announced the 2019–2020 Courage World Tour, beginning in Quebec City, Canada, on 18 September 2019. She also announced a new English-language album of the same name, scheduled for release in November 2019. Explaining the album's title, she said: "I think I went through a lot. And life had given me the tools... to find my inner strength, to find courage, and to keep going. The people that I love so much embraced the moments that were difficult. They gave me so much strength. And then a song came that was called 'Courage', and it didn't take long for all of us to say, 'I think the album should be called Courage'".
Dion announced the tour in a video titled "Ciao for now Las Vegas", in which she leaves Las Vegas in a car full of drag queens. Impersonator Steven Wayne appeared as Dion, alongside Bryan Watkins, Crystal Woods, and Hot Chocolate as Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, and Tina Turner. The promo also teased the new song "Flying on My Own". On 5 April 2019, on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Dion promoted her upcoming tour, sang a few lines from the song "Courage", and performed "Ashes". On 7 and 8 June 2019, she performed "Flying on My Own" during her Las Vegas residency show, and the live performance was released to streaming platforms on 8 June 2019.
Writing and recording In April 2019, Dion revealed that she had received 48 potential songs for the upcoming album and needed to choose 12 of them. The new album, Courage, would explore new musical directions while also maintaining the familiar style associated with Dion. After releasing the Pink-written song "Recovering" in September 2016, Dion recorded new material in October 2016 with Diane Warren, who wrote many of her hits, including "Because You Loved Me". In April 2017, Dion mentioned that Sia had written three songs for her. In April 2019, it was announced that the new album would include a contribution by Sia, and that one of her songs was titled "Baby".
In December 2017, Dion revealed that she had recorded new music with Stephan Moccio and Maty Noyes. Moccio wrote Dion's 2002 single "A New Day Has Come", and also co-wrote hits for other artists, including "Earned It" by The Weeknd and "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus. Also in December 2017, Dion recorded the song "Flying on My Own" at the Studio at the Palms in Las Vegas. The track was written by Jörgen Elofsson, Anton Mårtenson, and Liz Rodrigues. In October 2018, David Guetta mentioned that Dion had recorded a song he co-wrote with Sia.
While announcing the Courage World Tour in April 2019, Dion revealed that she had recorded a song titled "Courage", which became the album's title track, scheduled for release in November 2019. The promotional video for the tour includes a fragment of the new song "Flying on My Own". On 20 May 2019, a fragment of another new song, "Lying Down", written by David Guetta and Sia, appeared in Dion's episode of Carpool Karaoke with James Corden. "Flying on My Own" (Live from Las Vegas) was released as a digital download on 9 June 2019, the day after Dion ended her 16-year Las Vegas residency. The studio version followed on 28 June 2019. On 18 September 2019, Dion released three new songs — "Lying Down", "Courage", and "Imperfections" — revealed the album's cover art, and announced the release date of 15 November 2019.
Critical reception
Courage received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album holds an average score of 68 based on nine reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Mike Wass of Idolator gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, describing it as one of Dion's most eclectic works, particularly notable at this stage in her career. He wrote that although the production is inventive, the themes remain traditional, with Dion exploring matters of the heart. Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic also awarded the album 4 out of 5 stars, calling Courage a transformative and cathartic release that guides listeners through Dion's process of healing and renewal. He added that the album includes a substantial number of mid-tempo songs that function as emotional reflections for both Dion and her audience. Nick Smith of MusicOMH likewise rated the album 4 out of 5 stars, noting its coherent themes of inner strength, courage, and self-reflection, and describing Courage as an impressive return.
Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone praised the album's contemporary dance-pop tracks and its ballads, writing that the dance-pop moments are most effective when they include a touch of camp, allowing Dion's performance skills to stand out. She also stated that the ballads, showcasing Dion's multi-octave mezzo-soprano, are among the album's strongest elements. In her summary, Spanos compared Courage to Cher's 1998 album Believe, suggesting that Courage similarly reintroduced Dion to a new generation. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian wrote that the album's strongest tracks are its ballads, which remain close to the style that made Dion famous, including the title track. Alexandra Pollard of The Independent observed that the album's most affecting moments address the loss of a loved one, particularly in "For the Lover That I Lost", co-written by Sam Smith, and "Courage". Michael Cragg of The Observer noted that the album, recorded after the death of Dion's husband in 2016, is filled with lyrics about loss and renewal.
Jason Lipshutz of Billboard wrote that while Dion's 2013 album Loved Me Back to Life was a strong effort, Courage is even more vital, praising the "propulsive" opener "Flying on My Own", the "devastating" title track, and several reflective songs throughout. He added that the album's focus on loss, recovery, and personal empowerment makes it one of the most mature pop releases of 2019. Billboard staff later included Courage on their list of the best albums of 2019. In a more mixed review for Variety, A. D. Amorosi wrote that the album's most compelling moments address bereavement, fear, and finality in Dion's distinctive vocal style. He criticised several tracks, including "Flying on My Own", "Lovers Never Die", and "The Chase", arguing that they make Dion sound "robotic and dull". He concluded that Courage may represent Dion experimenting beyond her usual style, but cautioned against making such an approach habitual. The Cavalier Daily published a positive review, calling Courage Dion's best work to date and naming "Falling in Love Again" and "How Did You Get Here" as standout tracks.
Year-end rankings and accolades Year-end rankings Numerous publications listed Courage as one of the best pop albums of 2019. AllMusic included it among their Favorite Pop Albums of 2019, describing the record as a "cathartic comeback". Billboard ranked Courage as the 50th best album of the year, writing that "Celine both digs deep, and lets us see her lighter side -- and that's the power of Dion". Idolator placed the album at No. 20 on their list of The Best Pop Albums of 2019, calling it her "best album since the 90s". Slate also listed Courage among the best albums of 2019. Billboard also ranked four songs from the album in their Top 10 Fan-favourite Songs of 2019 list. "Imperfections" topped the list at No. 1, while "Courage" (No. 4), "Flying on My Own" (No. 6), and "Lying Down" (No. 9) also appeared.
Publication Accolade Rank AllMusic Favorite Pop Albums of 2019 Billboard The 50 Best Albums of 2019 Billboard Readers Top 10 Best Albums of 2019 Idolator The 20 Best Pop Albums of 2019 Slate The Best Albums of 2019
Accolades The album received two Juno Award nominations at the Juno Awards of 2021, for Album of the Year and Adult Contemporary Album of the Year. Owing to Courage, Dion was also nominated for Juno Award for Artist of the Year. The album won a Webby Award in the Experimental & Innovation Social category.
Singles In June 2019, Dion released "Flying on My Own" as a gift to fans. The song reached number one in Quebec and entered the top 10 on the digital charts in Canada and France, as well as on the US Dance Club Songs chart. On 18 September 2019, Dion released three additional songs: "Imperfections", "Lying Down", and "Courage". The music video for "Imperfections" premiered on 26 September 2019, and the song was sent to radio on 30 September 2019. On 19 October 2019, "Lying Down" was added to the A-list on the BBC Radio 2 airplay playlist in the United Kingdom and was named record of the week. The music video for "Courage" premiered on 13 November 2019. "Soul" was sent to Italian radio on 24 January 2020 as the album's fourth promotional single and later became available worldwide on streaming platforms after previously being exclusive to Japan as the album's Japanese bonus track. "Change My Mind" was released as the album's third promotional single in the United Kingdom on 15 February 2020 and was added to the BBC Radio 2 B-List the same day.
Commercial performance