In honor of the legendary singer’s 52 years on earth, we’re enumerating 52 things we absolutely adore about her. Bonne anniversaire, Céline!
1. First of all, we love that she’s 52.
We love that Céline has reached more than a half-century. On the one hand, she looks youthful and beautiful and luminous and we’d never guess she’s 52 by looking at her, but on the other hand, she’s such a cultural institution we can’t believe she hasn’t been around much, much longer, filling our lives with tender ballads and expressive hand gestures since time immemorial.
2. Speaking of which, we love this hand gesture:
3. We love a good Céline throwback.
4. She’s Canadian!
Who doesn’t love Canadians? We love their politicians! We love their ice dancers! We love their snarky superheroes! We love Céline Dion!
5. Not only that, she’s Québécois!
That is, elle est Québécois.
6. And therefore often sings en français, and who can resist that? Pas nous!
7. She is the youngest of 14 siblings.
Yes! Fourteen!
8. She has a genuine rags-to-riches life story.
More like Céline-derella, am I right?
9. And she chronicled it in her autobiography.
My Story, My Dream was published in 2001.
10. We love that she was discovered at age 12…
What were you doing at age 12?
11. By her future manager and husband, René Angélil…
12. To whom she was married for 21 years, and cared for when he became sick with cancer.
13. And upon his death, her strength and grace were genuinely inspirational.
Dion’s brother died just two days after Angélil’s, and the singer in grief was a vision of dignity.
14. But let’s look back on happier times. We love her bridal style.
Honestly, that headpiece.
15. Actually, we love all of her style.
16. She wore this iconic Galliano to the Oscars in 1999.
The white backwards tux was ahead of its time, truly.
17. At 49, she posed for a nude photo.
View this post on Instagram Here's a little naked fact to ponder while Celine Dion changes looks between shows: for the past five years she has worn haute couture near exclusively for her own performances (in Las Vegas and on her current "mini-tour" of Europe). She performs a minimum two hours a night, five or six nights a week, dancing and curtseying and generally gesticulating sans abandon, in handmade, hand-beaded delicacies designed solely to walk a catwalk or a carpet (and often with handlers). For Celine's orders, the houses send teams to Nevada for typically three fittings, before the garments are ultimately finished in her local, private atelier. Armani Prive, Schiaparelli, Giambattista Valli, Versace…only a partial list. Everyone, basically. In Vegas, Velcro panels are added to allow for her ribcage to expand or for a quick outfit change. Micro straps of elasticized chiffon prevent a slit from becoming a sloppy situation mid-squat. Shoes—always heels, never platforms—are ordered one size smaller (she is normally a 38) and refitted with metal shanks. Says Celine, "We have to make haute couture industrial." And, more enigmatically: "The clothes follow me; I do not follow the clothes." Which is to say: the haute couture, with all its fragility and handcraft, has to perform professionally for Ms. Dion. And privately as well. Years ago, Celine bought a classic little black dress from the Christian Dior atelier when the house was overseen by John Galliano. It is simple, falling to mid calf, and narrow as can be with just a hint of stretch. It requires a minimum of jewelry, a statement bracelet or perhaps one of the major diamond rings she designed with her late husband Rene Angelil: two pear cuts set in a wide pave band, or two hearts of diamond and emerald abstractly interlocking, on a cushion of yet more diamonds. This LBD forces you to walk one foot in front of the other. This is a dress Celine knows well and clearly loves, the simplest evocation of the private luxury of couture and the total antithesis of the red carpet hoopla that attends the union of fashion and celebrity. It is also the dress she wore to Rene's funeral. #CelineTakesCouture Photo by @sophfei.A post shared by Vogue (@voguemagazine) on Jul 3, 2017 at 10:25pm PDT
18. She also wore Versace to the 2017 Met Gala.
She went avant-garde in her first time attending the glamorous event.
19. She took full advantage of the 2017 Met Gala photobooth.
View this post on Instagram @celinedion turned heads at her first #MetGala in cut-away #AtelierVersace leather and an origami-inspired headpiece. Director @gvsgvs Digital Art Installation @silasveta Music #audiosocketA post shared by Vogue (@voguemagazine) on May 1, 2017 at 11:59pm PDT
20. See? She isn’t afraid to get silly, even wearing couture.
21. And she blew the roof off the 2017 BBMAs wearing this spectacular modern dress.
She sang “My Heart Will Go On.”
22. Wait a minute, have we not mentioned that we love “My Heart Will Go On” yet?!
We love “My Heart Will Go On,” and we love its music video.
23. Speaking of essential ‘90s music videos, let’s not forget “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.”
24. Anyway, Céline sang “My Heart Will Go On” at the 1998 Oscars.
25. And she actually wore Titanic’s Heart of the Ocean necklace to the Oscars!
But I thought the old lady dropped it into the ocean in the end?
26. But “My Heart Will Go On” isn’t the only award-winning song she’s recorded.
She sang “Beauty and the Beast” in a duet with Peabo Bryson for its classic ‘90s pop movie-credits version.
27. She has also provided the soundtrack to countless heartbroken ice-cream binges.
“All By Myself” was originally recorded by Eric Carmen in 1975, but Céline’s 1996 cover is iconic on its own.
28. She has released a total of 71 albums and box sets.
That’s 26 studio albums, seven live albums, 17 compilation albums, and 21 box sets. Can you honestly imagine having released 71 of anything?
29. She has been nominated for 17 Grammys — and won five.
30. She knows how to strike a pose.
31. She is the queen of Las Vegas.
She is a pioneer of the Sin City residency, a career move that Elton John, Cher, and Britney Spears, among others, have made in her footsteps.
32. Nobody sings “God Bless America” as beautifully as she does.
She performed the song at a special post-9/11 concert in 2001, and before the 2003 Super Bowl, among other venues.
33. But even though she’s sung patriotic songs and achieved enormous success in the U.S., she’s never abandoned her French-Canadian roots.
34. Pink called her a “magic light bulb.”
“She is just simply amazing,” Pink told EW. Yeah she is.
35. She is so, so rich.
We know it’s gauche to talk about money, but just look at these numbers: With a net worth of $400 million, Dion ranked third on Forbes’ list of America’s Richest Female Entertainers in 2017 — ahead of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Barbra Streisand. Pretty much every time a person so much as thinks about Vegas, a 100-dollar bill materializes out of thin air in front of her.
36. She has duetted with herself — in hologram form.
37. Not to mention Elvis in hologram form!
38. And with Ne-Yo, in real life!
39. And don’t forget Barbra Streisand!
40. She and Justin Bieber are 10th cousins three times removed.
We told you we loved Canadians!
41. We love Céline-isms.
She has such a way of expressing herself. For instance, where most people would simply say to compare performing in Vegas and in Europe is “apples and oranges,” Céline tells us, “I can’t compare a pair of jeans and a nightgown, but I can’t live without either of them.” Who would even think to describe it that way? Céline Dion, that’s who.
42. She’s not afraid to take chances!
43. And she can dance!
44. Four of her songs were performed on Glee.
Rachel Berry, it seems, is a big fan.
45. She’s been honored with the Order of Canada and elevated to its highest rank.
The highest rank of the Order of Canada is Companion, because Canada.
46. She’s also received France’s Legion d’honneur.
47. She’s been named a Goodwill Ambassador in the fight against hunger by the UN.
48. And she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
49. Her flowing hair is absolutely aspirational.
We’ve never seen it looking less than perfect.
50. She posts goofy Instagrams with Adele!
View this post on Instagram I had a pretty rough time during the last couple of weeks…a lot of people have been hit with cold and flu bugs… but I'm doing much better now. Wasn't able to do all my shows, but was thrilled that Adele came to one of them…. I love her so much!! // Les deux dernières semaines ont été difficiles pour moi. Nous avons été plusieurs à être affectés par le rhume ou la grippe, mais sachez que je vais beaucoup mieux maintenant. Je n’ai pas été en mesure de monter sur scène pour tous mes spectacles, mais je suis ravie qu'Adele ait pu venir assister à l’un d’eux… Je l’aime tellement !! – Céline xx…: Cashman
A post shared by Céline Dion (@celinedion) on Jan 26, 2018 at 3:03am PST
51. She was an adorable kid!
View this post on Instagram Bonne fête Céline! De la santé, de l’amour et du bonheur !
- Team Céline . Happy Birthday, Celine! Wishing you health, love and happiness!
A post shared by Céline Dion (@celinedion) on Mar 30, 2020 at 10:43am PDT
52. She’s one of the greatest artists of all time.
View this post on Instagram I’m so grateful for the time we had together Charlotte, thank you !A post shared by Céline Dion (@celinedion) on Jan 22, 2020 at 6:55am PST
Is that 52 things already? What don’t we love about Céline? Let’s hear it for the birthday girl!
This article originally appeared on Ew.com
Source: People.com (https://people.com/music/celine-dion-50th-birthday/)
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