"Loved Me Back to Life" is a song by Canadian singer Celine Dion. It was released on 3 September 2013 by Columbia Records as the lead single from her eleventh English-language studio album, also titled Loved Me Back to Life (2013).[2][3][4] The song was written by Sia, Hasham "Sham" Hussain and Denarius "Motesart" Motes, and produced by Hussain and Motes.[2][5][6] The official live music video was uploaded to Vevo on 18 September 2013.[7] "Loved Me Back to Life" received positive reviews from critics and became a top 40 hit in several countries, reaching number 14 in the United Kingdom, number 17 in South Korea, number 25 in Switzerland and Belgium, number 26 in Canada, number 29 in Ireland, number 32 in France, and number 38 in Germany and Austria.
"Loved Me Back to Life" is a power ballad performed in a minor key, supported by a chorus built around a dubstep-influenced drop.[2] It was written by Sia, who also provided vocals for David Guetta's "Titanium" and wrote the lyrics and melody for Rihanna's "Diamonds". The track was produced by Hasham "Sham" Hussain and Denarius "Motesart" Motes, who also worked on "Is Anybody Out There?" by K'naan and Nelly Furtado. "Loved Me Back to Life" premiered on radio on 3 September 2013 and was released as a digital download the same day.[2] The official audio was later uploaded to Dion's Vevo channel.[8] The song was sent to adult contemporary radio stations in the United States on 9 September 2013, and the BBC Radio 2 Mix premiered on BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom on 28 September 2013.[9][10] A short making-of video was released on Vevo on 24 September 2013.[11] Dance remixes by David Morales, Dave Audé and Jump Smokers followed in October 2013.[12]
Critical reception
"Loved Me Back to Life" received positive reviews from music critics. Gary Graff of Billboard wrote that Dion embraced contemporary pop trends with the lead single from her first English‑language album in six years. He noted the "stuttering" vocal hook and dubstep elements as current, comparing them to the work of artists such as Rihanna, while describing Dion's performance as full, soaring, and more sombre than usual, calling it "commanding".[13]Popjournalism praised the track, concluding that it set up Dion's 5 November album release as a strong mainstream single that would appeal broadly without distancing long‑time listeners.[14]MTV's Brad Stern also responded favourably, naming it one of the week's must‑hear pop songs and describing it as a powerful ballad written by Sia, marked by emotional delivery and polished production.[15]
The Huffington Post described the track as a modern production that incorporates dubstep and a hip hop‑influenced beat, adding that the arrangement almost suggests a transition into a rap verse over its bass and drum patterns.[16]Idolator editor Sam Lansky praised the song's vocal loop, production, instrumentation, and chorus, calling it fresh and contemporary while noting similarities to Rihanna's "Diamonds". He added that the track should appeal to new listeners as well as long‑time fans.[17]
OK! compared the track to a blend of styles associated with Cher and J.Lo, describing it as a departure from "My Heart Will Go On".[18] Feedback Musiq wrote that the studio version was as strong as Dion's live performance and praised Sia's writing.[19] DaysTune noted that Dion delivered a more electronic‑leaning pop song with a sharper vocal approach, demonstrating her continued versatility.[20] Jon Ali described the single as a blend of Dion's signature vocal style with a darker, modern production, calling it a strong return.[21]KEZK-FM commented that Dion adopted a more electronic pop direction, drawing comparisons to Rihanna, Miley, and Katy, and noted the song's use of synths and a pronounced vocal pattern.[22] SheKnows Entertainment also responded positively, stating that although the lyrics are affecting, it is Dion's powerful delivery that stands out.[23]
Commercial performance
In the United States, "Loved Me Back to Life" debuted at number 26 on the BillboardAdult Contemporary chart, becoming Dion's 40th entry on that list.[24] This placed her fifth among women with the most entries on the AC chart, behind Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Linda Ronstadt, and Anne Murray. The single reached its peak of number 24 in its third week on the chart.[25] The song sold 23,000 downloads in its first week, debuting at number 19 on the Pop Digital Songs chart and number 63 on Hot Digital Songs.[26] As of 3 November 2013, it had sold 49,000 digital copies in the United States.[27] "Loved Me Back to Life" also entered the Hot Dance Club Songs chart in mid‑November 2013 and later peaked at number three in mid‑January 2014.[28]
In Canada, the track earned the Hot Shot Debut on the Canadian Hot 100, entering at number 26.[29] It became Dion's strongest debut on the chart and her second‑highest peak, behind 2007's "Taking Chances".[29][30] The single also debuted at number 15 on the Canadian Hot Digital Songs chart.[29]
In the United Kingdom, "Loved Me Back to Life" reached number 14, marking Dion's highest‑charting single there since "A New Day Has Come" peaked at number seven in 2002.[31] Elsewhere, the song reached number 25 in Switzerland and Belgium, number 29 in Ireland, number 32 in France, and number 38 in Germany and Austria.
Music video
On 18 September 2013, a live performance of "Loved Me Back to Life" was uploaded to Dion's official Vevo channel.[7] The footage comes from her sold‑out Celine... une seule fois concert in Quebec City on 27 July 2013.[32] A lyric video was released on 15 October 2013.[33]
Dion later travelled to Europe. She performed "Loved Me Back to Life" on Wetten, dass..? in Germany on 9 November 2013, on The X Factor in the United Kingdom on 10 November 2013, and on C'est votre vie in France on 16 November 2013.[42][43][44] She also performed the song during her Tournée Européenne 2013, which began in Belgium on 21 November 2013.[45] In France, Dion performed "Loved Me Back to Life" on Les chansons d'abord on 1 December 2013, Vivement Dimanche on 8 December 2013, Les disques d'Or on 18 December 2013, and Ce soir on chante on 3 January 2014.[46][47][48][49]
Dion returned to the United States in mid‑December 2013 and performed the song on 18 December during the CBS 15th annual A Home for the Holidays special, which raises awareness of adoption from foster care.[50] On 30 December 2013, she added "Loved Me Back to Life" to the set list of her Las Vegas residency show, Celine.[51] The performance from that night was broadcast on 31 December 2013 as part of ET Canada's New Year's Eve at Niagara Falls.[52] She also performed the song during her 2017 European tour.
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