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"That's the Way It Is" is the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
from
Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
's greatest hits album '' All the Way... A Decade of Song'', released on 1 November 1999. It peaked within the top ten in many countries, like Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' listed it as one of the Greatest Songs of 1999.


Production and release

It was written and produced by Swedish producers
Andreas Carlsson Andreas Carlsson (; born 3 April 1973) is a Swedish music producer and pop songwriter. Biography Carlsson was part of the Cheiron Studios team until the studio was closed down in 2000. In January 2001, former Cheiron-members Andreas Carlsson, Kri ...
,
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
allmusic.com
known profess ...
and
Kristian Lundin Kristian Lundin (born 7 May 1973) is a Swedish composer, music producer and songwriter. Biography Kristian's worked on the song " Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)" which he co-produced with Max Martin for the Backstreet Boys. He co-wrote & pro ...
, who had written a string of hit songs for artists such as
NSYNC NSYNC (, ; also stylized as *NSYNC or 'N Sync) was an American boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. Their self-titled debut album was successfully released to European ...
,
Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The gr ...
and
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
.


Composition

"That's the Way It Is" starts out in the key of
E major E major (or the key of E) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor. Its enharmonic equivalent, ...
with a moderate
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
of 93 beats per minute. Throughout the verses, the song follows a chord progression of Cm–A–B, and Dion's vocals span from B3 to E5. The song has a bridge, and after the bridge is the chorus repeated, only in the key of
A major A major (or the key of A) is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor. The key of A major is the only k ...
.


Live performances

Dion sang it live with
NSYNC NSYNC (, ; also stylized as *NSYNC or 'N Sync) was an American boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. Their self-titled debut album was successfully released to European ...
, during her '' 1999 CBS Special''. She also performed "That's the Way It Is" on ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' on 12 November, the 1999 ''Billboard'' Music Awards, the
Bambi Awards The Bambi, often called the Bambi Award and stylised as BAMBI, is a German award presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television to personalities in the media, arts, culture, sports, and ot ...
on 11 December, ''
The Rosie O'Donnell Show ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show'' is an American daytime variety television talk show created, hosted, and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It premiered on June 10, 1996, and concluded after six seasons on May 22, 2002. This talk sh ...
'' on 13 December, ''
The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was ...
'' on 31 December, and on the
Let's Talk About Love Tour The Let's Talk About Love World Tour is the eighth concert tour by Canadian recording artist Celine Dion. Visiting North America, Asia and Europe; the trek supported Dion's fifth English and fifteenth studio album '' Let's Talk About Love'' (1997 ...
as the closing song. When Dion returned to the music scene after her 2 years off in 2002, the song was performed on her promotional tour for the ''
A New Day Has Come ''A New Day Has Come'' is the seventh English-language and eighteenth studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, released by Sony Music Entertainment on 22 March 2002. It was her first new studio album since 1998's Christmas album ''These Are ...
'' album including a second time at ''The Today Show'', ''
The Early Show ''The Early Show'' is an American morning television show that aired on CBS from November 1, 1999 to January 7, 2012, and the ninth attempt at a morning news-talk program by the network since 1954. The program aired Monday through Friday from ...
'', and at the concert for
World Children's Day Children's Day is a commemorative date celebrated annually in honor of children, whose date of observance varies by country. In 1925, International Children's Day was first proclaimed in Geneva during the World Conference on Child Welfare. Sin ...
. In 2015 for the first time in 13 years, Dion added the song as an acoustic version and later the full length version in her 2nd Las Vegas residency show '' Celine'' at
The Colosseum at Caesars Palace The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is a theater located on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. The theater is the main entertainment venue for Caesars Palace. Deemed the ''Home of the Greatest Entertainers in the World'', the theater has hosted ...
in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
. The song was also performed in Dion's
2017 European tour The 2017 European Tour was the ninth edition of the Race to Dubai and the 46th season of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972. England's Tommy Fleetwood won the Race to Dubai. Spanish golfers collected the annual awar ...
and her 2018 tour. "That's the Way it is" was performed by Dion during her BST Hyde Park concert in London on 5 July 2019. The song is also featured on the
Courage World Tour The Courage World Tour is the fourteenth concert tour by Canadian singer Celine Dion, in support of her English-language studio album ''Courage'' (2019). It was her first world tour in over a decade, since her Taking Chances World Tour. The tou ...
in North America.


Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
felt that the danceable "That's the Way It Is" works and highlighted it as a standout on '' All the Way... A Decade of Song''. Another editor, Jose F. Promis reviewed the US/South Korea CD maxi single and rated it 3 out 5 stars. He called the song itself a "cheerful pop nugget", the album version a "definitive hit", and the "Metro Club Remix" a "bubbly dance" version of the song. Michael Paoletta from ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' highlighted it on the album, and called it a "welcome uptempo number". Another editor, Chuck Taylor also praised "That's the Way It Is". He wrote that Dion at last "ups the tempo with the irresistible" first single. According to Taylor, this new track, a joyful ode to holding the faith but allowing love to take its course when it's ready, matches Dion with a new team of collaborators, consistent hitmakers:
Max Martin Karl Martin Sandberg (; born 26 February 1971),Max Martin
allmusic.com
known profess ...
,
Kristian Lundin Kristian Lundin (born 7 May 1973) is a Swedish composer, music producer and songwriter. Biography Kristian's worked on the song " Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)" which he co-produced with Max Martin for the Backstreet Boys. He co-wrote & pro ...
and
Andreas Carlsson Andreas Carlsson (; born 3 April 1973) is a Swedish music producer and pop songwriter. Biography Carlsson was part of the Cheiron Studios team until the studio was closed down in 2000. In January 2001, former Cheiron-members Andreas Carlsson, Kri ...
. "Replete with a festive mandolin and a midtempo beat to bring new heights to her as-ever splendid vocal," this song is "destined to enrapture" top forty and AC the first time through, at last stripping away mainstream radio's gripe that Dion is "too adult". He said that, youthful and yet elegant, and glowing brightly with warmth, the song also represents a bold step forward for Martin, who is best known for his work with chart-topping youth acts. All in all, "That's the Way It Is" is "one of the most compelling radio releases yet" from "one of the core voices of the decade." ''Can't Stop the Pop'' stated that the song "doesn't sound like it's trying to be
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
; it sounds like the authentic evolution of a superstar – this is a Celine Dion song through and through – and it's hard to imagine it being performed by anyone else".


Commercial performance

The song became a hit, going to number 1 on the adult contemporary charts in Canada and the United States, reaching the top ten in other countries all over the world. It was Dion's first airplay-only single that charted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 6 (number 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 Airplay). The commercial single was released nine months later as a double A-side with "
I Want You to Need Me "I Want You to Need Me" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Celine Dion for her 1999 greatest hits album, '' All the Way... A Decade of Song''. It was written by Diane Warren and produced by Matt Serletic. "I Want You to Need Me" was released a ...
", reaching number 62 on the
Hot 100 Singles Sales The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
. It ranked at number 12 on decade-end list of US ''Billboard''
Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
chart for 2000–2009. The song spent 1 week at number 1 at the top and an eventual 85 weeks or 1 and a half years on the said chart. It became one of the longest-running single in the chart's history. "That's the Way It Is" was very successful, being certified platinum in Sweden (20,000), gold in Australia (35,000), Belgium (25,000), Germany (250,000) and silver in France (160,000). According to ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'', "That's the Way It Is" received the "BDS Certified Spin Award - 500,000 Spins" in August 2006. Since the song was released in November 1999, it has cycled 500,000 times on almost 1,400 radio stations across Canada and the US.


In other media

The song was included later on '' The Collector's Series, Volume One'' compilation (2000) and '' My Love: Essential Collection'' greatest hits (2008). Several club remixes were created by the Metro. Some pressings of the single included the song "I Met an Angel (On Christmas Day)", a non-album track. The song features in ''
& Juliet ''& Juliet'' is a 2019 coming-of-age stage musical featuring the music of Swedish pop songwriter Max Martin, with a book by David West Read. The story focuses on a "what if" scenario, where Juliet does not die at the end of Shakespeare's '' ...
'', a musical featuring the songs of Max Martin, where it is sung by the character of
Anne Hathaway Anne Jacqueline Hathaway (born November 12, 1982) is an American actress. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Anne Hathaway, various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Awar ...
. On the official London cast soundtrack, it is performed by
Cassidy Janson Cassidy Janson (born 30 July 1980) is a British actress, known for her work in musical theatre. She won the 2020 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical for ''& Juliet''. Stage career In 2005 Janson appeared in '' Tick, Ti ...
, who originated the role of Anne on the West End.


Music video

The music video for "That's the Way It Is" was directed by
Liz Friedlander Liz Friedlander is an American music video, television director and television producer. Originally from New York City, Friedlander moved to Pennsylvania to attend the Drama Conservatory school at Carnegie Mellon University. She then moved to Lo ...
. It was produced by Heather Heller and was shot in
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. It premiered on VH1 on 8 November 1999. It was nominated for a
MuchMusic Video Award The iHeartRadio MMVAs were an annual awards show broadcast on Much to honour the year's best music videos that was last held in 2018. Originally debuting in 1990 as the Canadian Music Video Awards, the awards were renamed in 1995 to the MuchMu ...
. The video was included on Dion's '' All the Way... A Decade of Song & Video'' DVD. The music video, which was uploaded on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
on 24 October 2009 reached 100 million views and became Dion's second
VEVO Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...
certified music video.


Formats and track listings

*;European/Japanese CD single and UK cassette single #"That's the Way It Is" – 4:01 #"I Met an Angel (On Christmas Day)" – 3:20 *;Australian/European/UK CD single #"That's the Way It Is" – 4:01 #"I Met an Angel (On Christmas Day)" – 3:20 #"
My Heart Will Go On "My Heart Will Go On" is a 1997 song recorded by Canadian singer Celine Dion. The song serves as the main theme to James Cameron's blockbuster film ''Titanic'', based on an account of the transatlantic ocean liner of the same name which san ...
" (Live) – 5:23 *;UK CD single #2 #"That's the Way It Is" – 4:01 #"That's the Way It Is" (The Metro Club Remix) – 5:28 #"Another Year Has Gone By" – 3:25 *;European 12" single #"That's the Way It Is" (Album Version) – 4:01 #"That's the Way It Is" (Metro Mix Edit) – 3:12 #"That's the Way It Is" (Metro Edit) – 3:20 #"That's the Way It Is" (The Metro Club Remix) – 5:28 *;US CD and 12" single #"That's the Way It Is" (Album Version) – 4:01 #"That's the Way It Is" (The Metro Club Remix) – 5:28 #"
I Want You to Need Me "I Want You to Need Me" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Celine Dion for her 1999 greatest hits album, '' All the Way... A Decade of Song''. It was written by Diane Warren and produced by Matt Serletic. "I Want You to Need Me" was released a ...
" (
Thunderpuss Thunderpuss is the (mainly dance) remix/production team of Los Angeles-based music producers Barry Harris and Chris Cox. Harris had previously worked as part of several music groups including Kon Kan, Top Kat, Killer Bunnies and Outta Cont ...
Radio Mix) – 4:32 #"I Want You to Need Me" (Thunderpuss Club Mix) – 8:09


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Decade-end charts


All-time charts


Certifications and sales


Release history


See also

*
Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2000 This is a list of '' Billboard'' magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 2000. See also * 2000 in music *List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 2000 The Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is a chart that ranks the best-performing ...
*
List of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in 2000 This is a list of singles that charted in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 during 2000. Destiny's Child, 'N Sync, and Christina Aguilera each had three top-ten hits in 2000, tying them for the most top-ten hits during ...
*
List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1999 (U.S.) Adult Contemporary is a chart published by '' Billboard'' ranking the top-performing songs in the United States in the adult contemporary music (AC) market. In 1999, six different songs topped the chart in 52 issues of the magazine, based on we ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:That's The Way It Is (Song) 1999 singles 1999 songs Celine Dion songs Dance-pop songs Music videos directed by Liz Friedlander Number-one singles in the Czech Republic Song recordings produced by Max Martin Songs written by Andreas Carlsson Songs written by Kristian Lundin Songs written by Max Martin Columbia Records singles Epic Records singles