"I'm Alive" is a song by Canadian singer
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had ...
from her seventh English-language album, ''
A New Day Has Come'' (2002). It was written by
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 Mikael 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 Carl ...
, and produced by Lundin with additional production by
Ric Wake
Ric Wake is an Anglo-American record producer who has won two Grammy Awards. During his tenure as staff producer with Sony Music Entertainment, he has worked with vocalists such as Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Lucero, CoCo Lee, Taylor D ...
and Richie Jones. "I'm Alive" was released as the album's second single on 5 August 2002 by
and
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
. It was also featured in the film ''
Stuart Little 2
''Stuart Little 2'' is a 2002 American live-action/animated comedy film loosely based on E.B. White's novel ''Stuart Little''. Directed by Rob Minkoff and screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin, the film stars Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie, and Jonathan ...
''. The uplifting midtempo song received positive reviews from music critics and became a worldwide hit, reaching top 10 in many countries. The music video was directed by
Dave Meyers.
On 3 May 2024, following a
viral mashup of "I'm Alive" and "
And the Beat Goes On" by the Jammin Kid on
TikTok
TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...
, English producer
Majestic released the song as "Set My Heart on Fire (I'm Alive x And the Beat Goes On), credited to him, the Jammin Kid and Dion. On 31 May 2024, the Jammin Kid's original version was also released, followed by the Majestic VIP mix on 14 June 2024. "Set My Heart on Fire" reached number one in Quebec and number 39 in the United Kingdom.
Background and release
While working on the album, Dion commented:
"I'm Alive" was commercially released on 5 August 2002, as the album's second single.
For radio release, the song was re-worked by
Humberto Gatica
Humberto Gatica is a Chilean and American recording engineer, mixing engineer and record producer, best known for his work with Celine Dion, Chicago, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Cher and Michael Bublé. Gatic ...
. His version was released on the
''Stuart Little 2'' soundtrack as well as promotional and commercial CD singles.
Although in October 2008 the album version of "I'm Alive" was included on ''
My Love: Essential Collection'', the new remix by
Laurent Wolf was released to promote it in France. In January 2009, further promotional remixes were made by
Maurice Joshua for the US clubs.
Composition
"I'm Alive" was written by
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 Mikael 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 Carl ...
and produced by Lundin.
They had worked with Dion before, writing her 1999 hit "
That's the Way It Is".
Additional production was handled by
Ric Wake
Ric Wake is an Anglo-American record producer who has won two Grammy Awards. During his tenure as staff producer with Sony Music Entertainment, he has worked with vocalists such as Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Lucero, CoCo Lee, Taylor D ...
and Richie Jones. It is a midtempo song, where Dion declares she is alive, fulfilled as a mother, and
in love.
The song is written in the key of
E major
E major 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, F-flat maj ...
with a moderate tempo of 104 beats per minute. Dion's vocals span from A
3 to D
5 in the song. At the two-and-three-quarter minute mark, the song modulates up a whole-step higher to the key of
F Major
F major is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat.Music Theory'. (1950). United States: Standards and Curriculum Division, Training, Bureau of Naval Personnel. 28. Its relati ...
.
Critical reception
While reviewing the
''Stuart Little 2'' soundtrack, William Ruhlmann of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
wrote that "Dion occupies the position taken by
Trisha Yearwood
Patricia Lynn Yearwood (born September 19, 1964) is an American country singer. She rose to fame with her 1991 debut single "She's in Love with the Boy", which became a number one hit on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Country Songs ...
on the soundtrack to ''
Stuart Little
''Stuart Little'' is a 1945 American children's novel by E. B. White. It was White's first children's book, and became recognized as a classic in children's literature. ''Stuart Little'' was illustrated by the artist Garth Williams, also his f ...
'' in 1999, singing an upbeat rhythm number".
[ Another editor, ]Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
called the song uplifting and highlighted it; in his review for album he called the song a "hitworthy uptempo gem". ABC's RollerCoaster review was positive, commenting that "this is the type of music you play in the background when you're having a good laugh with friends or a nice tea with family. It's the kind of song you sing along to and slowly get wrapped in it". Chuck Taylor 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 advertis ...
'' said that "I'm Alive" demonstrates a stylistic "left turn, with its throbbing tribal rhythms and a loose, sky-grazing vocal from Dion". The "percolating" Humberto Gatica
Humberto Gatica is a Chilean and American recording engineer, mixing engineer and record producer, best known for his work with Celine Dion, Chicago, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Cher and Michael Bublé. Gatic ...
mix "adds juice" to the album version, while the uptempo Wake up mix, with assistance from Ric Wake
Ric Wake is an Anglo-American record producer who has won two Grammy Awards. During his tenure as staff producer with Sony Music Entertainment, he has worked with vocalists such as Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Lucero, CoCo Lee, Taylor D ...
and Richie Jones, is Dion's most "inspired and festive" remix to date, with Blondie's " Heart of Glass" woven into the beat to "splendid effect".
Neal Sky of Pop Dirt named it a "bubblegum-radio-song". Sal Cinquemani of ''Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' called it one of "the album's standout tracks", naming it "an uplifting midtempo number".[ Christopher Smith from TalkAboutPopMusic said that Dion is "full of energy and blasting her way forward with confidence is the order of the day". He added that it "could almost be declared as her signature, biographical anthem, if it were not for all those mega hits of the 90s".
]
Commercial performance
The song proved to be successful, reaching number two on the European Hot 100 Singles
The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...
. It also peaked at numbers two in Belgium, four in Germany and Portugal, five in Austria and Sweden, and seven in France, Switzerland, Denmark, Greece and the Netherlands. In the United Kingdom, "I'm Alive" reached number 17. It was certified platinum in Belgium and gold in France, Germany, Denmark and the United Kingdom. The song also topped the airplay charts in countries like Poland, Czech Republic and Romania.
In Australia and New Zealand, it reached numbers 30 and 35, respectively.
In North America, "I'm Alive" was released as a promotional single, and therefore entered the radio charts. In Canada, it peaked at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart and number nine on the overall radio chart. In the United States, it reached number six on the 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 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
chart and number 11 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
. The 2009 remix by Maurice Joshua peaked at number 35 on the Dance Club Songs
The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
chart. 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 advertis ...
'', "I'm Alive" has garnered over 49.5 million on-demand streams in the US as of November 2019, becoming Dion's ninth most streamed song in the country.
Live performances
Dion performed "I'm Alive" during her show '' A New Day...'' at Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks.
Caesar ...
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
. It was released on the '' A New Day... Live in Las Vegas'' CD in 2004 and '' Live in Las Vegas - A New Day...'' DVD in 2007. The song also became a part of the Taking Chances World Tour
The Taking Chances World Tour was the tenth concert tour by French Canadian singer Celine Dion, in-support of her thirteenth French-language and 22nd studio album, '' D'elles'' (2007), as well as her tenth English-language and 23rd studio alb ...
set list and was performed by Dion in a new remixed version. An acoustic version of the song was added to the setlist to Dion's Las Vegas residency show in 2015, and the original version of the song was performed in the show during the final year of her residency. "I'm Alive" was also performed in her 2017 European tour, 2018 tour, and the Courage World Tour
The Courage World Tour was the fifteenth 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 to ...
. On 5 July 2019, Dion performed "I'm Alive" during her BST Hyde Park concert in London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.
Music video
The music video was directed by Dave Meyers between 24–25 May 2002 and premiered in June 2002. There were two versions made: with or without the ''Stuart Little 2
''Stuart Little 2'' is a 2002 American live-action/animated comedy film loosely based on E.B. White's novel ''Stuart Little''. Directed by Rob Minkoff and screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin, the film stars Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie, and Jonathan ...
'' film scenes. The version without used modified shots of the plane sequences of the film but replaced the CGI model of the plane.
Formats and track listings
*;Australian CD single
# "I'm Alive" (album version) – 3:30
# "I'm Alive" (the wake up mix) – 3:06
# "I'm Alive" (Humberto Gatica
Humberto Gatica is a Chilean and American recording engineer, mixing engineer and record producer, best known for his work with Celine Dion, Chicago, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Cher and Michael Bublé. Gatic ...
mix) – 3:28
# " Aun Existe Amor" – 3:52
*;European CD single
# "I'm Alive" (Humberto Gatica mix) – 3:28
# "I'm Alive" (Johnny Rocks rhythm radio edit) – 3:36
*;European CD maxi-single
# "I'm Alive" (Humberto Gatica mix) – 3:28
# "I'm Alive" (Johnny Rocks rhythm radio edit) – 3:36
#"Aun Existe Amor" – 3:52
# "I'm Alive" ( Joe Bermudez club mix) – 7:41
# " A New Day Has Come" (video) – 3:28
*;UK cassette single
# "I'm Alive" (Humberto Gatica mix) – 3:28
# "Aun Existe Amor" – 3:52
# "I'm Alive" (Johnny Rocks rhythm radio edit) – 3:36
*;UK CD single
# "I'm Alive" (Humberto Gatica mix) – 3:28
# "Aun Existe Amor" – 3:52
# "A New Day Has Come" (video) – 3:28
*;UK CD single #2
# "I'm Alive" (album version) – 3:30
# "I'm Alive" (Humberto Gatica mix) – 3:28
# "I'm Alive" (Johnny Rocks rhythm radio edit) – 3:36
# "I'm Alive" (Joe Bermudez radio edit) – 4:25
Remixes
2002 remixes
# "I'm Alive" (Humberto Gatica
Humberto Gatica is a Chilean and American recording engineer, mixing engineer and record producer, best known for his work with Celine Dion, Chicago, Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban, Cher and Michael Bublé. Gatic ...
mix) – 3:28
# "I'm Alive" (Joe Bermudez radio edit) – 4:25
# "I'm Alive" (Joe Bermudez club mix) – 7:41
# "I'm Alive" (Johnny Rocks rhythm radio edit) – 3:36
# "I'm Alive" (Johnny Rocks world anthem remix) – 10:47
# "I'm Alive" (the wake up mix) – 3:06
2008–2009 remixes
# "I'm Alive" ( Laurent Wolf remix) – 3:56
# "I'm Alive" ( Maurice Joshua radio edit) – 3:14
# "I'm Alive" (Maurice Joshua vocal) – 7:41
# "I'm Alive" (Maurice Joshua dub) – 7:41
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications and sales
"Set My Heart on Fire (I'm Alive x And the Beat Goes On)"
On 3 May 2024, following a viral mashup of "I'm Alive" and " And the Beat Goes On" by the Jammin Kid on TikTok
TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...
, English producer Majestic released the song as "Set My Heart on Fire (I'm Alive x And the Beat Goes On)", credited to him, the Jammin Kid and Dion. On 31 May 2024, the Jammin Kid's original version was also released, followed by the Majestic VIP mix on 14 June 2024 and Jess Bays remix on 19 July 2024.
Commercial performance
"Set My Heart on Fire" reached number one in Quebec and number 39 in the United Kingdom. It was certified silver in the UK.
Formats and track listings
*;Digital / streaming singles
# "Set My Heart on Fire (I'm Alive x And the Beat Goes On)" – 2:59
# "Set My Heart on Fire (I'm Alive x And the Beat Goes On)" he Jammin Kid mash-up– 2:36
# "Set My Heart on Fire (I'm Alive x And the Beat Goes On)" ajestic VIP mix– 3:09
# "Set My Heart on Fire (I'm Alive x And the Beat Goes On)" ess Bays remix– 2:36
Charts
Certifications and sales
Release history
See also
* List of Romanian Top 100 number ones
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:I'm Alive (Celine Dion Song)
2002 singles
2002 songs
Celine Dion songs
Columbia Records singles
Dance-pop songs
Epic Records singles
Music videos directed by Dave Meyers (director)
Number-one singles in Poland
Number-one singles in Romania
Number-one singles in the Czech Republic
Songs written by Andreas Carlsson
Songs written by Kristian Lundin