Incredible (Celine Dion and Ne-Yo song)

Dion and Ne-Yo (who wrote songs for Beyoncé Knowles, Rihanna and many other notable artists) first worked together in 2007.[15] Ne-Yo co-wrote and co-produced "I Got Nothin' Left" for Dion's album Taking Chances, released in November 2007.[16] In September 2012, her official website announced that Dion and Ne-Yo recorded a duet for her upcoming English-language album.[17] Ne-Yo confirmed it in March 2013.[16] Describing the experience as "surreal" to Digital Spy, he said, "The first time I worked for her I wrote a song for her, which in itself was surreal… This time around I actually did a duet with her - it's her and me on one song, which was a challenge to say the least! I was trying to figure what I was even doing there - why would they need my voice when they have hers?".[16] He added, "She wanted to do the song as a duet and I was flattered, but it definitely made me question my vocal ability".[16] In August 2013, Billboard wrote that the song is titled "Incredible".[18] Ne-Yo also wrote and co-produced another song for Loved Me Back to Life titled "Thank You".[18] "Incredible" was co-written by Emanuel Kiriakou and Andrew Goldstein. Kiriakou also first worked with Dion in 2007.[15] He co-produced "Surprise Surprise" recorded for Taking Chances and produced "There Comes a Time" which was included on My Love: Essential Collection (2008).[15][19] On Loved Me Back to Life he also produced "Thankful" and co-produced "Save Your Soul" together with Goldstein and Danny Mercer.[1]

On 24 October 2013, the behind-the-scenes footage of "Incredible" premiered on Access Hollywood and the next day, the video titled "Making of Incredible" was posted on Dion's Vevo channel.[20][21] On 29 October 2013, few days before the release of the album, the official audio of "Incredible" was released on Vevo as well.[22] On 7 November 2013, Ne-Yo announced on his Twitter that "Incredible" is the next single from Loved Me Back to Life.[2] Dion's official website confirmed it on 13 December 2013, saying that this song is the new North American single.[3] On the same day, "Incredible" was officially sent to Contemporary hit radio in Italy.[5] On 2 January 2014, it was also sent to radio in Indonesia.[23] On 14 February 2014, "Incredible" was released as a digital single in most countries in Europe (except France and the UK), in Australia and New Zealand.[6] It includes two rare bonus tracks: "Open Arms" from the Japanese edition of Loved Me Back to Life and a remix of "Loved Me Back to Life" by David Morales.[6][11] "Incredible" was also sent to Adult Contemporary radio stations in the United States on 24 February 2014 and the UK radio on 12 July 2014.[12][14] The commercial singe was scheduled for release in the UK on 28 July 2014 but it was withdrawn at the last minute.[14]

"Incredible" received positive reviews from music critics. Andrew Hampp from Billboard wrote that the song sounds "so massive the Olympic Committee should start bookmarking it for the 2014 Winter Games".[18] AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine highlighted "Incredible" and called it "soulful," "modern" and "subtle" with "palpable R&B undercurrent".[24] Gary Graff of The Oakland Press called this song a "winner".[25] Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian wrote that this duet with Ne-Yo has Dion "reverting to type with a trite ballad that vows their love will 'go down in history' but 'their voices do meld soulfully.'"[26] Elysa Gardner of USA Today called it "slick".[27] Slant Magazine's Eric Henderson noted that "Incredible" is a "power ballad that finds Dion trading lines with Ne-Yo, both singers sounding shockingly interchangeable thanks to the heavy vocal post-production".[28]

On 13 November 2013, thanks to digital downloads, "Incredible" debuted on the Canadian Hot 100 at number forty-four and number twenty-two on the Hot Canadian Digital Songs chart.[29][30] In the second week, the single fell to number seventy-eight on the Canadian Hot 100 and in the third week, it went down to number eighty-eight.[31][32] Thanks to Dion and Ne-Yo's performance of "Incredible" on two US television shows in mid-December 2013, The Voice and A Home for the Holidays, the song re-entered the Canadian Hot 100 at number eighty-one on 25 December 2013.[33] On 27 November 2013, "Incredible" also debuted on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart at number thirty-seven, beating "Loved Me Back to Life" which peaked there at number thirty-nine.[32] In the next week, it jumped to number thirty-three.[34] Eventually, "Incredible" peaked on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart at number twenty-four on 15 January 2014.[35]

In the United States, the song entered Billboard's Pop Digital Songs chart at number twenty-four on 25 December 2013.[33][36] After it was sent to Adult Contemporary radio stations in February 2014, "Incredible" debuted at number twenty-eight on the Billboard's Adult Contemporary on 20 March 2014, becoming Dion's forty-first entry on this chart.[37] It peaked at number twenty-five on 24 April 2014.[38] On the South Korea's Gaon Music Chart, "Incredible" debuted on 14 November 2013 and peaked at number twelve in the second week.[39]

On 3 November 2013, Dion and Ne-Yo performed "Incredible" on Le Banquier in Canada to promote the album which was released two days later.[40] They also performed it in the United States on 17 December 2013 during the grand finale of The Voice and on 18 December 2013 during the CBS 15th annual A Home for the Holidays television special that celebrates the joy of adoption by sharing stories of adoption from foster care in order to raise awareness for the cause.[3][41][42] On 31 December 2013, Ne-Yo surprised Dion when he showed up to perform "Incredible" at the New Year's Eve performance of Celine in Las Vegas.[43] On 25 February 2014, Dion officially added "Incredible" to the set list of Celine.[44]

On 24 January 2014, Dion and Ne-Yo shot the music video for "Incredible" in Los Angeles.[45] It premiered over four months later, on 4 June 2014 on Good Morning America.[46][47][48] On 5 June 2014, the video was uploaded onto Dion's official Vevo channel.[13] It was directed by Zach Merck.[49][50] The music video features Dion and Ne-Yo singing on a rooftop, overlooking Los Angeles interspersed with footage of real-life people showing off their incredible talents as well as a misplaced giraffe on the loose wandering around the city.[51]

• Digital single[6]

1. "Incredible" (duet with Ne-Yo) – 3:55
2. "Open Arms" – 3:08
3. "Loved Me Back to Life" (La Vie in Stereo Radio Edit - David Morales) – 4:00

Recording

• Recorded at Chalice Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California and Studio at the Palms, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Vocals recorded at Studio at the Palms, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Mixed at MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach, Virginia

Personnel