A New Day Has Come (song)

Background

In 2000, Dion announced that she was taking a break from her career. During the time away, she focused on her personal life and gave birth to her first child. After two years, Dion announced her return and admitted she was eager to get back into the studio. "I couldn't wait to go back into the recording studio. And, I loved the songs that people wrote for me on this album. Those songs became even closer to me because, the fact that I took two years off, they wrote songs for me that were even closer to my emotions. I had things to talk about. I had things to sing about. It was a fun adventure, no pressure, relaxed, smooth, powerful but controlled. I really had a wonderful time. And to see my friends again, it was great."

The single is her first in English since 2000's "I Want You to Need Me". "A New Day Has Come" was released on 6 February 2002 to radio stations in the US. It was released on 11 March 2002 internationally. In October 2008, "A New Day Has Come" was included on the compilation My Love: Essential Collection.

Composition

"A New Day Has Come" was written by Aldo Nova and Stephan Moccio and produced by Walter Afanasieff, Nova and Ric Wake (the latter only produced the "radio remix"). The song also features additional production from Richie Jones, Christian B, Marc Dold. The song has two versions: the piano-driven ballad in 6
8 time and the midtempo radio remix in common time. Both versions are available on the album. Both versions of the song are written in the key of F♯ major. The original version of the song features a slow tempo of 40 beats per minute, while the radio remix features one of 92 beats per minute.

Lyrically, the song is about the world thinking that she has it all, but she draws us in to the sadness she must have experienced with life issues, such as her older husband being ill and knowing that she had problems conceiving a baby. Her then 13-month-old son Rene-Charles Dion Angelil is the main subject of the love song, with Dion singing: "Where there was weakness I've found my strength/All in the eyes of a boy."

According to herself, the song is about her son: "For me, this represents the birth of my child. Nothing can ever come close to that. But it can mean different things for anyone who has to find strength again. I think it's very positive."

Critical reception

"A New Day Has Come" garnered mostly stellar reviews from music critics. Barnes & Noble's Editorial review wrote that "It marks Celine Dion's return to recording after a lengthy maternity leave, and charts the pop diva's growth as an artist and as a woman. Although Dion's songs have always been about the power of love she wasn't mincing words when she titled her 1997 blockbuster Let's Talk About Love, maternal rather than romantic sentiment fuels her fire this time out. As she gushes on the uplifting title song." Dave Karger of Entertainment Weekly wrote that "Though celebratory in tone, the track features surprisingly restrained vocals from Dion (so as not to wake the baby?). Lyrically subtle, no, but as lullabies go, it's not bad." Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine wrote that "one of the album's standout tracks are the uplifting midtempo number "I'm Alive" and the stirring title track (not since 1993's "The Power of Love" has a Dion performance been so restrained)." Chuck Taylor from Billboard wrote that the life-affirming "A New Day Has Come" "comes off like a gentle exhale against the world's ills." The Ric Wake Radio Remix of "A New Day Has Come" opens with an "Enya-inspired whisper before a shuffle skips in and lifts the song upward like a dove gracefully taking flight." The Album Edit "comes sans the beat, allowing Dion's performance alone to fully color the message." According to him, on both versions Dion "embraces a particularly restrained performance – dramatic enough to steer the track's emotion, but still delicate to offer comfort. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic highlighted this song. Neal Sky of "Pop Dirt" perceived that she's singing now such sweet, sweet verses like "I found it all in the eyes of a boy" or an even sweeter combination with her subject: "there's is no other love like a mother's for her child" penned by Robert "Mutt" Lange.

Chart performance

On the Austrian Singles Chart, the song debuted at number 10, on 24 March 2002. The following week, the song fell to number 14. However, on 7 April 2002, the song moved again to number 10. The following week, the song peaked at number 9, where it remained for another week. "A New Day Has Come" kept fluctuating on the chart for the next two weeks, until it reached number 9, once again. It stayed on the charts for 15 consecutive weeks. In Sweden, the song was a success, debuting and peaking at number 3 on the Swedish Singles Chart, on 22 March 2002. The song spent 12 weeks on the Swedish charts. On the Norwegian Singles Chart, the song debuted at number seven. It peaked at number 3 for two consecutive weeks and spent 10 weeks on the chart. The single was also successful on the Danish Singles Chart, debuting and peaking at number 3 and spending 8 consecutive weeks on the chart. The single was also certified gold in Greece (30,000) and Norway (10,000). In Poland, the song went number 1 for seven weeks on the Polish Singles Chart, becoming the biggest international hit of 2002 in that country.

On the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, the song debuted at number 23. The following week, it climbed to number 21, while in its third week, the song fell to number 25. However, the song climbed from number 25 to number 20, the following week. In its fifth week, the song fell again and dropped to number 29, but in its sixth week, the song climbed to number 19, becoming its peak position. The song spent 12 consecutive weeks on the ARIA charts and was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for selling more than 35,000 units of the song. On the New Zealand Singles Chart, the song debuted at number 39, where it remained for the second week. It later climbed to number 34, but fell to number 35, where it stayed for another week. However, the following weeks, the song keep on climbing to numbers 29, 24, 21 and finally reaching number 20, its peak position. It spent 16 weeks on the chart.

On the U.S. Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks, the song broke the record for most weeks at number 1: it stayed on top for twenty-one weeks. The previous record holders were Phil Collins' "You'll Be in My Heart" and Céline Dion's own "Because You Loved Me," both of which lasted nineteen weeks at number 1. However, the record has been surpassed, as "Drift Away" by Uncle Kracker featuring Dobie Gray remained twenty-eight weeks at number 1 in 2004. Ironically, it was Céline Dion who almost took the crown from "Drift Away," but "Have You Ever Been in Love" stopped at number 2 for fourteen weeks, which is another record. In the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the song reached number 22, becoming her last successful single on the Hot 100 chart. The DVD single was released four months later in the U.S., peaking at number 11 on the Top Music Video and number 16 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales. It has sold 45,000 copies and was certified gold.

In the United Kingdom, the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number 7, on 23 March 2002. It later, fell to numbers 13, 15, 20, 24 and 29, until it climbed to number 27, on 5 April 2002. It dropped the UK Singles Chart at number 64, on 25 May 2002, spending 10 weeks on the chart. In Ireland, the song debuted at number 10 on the Irish Singles Chart, for the week ending 14 March 2002. The following week, it fell to number 11 but in its third week, it moved again to number 10. The song spent 10 consecutive weeks on the Irish charts.

Awards

"A New Day Has Come" won ASCAP Pop Award and BMI Pop Award for Most Performed Song, and three SOCAN Awards in categories: Pop Music, International Achievement and Classic Songs. The song was also nominated for the Juno Award for Single of the Year and the Billboard Music Award for Hot Adult Contemporary Track. The music video was nominated for MuchMoreMusic Award as well.

Music video

The music video was directed by Dave Meyers and premiered in March 2002. It was shot on West Palm Beach, United States. The video features people from the different cultures living through a day interspersed with Dion singing among the clouds and later on a beach.

Live performances and promotion

"A New Day Has Come" was performed and included on the VH1 Divas 2002 album. Dion also promoted the song in Germany at Wetten, dass..? on 23 March 2002 and on the "Rockin' For the USA" show, on 25 May 2002. Dion performed the song five nights a week during her show A New Day... at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas and released it on the Live in Las Vegas - A New Day... DVD in December 2007.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of A New Day Has Come, Epic Records.