Wikipedia

Where Does My Heart Beat Now

"Where Does My Heart Beat Now" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Celine Dion for her ninth studio album and first English‑language release, Unison (1990). It was issued in September 1990 as the album's lead single in the United States and in October as the third single in Canada, with further releases in other regions in early 1991.[1] Written in 1988 by Robert White Johnson and Taylor Rhodes, the song was recorded by Dion the following year and produced by Christopher Neil. She first performed it publicly at the Eurovision Song Contest 1989 in Switzerland, where it appeared alongside her 1988 winning entry, "Ne partez pas sans moi".

"Where Does My Heart Beat Now"
Single by Celine Dion
from the album Unison
B-side"I Feel Too Much"
ReleasedSeptember 1990 (1990-09)
Recorded1989
StudioWest Side (London)
GenrePop
Length4:33
Label
Songwriters
ProducerChristopher Neil
Celine Dion singles chronology
"Unison"
(1990)		 "Where Does My Heart Beat Now"
(1990)		 "The Last to Know"
(1991)
Music video
"Where Does My Heart Beat Now" on YouTube

"Where Does My Heart Beat Now" received positive reviews from music critics and earned an ASCAP Pop Award. It became the most commercially successful single from Unison and marked Dion's highest‑charting English‑language release at the time. The song reached number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, making her the first French‑Canadian artist to achieve a top‑10 hit on that chart.[2] It also peaked at number two on the Adult Contemporary chart. Internationally, it entered the top 10 in Norway and Canada, reaching number four and number six, respectively. Two music videos were produced for the single. In 2008, the track was included on the North American edition of Dion's greatest hits compilation My Love: Essential Collection.

Background and release

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In 1989, Dion was recording her first English‑language album, Unison. Among the tracks selected for the project was "Where Does My Heart Beat Now", written by Robert White Johnson and Taylor Rhodes. On 6 May 1989, Dion performed the song for the first time during the Eurovision Song Contest in Lausanne, Switzerland. It was issued in September 1990 as the album's lead single in the United States and in October as the third single in Canada, with additional releases in other regions in 1991.

Critical reception

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American magazine Billboard described the song as a "lushly framed single".[3] Chicago Tribune editor Jan De Knock wrote that Dion "shines brightest on torchy love songs", citing "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" as an example.[4] A reviewer from the Columbia Daily Tribune described it as a "swelling ballad".[5] Dave Sholin of the Gavin Report noted, "Climbing the Adult Contemporary chart, this French-Canadian only learned to speak English three years ago—a surprising fact in light of the way she handles this stirring ballad".[6] Chris Roberts of Melody Maker wrote, "Whitney/Mariah epic slush/lust ballad of the week. By Christ these millionairesses know how to give a chorus some welly. Utterly f*** fantastic, makes me roll around in satin sheets like a proper girlie."[7] Pan-European magazine Music & Media praised it as a "slow-stepping emotional song, with an effective and dramatic build-up, brought to life by one of Canada's hottest singers of the moment".[8] A reviewer for Music Week called it "a tense ballad which finds her deep in Gloria Estefan territory".[9] Gene Sandbloom of The Network Forty stated, "Truly an epic production, this huge ballad has everything but cannon fire and missile explosions. With the deep and sincere vocals of French-Canadian Celine Dion".[10] The Newcastle Evening Chronicle remarked on its "slow measured tempo on a sensually dramatic ballad".[11] The Orlando Sentinel described it as a "splashy pop-gospel ballad".[12]

Retrospective commentary has remained positive. About.com ranked "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" number five on its 2017 list of "Top 10 Celine Dion Songs".[13] In a 2020 retrospective review, Matthew Hocter of Albumism named it the standout track on Unison and "the one that truly brought Dion to the masses".[14] AllMusic senior editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine selected it as an album standout along with "(If There Was) Any Other Way".[15] Talk About Pop Music's Christopher Smith described the track as a "power ballad" that showcases Dion's "vocal power".[16]

Commercial performance

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In Canada, "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" entered the charts in October 1990 and reached number six on The Record's Retail Singles Chart on 8 April 1991. It also topped the RPM Adult Contemporary chart for two weeks in February 1991. In the United States, the song debuted at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated 8 December 1990. It peaked at number four on 2 March 1991, becoming Dion's first Billboard Hot 100 top‑10 entry and making her the first French‑Canadian artist to achieve a top‑10 hit on that chart. The track entered Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart dated 27 October 1990 and reached number two on 2 February 1991.

Internationally, "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" was successful in Norway, where it peaked at number four in March 1991, and it also reached the top 40 in Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. The song additionally charted in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Music video

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Three versions of the music video were produced: a black-and-white Canadian version for the Canadian market (released in October 1990), a color performance version for US promotion (November 1990) directed by David Phillips, and a black-and-white edit combining the performance material with additional footage for the Unison home video (July 1991). The latter version was later uploaded to Dion's official YouTube channel in February 2013. It has accumulated more than 33 million views as of May 2024.[17]

Live performances

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Dion first performed "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" at the Eurovision Song Contest 1989, along with the previous year's winning entry, "Ne partez pas sans moi". She later sang it on various Canadian and US television programs in 1990 and 1991, including The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, Into the Night with Rick Dees, and Super Dave. Dion also performed the song on television in Norway and the Netherlands in 1991, as well as during the Juno Awards of 1991.

She included "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" in several concert tours: the Unison Tour, Celine Dion in Concert, The Colour of My Love Tour, D'eux Tour, Falling into You: Around the World, and her 2013 Sans attendre Tour. Live renditions are available on the DVD The Colour of My Love Concert (recorded in 1993) and on the 1994 CD À l'Olympia.[18][19] Dion also performed the song in her 2011–19 Las Vegas residency show, Celine, between 2011 and 2018.[20]

Accolades

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On 13 May 1992, "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" received an ASCAP Pop Award as one of the most-performed ASCAP songs during the 1991 survey year (1 October 1990 – 30 September 1991).[21] Additionally, Dion's performance of the song at the Juno Awards of 1991 was nominated for a Gemini Award in the category Best Performance in a Variety Program or Series.[22]

Formats and track listing

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  • 7-inch, cassette, 3-inch CD, and CD single
  1. "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" – 4:33
  2. "I Feel Too Much" – 4:09
  • European 12-inch and CD maxi-single
  1. "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" – 4:33
  2. "I'm Loving Every Moment With You" – 4:08
  3. "I Feel Too Much" – 4:09

Credits and personnel

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Recording
  • Recorded at West Side Studios, London
Personnel
  • Celine Dion – lead vocals
  • Christopher Neil – producer, backing vocals
  • Robert White Johnson – songwriter
  • Taylor Rhodes – songwriter
  • Phil Palmer – guitar
  • Andy Duncan – drums, percussion
  • Wix – keyboards, bass
  • Simon Hurrell – engineer

Charts

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Release history

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Release history
Region Date Format Label Ref.
United States September 1990 Cassette Epic [51][52]
Canada October 1990 Columbia [53]
Australia 21 January 1991
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • cassette
  • CD
 CBS [54]
United Kingdom 4 February 1991
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • cassette
  • CD
 Epic [55]
Japan 21 February 1991 3-inch CD SMEJ [56]
United Kingdom (re-release) 8 March 1993
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • cassette
  • CD
 Epic [57]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Glatzer, Jenna (2005). Céline Dion: For Keeps. Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 0-7407-5559-5.
  2. ↑ "Billboard" (PDF). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. 16 February 1991. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  3. ↑ "Album Reviews: New & Noteworthy" (PDF). Billboard. 29 September 1990. p. 84. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  4. ↑ "Celine Dion Unison (Epic)". Chicago Tribune. 14 February 1991. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  5. ↑ "Celine Dion wants her career to go on and on". Columbia Daily Tribune. 6 September 1998.
  6. ↑ Sholin, Dave (2 November 1990). "Gavin Picks > Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. No. 1831. p. 60. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  7. ↑ Roberts, Chris (16 March 1991). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 33. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  8. ↑ "Previews: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 1 December 1990. p. 18. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  9. ↑ "Mainstream: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 16 February 1991. p. 8. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  10. ↑ Sandbloom, Gene (2 November 1990). "Top 40: Music Meeting" (PDF). The Network Forty. p. 26. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  11. ↑ "Albums/Singles". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. 13 August 1991. page 33.
  12. ↑ "Canada's Celine Dion Joins Houston, Carey Atop Charts". The Orlando Sentinel. 1 March 1991.
  13. ↑ Lamb, Bill (24 November 2017). "Top 10 Celine Dion Songs". About.com. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  14. ↑ Hocter, Matthew (1 April 2020). "Céline Dion's 'Unison' Turns 30: Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  15. ↑ "Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  16. ↑ Smith, Christopher (12 October 2019). "Review: 'Unison' – Celine Dion". Talk About Pop Music. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  17. ↑ "Céline Dion – Where Does My Heart Beat Now (Official Video)". 9 February 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2024 – via YouTube.
  18. ↑ "Colour of My Love Live Concert Video". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  19. ↑ "Listen Now! A l'Olympia". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  20. ↑ "Dion has grown into her diverse new Colosseum showcase". lvrj.com. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  21. ↑ "Billboard 30 May 1992". Billboard. 30 May 1992. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
  22. ↑ "Canada's Awards Database: Best Performance in a Variety Program or Series, 1992". Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  23. ↑ "The ARIA Report, Issue 923". ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  24. ↑ "Céline Dion – Where Does My Heart Beat Now" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  25. ↑ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 13 April 1991. p. 65. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  26. ↑ Nanda Lwin (1999). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
  27. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Image 9085". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  28. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Image 1424". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  29. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 6 April 1991. p. 37. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  30. ↑ "European Hit Radio Top 25" (PDF). Music & Media. 13 April 1991. p. 28. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  31. ↑ "Céline Dion – Where Does My Heart Beat Now" (in French). Le classement de singles. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  32. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Where Does My Heart Beat Now". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  33. ↑ "Radio Luxembourg Singles – 7 April 1991". UMD Music. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
  34. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 10, 1991" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  35. ↑ "Céline Dion – Where Does My Heart Beat Now" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  36. ↑ "Céline Dion – Where Does My Heart Beat Now". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  37. ↑ "Céline Dion – Where Does My Heart Beat Now". VG-lista. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  38. ↑ "Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec" (in French). BAnQ. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  39. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 28/3/1993 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  40. ↑ "Playlist Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 13 April 1991. p. 14. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  41. ↑ "Celine Dion Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  42. ↑ "Celine Dion Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  43. ↑ "Top 100 Singles". Cash Box. Vol. LIV, no. 30. New York, NY. 9 March 1991. p. 6. ISSN 0008-7289.
  44. ↑ "Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1990". RPM. 22 December 1990. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  45. ↑ "RPM 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1991". RPM. 21 December 1991. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  46. ↑ "EHR Year-End Top 100" (PDF). Music & Media. 21 December 1991. p. 20. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  47. ↑ "Topp 20 Single Vinter 1991" (in Norwegian). VG-lista. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  48. 1 2 "The Year in Music: 1991" (PDF). Billboard. 21 December 1991. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  49. ↑ "Awards: Top 50 Pop Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. Vol. LV, no. 20. 28 December 1991. p. 8. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  50. ↑ Lwin, Nanda (1 July 2000). "Top 100 Cdn. Singles of all time". Jam!. Archived from the original on 12 August 2004. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  51. ↑ "Reviews by Diane Rufer & Ron Fell" (PDF). Gavin Report. No. 1824. 14 September 1990. p. 28. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  52. ↑ "Celine Dion - Where Does My Heart Beat Now" (PDF). Gavin Report. No. 1824. 14 September 1990. p. 31. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  53. ↑ "Hits to Watch: Where Does My Heart Beat Now" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 52, no. 21. 6 October 1990. p. 1. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  54. ↑ "New Release Summary: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 52. 20 January 1991. p. 19.
  55. ↑ "New Releases" (PDF). Music Week. 2 February 1991. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  56. ↑ "哀しみのハート・ビート" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  57. ↑ "New Releases" (PDF). Music Week. 6 March 1993. p. 17. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
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