I always enjoy reading interviews with divas who have been in the business for a long time and knew it before everything became about social networks, reality TV, digital "releases" and losing your clothes for no apparent reason. Now, I am not a huge Celine Dion fan per-se but I do like some of her stuff, and I enjoyed the following interview (she's quite crazy as well, which is always a good thing...)
Before Celine Dion even sits down for our interview, she's serenaded us with two songs. The first is Adele's 'Turning Tables', because she's doing a 'round table' interview with us and three other journalists. The second is Lisa Stansfield's 'All Around The World' as she glides around the table to greet each of us personally. Some would call it completely bonkers, but given it immediately diffuses any awkward tension in the room, it seems there's method to her madness.
The star has taken a brief hiatus from her never-ending show run in Las Vegas ("I was supposed to be there for two weeks!" she insists) to promote her 25th album Loved Me Back To Life. The record - her first English one in six years - is classic booming Celine but with modern touches that haul her sound into 2013, something she admits took some time to get right.
She explains: "What am I going to sing? 'My Heart Will Go On'? 'Because You Loved Me'? I don't want to be bored and I don't want people to feel they're buying the same thing again. It feels like I'm not reinventing myself, but I'm not re-doing what I've done before."
"It is edgier for me though," she concedes. "To say I'm going to get a drink and storm out of this house… for me to use words is very unusual. I was letting my voice crack instead making sure it was pristine and pure. This time I want people to hear the soul in my voice. There are no sound effects and no reverb, so now you can hear the saliva in my mouth. That's intimacy. I'm having my wild moment!"
With millions in the bank and the charts a lonely place for big balladeers like herself, I ask if the prospect of releasing another album still excites her. "I don't have to do it. I don't need the money or to do this for the success - I've had it" she says. "It feels like I'm not trying. When you start a music career you have so much to learn and gain from professionals... you try and have to do so much. Now, it's strictly for pleasure."
Loved Me Back To Life features co-writes from Eg White (Adele, Kylie Minogue), Rihanna and Britney Spears hitmaker Sia on the title track and a duet with Ne-Yo on 'Incredible', all of whom she refers to as "the kids". Was she worried people would think she was trying to sound too young?
"You have to trust people like that," she explains. "I'm happy because it sounds more modern than what I was doing 10 years ago. I think people assumed that I would do something older and classical. I feel like it's the reverse - it's wild."
Celine adamantly claims that she doesn't watch television, though she is well aware of the significance of performing on Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor this weekend.
"I know what they are because I'm not stupid, but I know how important shows like those are." She pauses. "I know it's important, otherwise my team wouldn't have flown me out here to do them. They're all ecstatic that we could do the two shows on the same day... they're happier than me!"
And does she approve of reality TV as a way of discovering new talent? "It's the new way," she explains, sighing. "It's like technology. You cannot not use it. It doesn't mean you stop using a pen and paper though as well. I'm just glad I'm not starting my career now. It's great, it means I'm worth it! I see it as a positive thing."
The subject moves on to Miley Cyrus, a singer whose current salacious antics she recently admitted are "hard to take" as a mother.
"For me it's like an old story now." She searches for the right words. "By talking about it constantly, that's what they want. We're helping what we're criticising. Put it this way... If they feel the need to go that far artistically, then I think 'Fine. I wish you luck, longevity and a healthy life'. They've set the bar pretty high from themselves.
"What's going to be next? I remember buying Madonna's sex book," she recalls. "Today, Lady Gaga goes to clubs and strips. Is there anything left to do? I'm not criticising it or praising it, glad I didn't have to do it - we'll see how far it will go."
Before we're ushered out of the room, the subject of touring arises. Celine immediately downplays the idea of another global jaunt ("It's unlike anything else, but man is it exhausting!"), but instead offers a much more exciting prospect.
"Something I'd love to do is say, come to the UK for two months. No big production, just the unplugged version of my songs. Songs that I've never performed before, the unknowns and my favourites. I don't know what the theme would be exactly, but there'd be no orchestra. I've done so many big things in my life that these days, it's the little things that excite me now."
Loved Me Back To Life is out now in the US and Europe and comes out in the UK on Monday.
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