The show does go on. Céline Dion has resumed her residency show at Caesars Palace with performance dates through until June 4th. She started the week with a 15 hour day of interviews to promote her upcoming tour in Quebec, France and Belgium. This was also the first time she has spoken about the passing of her husband René Angélil.

Yesterday fans were surprised with the unexpected release of a new single, “The Show Must Go On”. The song originally recorded by Queen in 1990, was written about the band’s lead singer Freddie Mercury, who at the time was dying from HIV/AIDS. Céline’s version recording is available for purchase from iTunes, Amazon Digital Music and pretty much everywhere else. For the highest downloadable bit-rate at 320kbps head over to Google Music.

The lyrics of the song are similar to how I imagine Céline may feel about returning to show business after such a deep loss “Inside my heart is breaking, My make-up may be flaking, But my smile still stays on”. Her voice has a different tonality, in some ways sounding more edgy and raw, also more delicate, but still as beautiful as always. I do wonder what role René had in the choosing of this song, if any.

I’m no music professional, but I have years of experience listing to Céline, an expert fan if you will! 😉 I love the arrangement, the scratchy sound of the guitars compliment the soft orchestral backing. The lead violin accompaniment from Lindsey Stirling adds an extra layer of class to the recording.

Céline will perform her new single “The Show Must Go On” together with Lindsey at the Billboard Music Awards, where she will also be honoured with the Icon Award. The Billboard Music Awards air live Sunday, May 22 at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC and CTV.

What do you think of Céline’s new single?