T'S THE FOURTH standing ovation of the evening, as Celine Dion soars she wants to evolve and to push the envelope- through another of her signature hits. The reverent audience inside but in the process, have fun," Doelp says. Las Vegas' Colosseum at Caesars Palace -many of whom have planned Luprano notes that Dion is involved in their entire vacations around these 90 minutes-appears to be in awe. every step of the process and readily knows ¶ And even though she has lived this moment for some 700 nights since what she likes. "She has to feel a connec- tion. When a song feels right, she starts acting it out, launching her "A New Day" residency at the resort in March 2003, Dion still as if stepping into a role," he says. "She talks about by looks appears stunned the reception. She studiously upon the 4,000 fans, bows how she envisions it being produced ... 'More gui- gracefully, then raises her arm to share the moment with the troupe of 70 dancers and tars here,' `Funky bass there,' 'Change the tempo.' " musicians who fill the stage with her. ¶ "A New Day" is credited with helping catapult Throughout July and the first half of August, Dion the town's reputation as a destination for A -level talent. She has sold 3 million tickets took time off from her show to record at the Studio in the Palms in Las Vegas. And while there is a greater edge there, according to Billboard Boxscore -and grossed $370.4 million through mid - September 2007. ¶ But come Dec. 15, Dion will have left the building. to many of the tracks, which might surprise those who believe they have the singer pegged, nowhere does she "People were still questioning us after one week, a 25 -year career marked by relentless ambition. compromise her essence in an effort to be hip, shock- two months, the first year," Dion says. "Now we can Since her first project in 1982, the French Canadian ing, overtly contemporary-anything that she's not. say we've changed something. It's hard to leave be- has sold more than 185 million albums to become the Dion offers a candid view of her perceived reputa- hind, because we started a family with everyone in- best -selling female artist in history, according to her tion, suggesting that as she was building her career, volved in the show. But it's time for something else." label. She has won five Grammy Awards, including the perhaps she was steered in a direction that kept her Enter "Taking Chances," Dion's first English - 1997 album of the year for "Falling Into You," which stylistically staid. language album in three years. Due Nov. 13 via Co- sold 25 million copies worldwide. "When people sent me all those romantic songs to lumbia, the set signals a sonic left turn for Dion. Dion's personal life has also played a role in her liveli- make people feel better or to cry, I went there because In a career often trademarked by hits that soar, the hood: In 1994, she married manager René Angelil, and I had to prove myself," she says. "Those songs are AC immortal here more often roars, accompanied in 2001, their son René Charles was born -a primary great and made me who I am today. It wasn't a mis- by an abundance of guitars and an overall tempo factor in the decision to put down roots in Vegas. take, but I didn't have a lot of choices. Do you think that is brisker, with a deliberate rock tint. So with "A New Day" winding down, the wheels I wanted to hold those long notes forever and kill Dion collaborated with a number of producers new began turning for "Taking Chances" last December, myself onstage every night? But everybody always to her stable, including Ne -Yo, Ben Moody, Linda Perry, when her well -tread A &R team of Sony BMG Canada sent the hardest songs to sing to me: `If somebody Emanuel Kiriakou and Tricky (see story, page 29), senior VP ofA &R Vito Luprano and Columbia senior can hit those notes, it's Celine Dion.' And I can do along with stalwarts John Shanks, Kara DioGuardi, VP ofA &R operations John Doelp started fielding more it; I can hit them, baby. Kristian Lundin, Anders Bagge, Peer Astrom, Aldo than 300 songs for the project. "Now maybe we're all tired of those 10- second Nova and Chris Neil. "We met with Celine and René, and she made it clear notes -the writers, the people -and they've Now, Dion is ready to show the world how she has that she's at a point where she has nothing to prove- evolved, too," she continues. "Maybe no one grown -as a singer, an entertainer and a woman. "It's thought I was capable of doing anything not a new Celine," she says. "There was no deliberate else, but I've got Heart and Doobie Broth- plan after five years to do something else. But I'm like CELINE DION, at the 500th ers and Janis Joplin and Creedence everyone. I'm 39 now. I don't look like I did 10 years ago, performance of 'A New Day,' Clearwater Revival inside of me, too." I dress differently-and I don't sing the same. I have helped reinvent Las Vegas The album's 16 tracks offer a full menu of tem- during her five -year tenure at more edge and felt like doing something different." the custom-built Colosseum pos, emotions and lyrical themes, from the wash - Still, Dion has been away for a while, and there's no at Caesars Palace. away -my -man midtempo ballad "I Got Nothin' doubt it took some adjusting on the part of her label Left," co- written and co- produced by Ne -Yo, to when it came to her change in musical direction. But Perry's soul- baring pop -along rocker "My Love" so far, radio looks to be along for the ride. and the hands -to- the -heavens "New Dawn." Shanks produced the album's electrifying stand- THE NEXT CHAPTER out performance, "That's Just the Woman in Me," While no one would question if Dion decided to fan her- which Dion has considered recording for 20 years, self leisurely in the Caribbean for a year or two after "A but never felt was the right fit for previous albums. New Day," the singer is primed for her next chapter amid Written by Kimberly Rew, it implores, "I need a man U.S. Sales': 1,216,000 2,336,000 4,492,000 10,765,000 9,436,000 143,000 4,837,000 7,504,000 889,000 3,279,000 60,000 1,775,000 485,000 922,000 Debut: 192 111 88 2 2 31 4 3 28 1 104 2 10 4 Debut Date: 1/19/91 4/18/92 11/21/93 3/30/96 12/6/97 10/24/98 11/21/98 12/4/99 11/11/00 4/13/02 11/9/02 4/12/03 7/3/04 10/30/04 STEADY AS Billboard 200 Peak: 74 34 4 1(3 weeks) 1 21 2 1(3 weeks) 28 1 104 2 10 4 Peak Date: 3/23/91 6/21/92 3/19/94 10/5/96 1/11/98 10/31/98 12/19/98 11/11/99 ii/11/00 4/13/02 11/9/02 4/11103 7/3/04 10/30/04 Weeks On Chart: SHE GOES 26 76 149 113 84 20 17 89 11 60 1 32 18 22 "Unison" "feline Dion" "The Colour "Falling Iolo You" "Let's Talk "vol Divas Live" "These Are "All The Way... "The Collector's "A New Day "Divas Las Vegas" "One Heart" "A New Day... "Miracle" Of My Love" About Love" Special Times" A Decade" Series Volume One" Has Come" Live In Las Vegas" Celine Dion has 1990 1992 1993 1995 1997 1998 1998 1999 2000 2002 2002 2003 2004 :004 consistently weathered Title Debut Debut Date Peak Peak Date Weeks On (hart At (hart Peak label the changing tastes of "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" 80 12/8/90 4 3/2/91 24 2 Epic pop radio with a host of "(If There Was) Any Other Way" 84 4/6/91 35 6/1/91 12 8 Epic smashes. But her "Beauty and the Beast" (Celine Dion & Peabo Bryson) 88 1/18/92 9 4/18/92 20 3 Epic greatest successes have "If You Asked Me To" 80 4/28/92 4 7/11/92 22 1(3 weeks) Epic "Nothing Broken But My Heart" 98 8/1/92 29 10/3/92 20 1 Epic come at Adult "Love Can Move Mountains" 95 11/21/92 36 1/30/93 17 8 Epic Contemporary, where "When I Fall In Love" (Celine Dion & Clive Griffin) 80 7/17/93 23 9/25/93 20 6 Epic Soundtrax /Epic she has 11 career No. 1s. "The Power Of Love" 90 11/27/93 1(4 weeks) 2/12/94 33 1(4) 550 Music Among her AC -only hits "Misled" 65 4/30/94 23 6/18/94 19 15 550 Music "Think Twice" 96 8/20/94 95 8/27/94 5 21 550 Music are the top 10 singles "Only One Road" 96 1/21/95 93 1/28/95 3 27 550 Music "Tell Him" (with Barbra "Because You Loved Me" 36 3/9/96 1 (6) 3/23/96 33 1(19) 550 Music Streisand), "I'm Alive," "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" 27 8/17/96 2 10/26/96 30 1 (5) 550 Music "Have You Ever Been in "All By Myself" 7 3/29/97 4 4/5/97 20 1 (3) 550 Music Love" and the 1998 No.1 "My Heart Will Go On" 1 2/28/98 1(2) 2/28/98 20 1(10) 550 Music "I'm Your Angel" (R.