"I'm Your Angel" is a duet by Celine Dion and R. Kelly from Dion's These Are Special Times album and Kelly's R. album. It was released on October 13, 1998. R. Kelly wrote and produced the song. The single was very successful. It reached number one in the United States and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It also reached the top five in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Critical reception
Chuck Taylor from Billboard praised the song "I'm Your Angel." He wrote that the song is a calm and emotional ballad with beautiful singing from both artists. Taylor noted that the song's exciting instrumental music, including strings, choir, and steady rhythm, makes it stand out. He added that during the bridge section, the music becomes softer, and Kelly and Dion sing together in a moving harmony that highlights the song's strength. Launch Yahoo stated that "I'm Your Angel" is the best ballad of the time and could have been the top song if released at a different time. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called it a powerful and uplifting ballad.
Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly gave a mixed review, saying that Dion's version of a Vietnam-era song by Lennon was poorly done, and her duet with R. Kelly, "I'm Your Angel," felt overly sentimental and seemed more like a marketing effort than genuine music. David Browne of EW wrote that by the time R. Kelly performed "I Believe I Can Fly" and "I'm Your Angel," he had successfully reached a wider audience. Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone noted that every guest artist who worked with R. Kelly, including Celine Dion, improved their performance through the experience.
Commercial performance
The song became very popular in the United States and around the world. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and was the first song to reach number one on Billboard’s new charting system that includes songs played only on the radio. As of 2026, it is still the most recent number one single for both artists in the United States. The song also spent twelve weeks at number one on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, reached number one on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart for six weeks, and reached number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart. "I'm Your Angel" became a top 10 hit in several European countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
"I'm Your Angel" sold more than 1,550,000 copies in the United States alone and received a platinum certification from the RIAA. The single also received a gold certification in Australia for shipping 35,000 copies and a silver certification in the United Kingdom for shipping 200,000 copies.
The song was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards but lost to "I Still Have That Other Girl" by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach.
The song was later included on Celine Dion’s greatest hits albums, All the Way… A Decade of Song and My Love: Essential Collection. It was also performed live during the Let's Talk About Love World Tour (included on the Au cœur du stade DVD) and the Taking Chances World Tour. "I'm Your Angel" also appeared on R. Kelly’s compilation album, The R. in R&B Collection, Vol. 1, in 2003.
On January 14, 2019, after Lady Gaga removed "Do What U Want" from her releases, Celine Dion’s management removed the song and its music video from streaming services due to new allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse against R. Kelly. However, the song remains available on streaming services as part of R. Kelly’s own releases.
Music video
The music video for "I'm Your Angel," directed by Bille Woodruff, was first shown on October 19, 1998. There are two versions of the video: one that includes both artists in the recording studio and one that does not. The version without the recording studio scenes was included on Dion's DVD titled All the Way… A Decade of Song & Video. R. Kelly's daughter, Joann Kelly, appears in the video.