"Immortality" is a song performed by Canadian singer Celine Dion for her fifth English-language studio album, Let's Talk About Love (1997). The song was written by the Bee Gees, who also contributed additional vocals. It was produced by Walter Afanasieff and released as a single on June 5, 1998, in countries outside the United States. The song reached the top ten in Europe and the top forty in Canada and Australia. Later, "Immortality" was included in international versions of Dion's greatest hits collections: All the Way… A Decade of Song (1999), My Love: Essential Collection (2008), and The Best So Far… 2018 Tour Edition (2018).
Background and release
The Bee Gees wrote the song "Immortality" in 1996 for the Saturday Night Fever stage musical. An early version of the song, in which Barry Gibb sang using a high, soft voice called falsetto, was released in November 2001 on the Bee Gees' album Their Greatest Hits: The Record. The musical began performances in London's Palladium theatre in May 1998.
Dion recorded "Immortality" in June 1997. The Bee Gees helped with background singing on August 18, 1997. Dion attended the recording session, which was used for the music video. The song was produced by Walter Afanasieff and included on Dion's fifth English-language album, Let's Talk About Love, in November 1997. She released it as a single in June 1998, but only outside the United States. The single released in Europe and Australia mainly featured remixes of her earlier hit, "My Heart Will Go On."
The Saturday Night Fever: Original Cast Recording album, released in June 1999, includes the song performed by Adam Garcia. In Brazil, "Immortality" was used as the theme song for the primetime telenovela Torre de Babel. A special release in Brazil included remixes of "Immortality" by DJ Cuca.
Critical reception
Pip Ellwood-Hughes from Entertainment Focus described the song as a "power ballad," noting that Dion and Bee Gee's voices complement each other well. Entertainment Weekly editor David Browne called it "banal," stating that it is a "weak song that struggles under its arrangement." The New York Observer editor Jonathan Bernstein referred to the collaboration as "dispiriting." Øyvin Søraa from Oppland Arbeiderblad called it "one of the most striking" songs on the Let's Talk About Love album. Bob Waliszewski of Plugged In mentioned that the song celebrates love and "its ability to inspire lasting romantic devotion." Christopher Smith from TalkAboutPopMusic described the song as a "smoothie," adding that "it has the grand style and charm of a Celine ballad but includes Bee-Gee high notes in the background."
Commercial performance
The song "Immortality" was successful in Europe, reaching number two in Germany and Austria, number five in the United Kingdom, number eight in Switzerland and Iceland, number eleven in Ireland, number twelve in Sweden, number fifteen in France and Belgium, and number twenty-eight in the Netherlands. On the European Hot 100 Singles chart, "Immortality" reached number four. It received a Platinum certification in Germany and Gold certifications in Canada, Sweden, France, and the United Kingdom. In Australia, the song reached number thirty-eight. In Canada, "Immortality" was released as a promotional single and topped the Adult Contemporary chart for two weeks. It also reached number twenty-eight on the Canadian Top Singles chart, based on radio play.
Music video
Filmed on August 18, 1997, and directed by Scott Lochmus, the first music video shows Dion and the Bee Gees in a recording studio. In 1999, this video was added to the Au cœur du stade DVD as a bonus feature, showing how the song Let's Talk About Love was recorded. The second music video was directed by Randee St. Nicholas and filmed in July 1998. It was released on August 6, 1998. This more detailed video includes themes of love, loss, and reincarnation. It begins with Dion walking through a graveyard and sitting in front of a grave as she sings the first lines. The video then moves to a mansion where Dion and the Bee Gees appear as ghosts. In one scene, Dion meets a man, likely her lover. During the final pre-chorus until the ending section, Dion and the Bee Gees appear at a club. There, Dion performs as a singer, and the Bee Gees act as clubgoers. The video ends in the graveyard, where Dion walks away.
Live performances
On November 14, 1997, Dion performed the song "Immortality" with the Bee Gees at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. This performance was included on their live album and DVD, One Night Only, which was released in September 1998. In the first week of June 1998, Dion and the Bee Gees recorded the performance of "Immortality" for three television shows: Top of the Pops in the United Kingdom, Hit Machine in France, and Geld oder Liebe in Germany, for later TV broadcasts. Dion also performed the song during the Let's Talk About Love World Tour in 1998 and 1999. She included the song in her residency show, Celine, from 2015 to 2017. On April 16, 2017, CBS aired Stayin' Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees, which was recorded two months earlier. The special included Dion performing "Immortality" as a tribute to the Bee Gees.