"The song 'That's the Way It Is' is the first single from Celine Dion's greatest hits album All the Way… A Decade of Song, which was released on November 1, 1999. The song reached the top ten in many countries, including Austria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. Billboard named it one of the Greatest Songs of 1999."

Production and release

The song was written and produced by Swedish producers Andreas Carlsson, Max Martin, and Kristian Lundin. These producers had written many popular songs for artists like NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, and Britney Spears.

Composition

"That's the Way It Is" begins in the key of E major with a moderate tempo of 93 beats per minute. During the verses, the song uses a sequence of chords: C♯ minor, A, and B. Dion's voice ranges from the note B3 to the note E5.

The song includes a bridge. After the bridge, the chorus is repeated, but this time it is in the key of A major.

Live performances

Celine Dion performed "That's the Way It Is" with NSYNC providing background singing during her 1999 CBS Special. She also sang the song on Top of the Pops on November 12, 1999, at the Billboard Music Awards, the Bambi Awards on December 11, on The Rosie O'Donnell Show on December 13, on The Today Show on December 31, and as the final song on the Let's Talk About Love Tour. After taking a two-year break from music in 2002, Dion performed the song again during her promotional tour for the A New Day Has Come* album. This included performances on The Today Show, The Early Show, and at a concert for World Children's Day.

In 2015, Dion included an acoustic version of the song for the first time in 13 years. She later performed the full version during her second Las Vegas residency, Celine at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. The song was also performed during Dion's 2017 European tour and her 2018 tour. "That's the Way It Is" was played by Dion at her BST Hyde Park concert in London on July 5, 2019. The song is also part of Dion's Courage World Tour in North America.

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic said the danceable song "That's the Way It Is" is a highlight on the album All the Way… A Decade of Song. Jose F. Promis, another editor, reviewed the US/South Korea CD maxi single and gave it 3 out of 5 stars. He described the song as a "cheerful pop nugget," the album version as a "definitive hit," and the "Metro Club Remix" as a "bubbly dance" version. Michael Paoletta from Billboard noted the song on the album and called it a "welcome uptempo number." Chuck Taylor also praised "That's the Way It Is," stating that Dion finally "ups the tempo with the irresistible" first single. He explained that the song, which celebrates holding faith while allowing love to develop naturally, features Dion working with new collaborators: Max Martin, Kristian Lundin, and Andreas Carlsson. Taylor noted the song includes a festive mandolin and a midtempo beat that highlight Dion's strong vocals. He said the track is "destined to enrapture" top 40 and adult contemporary radio audiences, addressing concerns that Dion is "too adult" for mainstream radio. Taylor added that the song shows Dion as youthful and elegant, and marks a bold step for Martin, who is known for working with young, successful artists. Overall, Taylor called the song "one of the most compelling radio releases yet" from "one of the core voices of the decade." Can't Stop the Pop stated the song "doesn't sound like it's trying to be Britney Spears; it sounds like the authentic evolution of a superstar—this is a Celine Dion song through and through—and it's hard to imagine it being performed by anyone else."

Commercial performance

The song became very popular, reaching number 1 on the adult contemporary charts in Canada and the United States. It also entered the top ten in many other countries worldwide. This was Dion’s first single that only played on the radio to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached number 6. It became her 10th and final top 10 hit on that chart (number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay). The commercial version of the song was released nine months later as a double A-side with "I Want You to Need Me," reaching number 62 on the Hot 100 Singles Sales chart.

The song ranked number 12 on the decade-end list of the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart for 2000–2009. It spent one week at number 1 and remained on the chart for a total of 85 weeks, or about 1.5 years, making it one of the longest-lasting singles in the chart’s history.

"That's the Way It Is" was certified platinum in Sweden (20,000 copies sold) and gold in Australia (35,000), Belgium (25,000), Germany (250,000), France (250,000), and the UK (400,000).

According to Billboard, the song received the "BDS Certified Spin Award – 500,000 Spins" in August 2006. Since its release in November 1999, the song has been played 500,000 times on nearly 1,400 radio stations across Canada and the United States.

In other media

The song was later included on The Collector's Series, Volume One compilation (2000) and My Love: Essential Collection greatest hits (2008). Club remixes of the song were made by the Metro. Some copies of the single included the song "I Met an Angel (On Christmas Day)," which was not part of an album.

The song appears in & Juliet, a musical that uses songs written by Max Martin. In the musical, the character played by Anne Hathaway sings the song. On the official London cast recording, the song is performed by Cassidy Janson, who first played the role of Anne in the West End production.

The song was also performed by John Barrowman on his album "You Raise Me Up," which was released in 2014.

Music video

The music video for "That's the Way It Is" was directed by Liz Friedlander. Heather Heller produced it, and it was filmed in Los Angeles, California. The video premiered on VH1 on November 8, 1999. It was nominated for a MuchMusic Video Award. The video was included on Dion's All the Way… A Decade of Song & Video DVD. The music video was uploaded to YouTube on October 25, 2009. It reached 1 billion views and became Dion's second VEVO certified music video.

Formats and track listings

European and Japanese CD single; UK cassette single
Australian, European, and UK CD single
European 12-inch single
US CD and 12-inch single