Imperfections (song)

"Imperfections"
Single by Celine Dion
from the album Courage
Released18 September 2019 (2019-09-18)
Studio
Genre
Length3:59
LabelColumbia
Songwriters
ProducerDallasK
Celine Dion singles chronology
"Ashes"
(2018)		 "Imperfections"
(2019)		 "Lying Down"
(2019)
Music video
"Imperfections" on YouTube

"Imperfections" is a song by Canadian singer Celine Dion from her twelfth English‑language studio album, Courage (2019). It was written by Lauv, Michael Pollack, Nicholas Perloff‑Giles and DallasK, and produced by DallasK. Released as a digital download on 18 September 2019, the song was accompanied by a music video that premiered on 26 September 2019 and was sent to adult contemporary radio in the United States on 30 September 2019. "Imperfections" topped both the sales and radio charts in Quebec, received positive reviews from music critics, and was performed by Dion during her Courage World Tour.

Background and release

"Imperfections" was written by American singer‑songwriter Lauv, American DJ‑producer DallasK, Michael Pollack and Nicholas Perloff‑Giles, and produced by DallasK.[2] Alongside "Lying Down" and "Courage", it was released as a digital download on 18 September 2019, the day Dion began her Courage World Tour to promote Courage.[1] "Imperfections" is a mid‑tempo dance track built around an electronic beat and centered on themes of self‑criticism.[3][1] It impacted adult contemporary radio in the United States on 30 September 2019.[4] On 7 December 2019, the song was added to the B‑list on the BBC Radio 2 airplay playlist in the United Kingdom.[5] A stripped‑down version of "Imperfections" was released on Spotify on 26 February 2020, along with Dion's cover of "Wicked Game" with Chris Isaak.[6]

Critical reception

"Imperfections" received positive reviews from music critics. A Bit of Pop Music described it as a strong pop track with contemporary radio production,[7] noting that it sounds both current and characteristic of Dion.[7] The outlet described the lyrics and vocals as simple but effective.[7] Mike Wass of Idolator called "Imperfections" Dion's most contemporary‑sounding song in years, highlighting its memorable chorus about self‑reflection: "I've got my own imperfections, I got my own set of scars to hide".[8]

Commercial performance

In Quebec, "Imperfections" topped the radio chart for 15 weeks[9] and the sales chart for five weeks.[10] In Canada, it reached number five on the Adult Contemporary chart,[11] number 40 on the Hot Adult Contemporary chart,[12] and number 69 on the Canadian Hot 100.[13] In the United States, it peaked at number 11 on the Adult Contemporary chart[14] and number 23 on Pop Digital Song Sales.[15] Internationally, it reached number 17 in Belgium's Wallonia,[16] number 32 in Croatia,[17] number 43 on the sales chart in France,[18] and number 97 in Scotland.[19]

Music video

The music video for "Imperfections" was directed by Gabriel Coutu‑Dumont and produced by Sailor Productions/Silent Partners Studio.[20] Shot entirely in black and white, it features Dion in a series of gowns and high‑fashion ensembles.[20] The video premiered on 26 September 2019.[21] Emily Zemler of Rolling Stone described it as evocative, contrasting its glamorous, behind‑the‑scenes aesthetic with the song's focus on self‑criticism, noting the line "I got my own imperfections".[20] The video ends with Dion appearing without makeup, underscoring the song's message: "I got my own imperfections/I got my own set of scars to hide/I got my own imperfections/I can't hold your heart when I'm fixing mine".[22]

Nicholas Hautman of Us Weekly called the video stunning, praising Dion's appearance in outfits ranging from a puffy black dress to a strapless white gown. He noted that as the song progresses, Dion returns to her dressing room and removes her makeup, revealing her natural look.[23] Rebecca Alter of Vulture.com described the video as "perfect", writing that Dion sings about her flaws while dressed in couture and praising the dramatic styling, including billowing sleeves, bold patterns and a wide‑brimmed hat. Alter highlighted a sequence of Dion running toward the camera in black and white, comparing it to early cinema, and concluded that "we know she's perfect".[24]

Formats and track listing

  • Spotify streaming single[6]
  1. "Imperfections" (recorded at Electric Lady Studios, NYC) – 2:55
  2. "Wicked Game" (recorded at Electric Lady Studios, NYC; featuring Chris Isaak) – 4:51

Credits and personnel

  • Celine Dion – lead vocals
  • Ari Leff – composer, lyricist, associated performer
  • Dallas Koehlke – composer, lyricist, producer, associated performer, background vocal, recording engineer
  • Michael Pollack – composer, lyricist, associated performer, background vocal
  • Nicholas Perloff-Giles – composer, lyricist
  • Alyssa Lourdiz Cantu – background vocal
  • François Lalonde – recording engineer
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing engineer
  • Vlado Meller – mastering engineer
  • John McL. Doelp – executive producer

Source:[25]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[28] Gold 40,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history
Region Date Format Version Label Ref.
Various 18 September 2019 Original Columbia [1]
United States 30 September 2019 Adult contemporary radio [4]
Italy 4 October 2019 Contemporary hit radio [29]
United Kingdom 7 December 2019 Adult contemporary radio [5]
Various 26 February 2020 Streaming Spotify single [6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Rania Aniftos (18 September 2019). "Celine Dion Triples Down With 'Courage' Title Track, Plus New Singles 'Lying Down' & 'Imperfections': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  2. ↑ "Courage". celinedion.com. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  3. ↑ Andrea Dresdale (18 September 2019). "Celine Dion releases 3 emotional new songs: 'Imperfections,' 'Lying Down' and 'Courage'". Good Morning America. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Hot/Modern/AC Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on 26 September 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Radio 2 New Music Playlist". BBC Radio 2. 7 December 2019. Archived from the original on 6 December 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 "Spotify singles by Céline Dion". Spotify. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 "Single Review: Céline Dion – Imperfections / Lying Down / Courage". abitofpopmusic.com. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  8. ↑ Mike Wass (18 September 2019). "New Music! Céline Dion Drops "Imperfections", "Lying Down" & "Courage"". Idolator. Archived from the original on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  9. 1 2 "PalmarèsADISQ - On Air". ADISQ. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  10. 1 2 "PalmarèsADISQ - Top Sales French and English Songs". ADISQ. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  11. 1 2 "Celine Dion Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  12. 1 2 "Celine Dion Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  13. 1 2 "Celine Dion Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  14. 1 2 "Celine Dion Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  15. 1 2 "Pop Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Archived from the original on 10 August 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  16. 1 2 "Céline Dion – Imperfections" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
  17. 1 2 "Croatia ARC TOP 100". HRT. Archived from the original on 21 October 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  18. 1 2 "Céline Dion - Imperfections" (in French). PureMédias. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  19. 1 2 "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 27/9/2019 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
  20. 1 2 3 Emily Zemler (26 September 2019). "Watch Celine Dion's Cinematic Video for 'Imperfections'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  21. ↑ "Céline Dion - Imperfections (Official Video)". 26 September 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2019 – via YouTube.
  22. ↑ Drew Weisholtz (26 September 2019). "Celine Dion goes makeup-free in new 'Imperfections' video". Today. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  23. ↑ "Celine Dion Embraces Her 'Imperfections' in Stunning New Music Video". Us Weekly. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  24. ↑ Rebecca Alter (26 September 2019). "Celine Dion Is Unfortunately Very Perfect in Her New Music Video 'Imperfections'". Vulture.com. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  25. ↑ "Imperfections". YouTube. 18 September 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  26. ↑ "Céline Dion – Imperfections" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  27. ↑ "Adult Contemporary Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  28. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Celine Dion – Imperfections". Music Canada. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  29. ↑ "Celine Dion – "Imperfections" (Radio Date: 04/10/2019)". radiodate.it. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
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