S'il suffisait d'aimer

S'il suffisait d'aimer
Studio album by
Celine Dion
Released31 August 1998 (1998-08-31)
RecordedSeptember 1997–July 1998
StudioMéga (Paris)
GenrePop
Length51:32
LanguageFrench
Label
Producer
Celine Dion chronology
Let's Talk About Love
(1997) 		S'il suffisait d'aimer
(1998) 		These Are Special Times
(1998)
Singles from S'il suffisait d'aimer
  1. "Zora sourit"
    Released: 7 September 1998
  2. "S'il suffisait d'aimer"
    Released: 23 November 1998
  3. "On ne change pas"
    Released: 1 March 1999

S'il suffisait d'aimer (lit. 'If only love could be enough') is the sixteenth studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion and her eleventh French-language release. Issued by Columbia Records and Epic Records on 31 August 1998, the album was written primarily by French singer-songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman and produced by Goldman with Erick Benzi.

The album achieved substantial commercial success, particularly in Francophone countries, and became the second best-selling French-language album of all time, surpassed only by Dion's D'eux (1995). It produced several commercially successful singles, including "Zora sourit", "S'il suffisait d'aimer", and "On ne change pas". Critics noted its emotional tone, melodic focus, and Dion's vocal delivery. The album also earned the Juno Award for Best Selling Francophone Album of the Year.

Content and promotion

S'il suffisait d'aimer marked Dion's second major collaboration with Jean-Jacques Goldman, following the commercial success of D'eux. While their earlier project was written with Dion's established vocal style in mind, this album adopts a more restrained and intimate approach. The arrangements are relatively minimal, placing greater focus on Dion's voice and the material's emotional tone.[1]

During the Francophone leg of the Let's Talk About Love World Tour, Dion performed six songs from the album. Her concerts in Paris were recorded and released as Au cœur du stade (1999).[2] Promotion also included the live performance video for "Dans un autre monde" and behind-the-scenes material from the album's recording sessions, later issued as bonus content on the Au cœur du stade DVD.

Several tracks from S'il suffisait d'aimer were later included on Dion's 2005 greatest hits compilation On ne change pas.[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Public20/20[5]

The album received generally positive reviews from critics, who noted its emotional tone, polished production, and Dion's vocal delivery. AllMusic described the record as a confident return "to her roots", highlighting its stylistic cohesion and its connection to both her French‑language catalogue and her broader international work.[4]

The French magazine Public awarded the album a perfect score, calling it "a more intimate, subtle and emotionally resonant counterpart to D'eux". The review pointed to the album's reflective lyrical themes, its restrained arrangements, and the strength of tracks such as "On ne change pas", "En attendant ses pas", and "Zora sourit". It also singled out "Papillon" as a rediscovered highlight, re-recorded by Dion for what the magazine described as its "sheer emotional beauty".[5]

Commercial performance

S'il suffisait d'aimer is the second best-selling French-language album in history, behind D'eux. Within its first three weeks (excluding the United States), it sold two million copies worldwide, including 700,000 in France.[6] The album maintained strong sales throughout 1998 and 1999, ultimately surpassing four million copies worldwide.[7][8] Of these, two million were sold in Europe, where the album was certified double platinum by the IFPI.[9]

In France, S'il suffisait d'aimer became one of the country's best-selling albums of the decade, with over 1.89 million copies sold and a diamond certification.[10] In Canada, the album sold 500,000 copies[11] and was certified four times platinum by the CRIA.[12] It also earned gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certifications in several non-Francophone markets. It became only the second French-language album—after D'eux—to be certified gold in the United Kingdom.[13]

In the United States, the album sold 112,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan.[14][15]

The album topped the charts in Switzerland (five weeks), France (four weeks), Belgium's Wallonia (four weeks), Quebec (two weeks), and also reached number one in Canada, Greece, Poland, and on the European Top 100 Albums.[16] It also charted well in non-Francophone countries, peaking at number 11 in Germany and number 17 in the United Kingdom, reflecting its broad international reach.

Accolades

S'il suffisait d'aimer won the Juno Award for Best Selling Francophone Album of the Year.[17] It was also nominated at the Victoires de la Musique for Pop/Rock Album of the Year, and Dion received a nomination for Female Artist of the Year.[18]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jean-Jacques Goldman, except where noted. All tracks are produced by Goldman and Erick Benzi.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Je crois toi" 5:05
2."Zora sourit"
3:51
3."On ne change pas" 4:08
4."Je chanterai" 4:10
5."Terre"Benzi4:17
6."En attendant ses pas" 4:07
7."Papillon"Benzi4:01
8."L'abandon" 4:27
9."Dans un autre monde" 4:38
10."Sur le même bateau" 4:25
11."Tous les blues sont écrits pour toi" 4:48
12."S'il suffisait d'aimer" 3:35
Total length:51:32

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[54] Gold 25,000*
Belgium (BRMA)[55] 2× Platinum 100,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[57] 4× Platinum 500,000[56]
Finland — 18,344[52]
France (SNEP)[58] Diamond 1,000,000*
Germany — 120,000[24]
Japan — 41,000[24]
Netherlands (NVPI)[59] Gold 50,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[60] Gold 50,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[61] 2× Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[62] Gold 100,000^
United States — 112,000[14]
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[63] 2× Platinum 2,000,000*
Worldwide — 4,000,000[7][8]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history
Region Date Label Format Catalog
  • Belgium
  • France
  • Switzerland[64]
 31 August 1998 Columbia
  • 4918592
  • 4918594
United Kingdom[65] 7 September 1998 Epic
Canada[66] 8 September 1998 Columbia
  • CK 80339
  • CT 80339
United States[67] 13 October 1998 Epic
  • BK 69679
  • BT 69679
Japan[68] 21 January 1999 SMEJ CD ESCA-7425
Various[69] 1 September 2017 Sony Music LP 88985450201

See also

References

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