"I'm Alive" is a song by Canadian singer
Celine Dion from her seventh English-language album, A New Day Has Come (2002). It was written by
Kristian Lundin and
Andreas Carlsson, and produced by Lundin with additional production by
Ric Wake and Richie Jones. "I'm Alive" was released as the album's second single on 5 August 2002. It was also featured in the film Stuart Little 2. The uplifting midtempo song received positive reviews from music critics and became a worldwide hit, reaching top 10 in many countries. The music video was directed by
Dave Meyers.
On 3 May 2024, following a
viralmashup of "I'm Alive" and "
And the Beat Goes On" by the Jammin Kid on
TikTok, English producer
Majestic released the song as "Set My Heart on Fire (I'm Alive x And the Beat Goes On), credited to him, the Jammin Kid and Dion. On 31 May 2024, the Jammin Kid's original version was also released, followed by the Majestic VIP mix on 14 June 2024. "Set My Heart on Fire" reached number one in Quebec and number 39 in the United Kingdom.
Background and release
While working on the album, Dion commented:
"I couldn't wait to go back into the recording studio. And, I loved the songs that people wrote for me on this album. Those songs became even closer to me because, the fact that I took two years off, they wrote songs for me that were even closer to my emotions. I had things to talk about. I had things to sing about. It was a fun adventure, no pressure, relaxed, smooth, powerful but controlled. I really had a wonderful time. And to see my friends again, it was great".[1]
"I'm Alive" was comercially released on 5 August 2002, as the album's second single.[2] For radio release, the song was re-worked by
Humberto Gatica. His version was released on the
Stuart Little 2 soundtrack as well as promotional and commercial CD singles.[3][4]
Although in October 2008 the album version of "I'm Alive" was included on My Love: Essential Collection, the new remix by
Laurent Wolf was released to promote it in France.[5] In January 2009, further promotional remixes were made by
Maurice Joshua for the US clubs.
"I'm Alive" was written by
Kristian Lundin and
Andreas Carlsson and produced by Lundin.[4] They had worked with Dion before, writing her 1999 hit "
That's the Way It Is".[6] Additional production was handled by
Ric Wake and Richie Jones. It is a midtempo song, where Dion declares she is alive, fulfilled as a mother, and
in love.[7]
The song is written in the key of
E♭ major with a moderate tempo of 104 beats per minute. Dion's vocals span from A♭3 to D5 in the song.[8] At the two-and-three-quarter minute mark, the song modulates up a whole-step higher to the key of
F Major.
Critical reception
While reviewing the
Stuart Little 2 soundtrack, William Ruhlmann of
AllMusic wrote that "Dion occupies the position taken by
Trisha Yearwood on the soundtrack to Stuart Little in 1999, singing an upbeat rhythm number".[3] Another editor,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine called the song uplifting and highlighted it; in his review for album he called the song a "hitworthy uptempo gem".
ABC's RollerCoaster review was positive, commenting that "this is the type of music you play in the background when you're having a good laugh with friends or a nice tea with family. It's the kind of song you sing along to and slowly get wrapped in it".[9]Chuck Taylor from Billboard said that "I'm Alive" demonstrates a stylistic "left turn, with its throbbing tribal rhythms and a loose, sky-grazing vocal from Dion". The "percolating"
Humberto Gatica mix "adds juice" to the album version, while the uptempo Wake up mix, with assistance from
Ric Wake and Richie Jones, is Dion's most "inspired and festive" remix to date, with
Blondie's "
Heart of Glass" woven into the beat to "splendid effect".
Neal Sky of Pop Dirt named it a "bubblegum-radio-song".[10] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine called it one of "the album's standout tracks", naming it "an uplifting midtempo number".[7] Christopher Smith from TalkAboutPopMusic said that Dion is "full of energy and blasting her way forward with confidence is the order of the day". He added that it "could almost be declared as her signature, biographical anthem, if it were not for all those mega hits of the 90s".[11]
Commercial performance
The song proved to be successful, reaching number two on the
European Hot 100 Singles. It also peaked at numbers two in Belgium,[12][13] four in Germany[14] and Portugal, five in Austria[15] and Sweden,[16] and seven in France,[17] Switzerland,[18] Denmark,[19] Greece and the Netherlands.[20] In the United Kingdom, "I'm Alive" reached number 17.[21] It was certified platinum in Belgium and gold in France, Germany, Denmark and the United Kingdom. The song also topped the airplay charts in countries like Poland, Czech Republic and Romania.
In Australia and New Zealand, it reached numbers 30[22] and 35,[23] respectively.
In North America, "I'm Alive" was released as a promotional single, and therefore entered the radio charts. In Canada, it peaked at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart[24] and number nine on the overall radio chart.[24] In the United States, it reached number six on the
Adult Contemporary chart[25] and number 11 on the
Bubbling Under Hot 100.[26] The 2009 remix by
Maurice Joshua peaked at number 35 on the
Dance Club Songs chart.[27] According to Billboard, "I'm Alive" has garnered over 49.5 million on-demand streams in the US as of November 2019, becoming Dion's ninth most streamed song in the country.[28]
The music video was directed by
Dave Meyers between 24–25 May 2002 and premiered in June 2002. There were two versions made: with or without the Stuart Little 2 film scenes. The version without used modified shots of the plane sequences of the film but replaced the CGI model of the plane.[32][33]
On 3 May 2024, following a
viralmashup of "I'm Alive" and "
And the Beat Goes On" by the Jammin Kid on
TikTok, English producer
Majestic released the song as "Set My Heart on Fire (I'm Alive x And the Beat Goes On)", credited to him, the Jammin Kid and Dion.[69] On 31 May 2024, the Jammin Kid's original version was also released, followed by the Majestic VIP mix on 14 June 2024 and Jess Bays remix on 19 July 2024.[70][71][72]
Commercial performance
"Set My Heart on Fire" reached number one in Quebec[73] and number 39 in the United Kingdom.[74]
Formats and track listings
Digital / streaming singles
"Set My Heart on Fire (I'm Alive x And the Beat Goes On)" – 2:59
"Set My Heart on Fire (I'm Alive x And the Beat Goes On)" [The Jammin Kid mash-up] – 2:36
"Set My Heart on Fire (I'm Alive x And the Beat Goes On)" [Majestic VIP mix] – 3:09
"Set My Heart on Fire (I'm Alive x And the Beat Goes On)" [Jess Bays remix] – 2:36
Charts
Weekly chart performance for "Set My Heart on Fire"