Critics celebrate Céline Dion's 'high-stakes' comeback show in Paris

Celine Dion made her triumphant return to performing this past Saturday, September 12th, at Paris' La D�fense Arena. The singer kicked off her first concert in over six years, marking the start of a Paris residency that will run through October 14th, with ten shows total.

Spanning four acts and delivering 26 songs, Dion performed a mix of her French and English language hits. She debuted three songs live for the evening: "The Chase," "Dansons," and "Je chanterai." Other first-time performances included "Ne bouge pas" since 2003 and "Les derniers seront les premiers" since 2009.

Dion began the night with the French-language track "On ne change pas," visibly emotional as she wiped away tears while receiving a thunderous standing ovation. She then moved into "Encore un soir," "Tout l'or des hommes," "Because You Loved Me," and "The Power of Love" (a Jennifer Rush cover).

Set two began with a double feature: "My Heart Will Go On" and "Beauty and the Beast." Dion then delivered a genre-spanning medley that moved from Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" to "I'm Alive," "That's the Way It Is," and "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)."

The final stretch of the main set saw Dion perform "Courage," "Love Can Move Mountains," "The Prayer," and "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" before delivering an operatic rendition of Alfredo Catalani's "Ebben? Ne andrò lontana."

The encore featured "All by Myself," "Pour que tu m'aimes encore," and "S'il suffisait d'aimer," concluding the night with "Des milliers de baisers."