These Are Special Times

These Are Special Times is the seventeenth studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, and her first English-language Christmas album. It was first released in Europe on 30 October 1998, by Columbia Records. In the United States, it was released on 3 November 1998 through Epic Records. The album features cover versions of popular Christmas songs and original material, including "I'm Your Angel", a duet with R. Kelly. Dion worked with David Foster and Ric Wake, who produced most of the album. Other producers include Bryan Adams, R. Kelly and Humberto Gatica. These Are Special Times was released after two of Dion's most successful albums, Falling into You (1996) and Let's Talk About Love (1997).
Upon its release, These Are Special Times received generally positive reviews from music critics. Many praised Dion's commitment to the project, as well as the production of the songs. The album has sold 5.6 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and has been certified 6x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In Canada, the album has sold one million copies and been certified Diamond by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA). These Are Special Times has sold over 12 million copies worldwide and is one of the best-selling Christmas albums of all time.
The album spawned two singles. "I'm Your Angel" was released as the lead single on 16 November 1998 and peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. "The Prayer", a duet with Andrea Bocelli, was released as the second single on 1 March 1999 and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song at the 56th Golden Globe Awards. In addition, "I'm Your Angel" and "The Prayer" were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 41st and 42nd Annual Grammy Awards, respectively. In 2021, Billboard named These Are Special Times the 8th Greatest Holiday Album of All Time.
Category:CDs