The last time most of us saw Canadian music legend Céline Dion, she was belting out an Edith Piaf classic atop the Eiffel Tower to kick off the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Now, she’s back in a completely different spotlight for Sunday Night Football.
The 56-year-old stars in a new NFL promo, which aired on NBC ahead of Sunday’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The ad, inspired by her 1996 hit “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” features Dion reflecting on football’s ability to stir up powerful emotions, much like her own music. In the promo, the pop icon wears a vintage Super Bowl sweatshirt from the 1996 Cowboys-Steelers matchup, drawing parallels between the passion of football and the themes of love in her songs.
“Sometimes, some nights, it all just comes back.” @celinedion
Cowboys. Steelers. A timeless classic on Sunday Night Football. pic.twitter.com/RzgmLRk8L6
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 7, 2024
“I think my favourite thing about this game is its power to connect who we are to who we were,” she says. “To prove that our most powerful memories, our most enduring loves, can stay with us forever. You know what I’m talking about, right? Sometimes, some nights, it all just comes back.”
As highlights from past Cowboys-Steelers games flash across the screen, Dion drops playful nods to her famous lyrics. “When you touch me like this, when you hold me like that… it kind of fits, no?” she jokes, linking the NFL rivalry to rekindling old flames.
The commercial concludes with the Charlemagne, Quebec, native taking part in a classic football tradition — getting drenched in Gatorade.
While it’s a little out of her element, this isn’t Dion’s first time engaging with pro sports. Back in June, she helped the Montreal Canadiens announce their first-round pick at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas.
ICONIQUE ✨#GoHabsGo | #RepêchageLNH | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/NTHOxwRDaA
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 28, 2024
Dion, who has been open about her battle with stiff-person syndrome (SPS)—a rare neurological disorder —looked in good spirits as she shared the stage with her home province’s team.
Despite having to pause her performing career and cancel all tour dates due to her condition, which affects her vocal cords and mobility, the five-time Grammy Award winner seems to be making more public appearances as of late, which many take as a positive sign.