The Canadian singer, 51, shared three sons, Rene-Charles, 18, and nine-year-old twins Eddy and Nelson, with her long-time manager and husband, who died aged 73 in 2016.

Although she was left bereft by his passing, Celine has recorded a new album, Courage, and claimed it's her kids that give her motivation to go on.

"Being a single parent gives me even more of something powerful - they need me so much," the My Heart Will Go On singer said during an appearance on U.K. TV show Good Morning Britain.

Explaining how she expresses her love for her late husband through their offspring, she added: "Even though he's not physically here, he's part of me. I see him every day through the eyes of my children. I told him, 'It's going to be alright, don't worry about anything' - just before he left - 'I got this. I always trusted you, he trusted me. We love each other so much. No one deserves to suffer, you've done good kid.'"

It did, however, take her a while to begin work on Courage as she struggled to cope in the immediate aftermath of Rene's death.

"It took a while to record the album," she explained. "It was a process. Losing a half of you, because we were partners, we were one... this is actually my first English album without him by my side. So that was emotional. At the same time something that was telling me that, you know, it's OK."

Courage was released on Friday.