The passing of Whitney Houston is a tremendous loss to popular music. She was a star, she was an icon, she had true singing talent. Although her career got off-track near the end, there were times she was the biggest thing in the music business. From 1985 through 1988, her first two albums were both massively successful, earning Grammy Award nominations for Album of the Year and spawning seven U.S. #1 hits. Then in 1992-1993, she sat on top of the music world again with The Bodyguard Soundtrack and its massive hit single "I Will Always Love You."
She has always been on my personal favorites and I have many fond memories of her music. Here are a few of them.
Greatest Love of All (1986). This was the first Whitney Houston song I ever knew. My music teacher selected it for us as one of the few pop songs she let us sing in fourth grade. A little later, this was one of the few songs I learned to play on the piano (during my very brief stint playing piano).
I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) (1987). The summer of 1987 was the summer I began to listen to popular music. This was a #1 hit at that time, making Whitney Houston one of the first pop musicians I really got into (along with Madonna, Debbie Gibson and Michael Jackson). Whitney was one of the first pop albums I owned, and I listened to it obsessively. I got to know that album in a way I rarely get to know albums these days, learning to appreciate every song on it. This, though, was its highlight and it remains one of my favorite songs by her.
I Will Always Love You (1992). Like many people, I fell in love with this song instantly. It was so amazing, becoming a bigger hit than any song ever had been (a then record 14 weeks at #1). I loved how she sang the first verse a cappella, smartly riding the trend of recent hits by Boyz II Men to introduce what is otherwise a pretty traditional AC pop ballad. I remember getting The Bodyguard Soundtrack for Christmas in 1992 and being so excited to listen to it Christmas Eve.
It's Not Right, But It's Okay (Thunderpuss Remix) (1999). The summer of 1999 was the year I graduated from college and moved to Washington, D.C. to begin the adult phase of my life. It was a major time of transition, as I learned to navigate a new city, get used to the working life and make new friends. Of course, that time also involved a significant amount of time in gay bars and clubs (something I rarely do now). This was basically the soundtrack of my nightlife that summer.
Million Dollar Bill (2009). I was disappointed that Just Whitney was not a success and troubled by what happened to Whitney during this period. So I was very happy for her when she managed to pull herself together to make one more decent album, I Look to You, which included this fantastic upbeat single.
Madonna enters the Billboard Hot 100's top 10 this week, climbing three notches with her new hit single, "Give Me All Your Luvin." With Billboard allowing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" to reappear in the Hot 100 this week an amazing thing happened on the chart: two pop icons of the '80s and '90s spend time together in the top 10 for the first time in over 16 years.
Madonna and Whitney appeared on the scene within a few years of each other and went on to dominate pop charts for the next 20 years or so. During that time, they frequently appeared in the top 10 at the same time. Here's a look at those instances:
July 6, 1985. Whitney Houston's first top 10 hit, "You Give Good Love," enters the top 10 at #7 the same week that Madonna's sixth top 10 hit, "Angel," spends its last week in the top 10 at #10.
September 28-October 12, 1985. Madonna's final Like a Virgin single, "Dress You Up," and Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love for You" spend 3 weeks together in the top 10. Madonna's single peaks at #5 while Whitney's becomes her first #1 hit--the first of seven consecutive chart-toppers.
May 17-June 14, 1986. On May 17, Whitney's last Whitney Houston single "Greatest Love of All" hits #1 the same week Madonna's first True Blue Single "Live to Tell" enters the top 10. For 2 weeks, the songs are #1 and #2 and, on June 7, "Live to Tell" knocks "Greatest Love of All" from #1. The singles spend 5 weeks together in the top 10.
[August 8, 1987. A near miss: Madonna's "Who's That Girl" enters the top 10 the same week Whitney's former #1 "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" drops out of the top 10.]
August 29-September 12, 1987. Whitney's second Whitney single, "Didn't We Almost Have It All," enters the top 10 at #8 the same week Madonna's "Who's That Girl" falls from #1 to #2. The singles spend 3 weeks together in the top 10.
[October 17, 1987. Another near miss. Madonna's second Who's That Girl Soundtrack single, "Causing a Commotion," climbs six notches to #5 the same week Whitney former #1 hit "Didn't We Almost Have It All" makes its exit from the top 10.]
December 8, 1990-January 5, 1991. Madonna's "Justify My Love" from her greatest hits set, The Immaculate Collection, enters the top 10 the same week Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight" falls from #1 to #2. The singles spend 5 weeks together in the top 10.
[March 23, 1991. Yet another near miss. Madonna's "Rescue Me" spends its only week in the top 10 at #9 the same week Whitney Houston's ninth #1 hit, "All the Man That I Need," falls out of the top 10.]
January 16-February 6, 1993. On January 16, Madonna's second Erotica single "Deeper and Deeper" enters the top 10 at #10 the week that Whitney's massive Bodyguard Soundtrack hit "I Will Always Love You"spends its 8th week at #1. Two weeks later "Deeper and Deeper" peaks at #7; "I Will Always Love You" is still #1. Two weeks later, "Deeper and Deeper" is gone from the top 10; "I Will Always Love You" is still #1 (and will be for another 2 weeks--it was such a huge hit).
December 9, 1995-December 23, 1995. Madonna's Something to Remember single "You'll See" enters the top 10 at #8 during Whitney's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)'s" second week at #2, which had debuted at #1 just two weeks earlier, becoming only the third single to ever achieve that feat. The Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack's single was Houston's 11th and final #1 hit. Until this week, this was the last time the two icons spent time together in the top 10.
[March 1, 1997. A near miss. Madonna's Evita hit "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" enters the top 10 at its #8 peak the same week Whitney's The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack hit "I Believe in You and Me" exits the top 10.]
This was one of the first albums I ever owned, so my absolute love for this album might have more to do with nostalgia than its actual quality, although I think it would be hard to deny this is a great pop album, even if it isn’t quite as consistent as Whitney Houston’s self-titled1985 debut. Pure pop pleasure “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” gets things rolling on really strong note. The song is pop perfection and my favorite track by Houston. From there on, the album follows a pretty predictable path, alternating almost track-by-track between big adult-leaning love ballads and frothier dance pop confections. Although the ballads may have shined more on her debut, there’s a definite push to grow her younger audience here with the upbeat songs, which are generally the better tracks. “So Emotional” in particular is a highlight, and I also quite like “Love Will Save the Day” and even find the ridiculous “Love Is a Contact Sport” to be a guilty pleasure. Two of the album’s ballads were US #1s, the better of which is “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” which was produced by Michael Masser, who produced several hits from Houston’s debut. The other, “Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” was produced by Narada Michael Warren, who produced most of the album. Among the album’s non-singles that dominate its second half, I’m particularly fond of the laid-back feel of “For the Love of You.”
Best: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me), So Emotional, Didn’t We Almost Have It All, Just the Lonely Talking Again, Where Do Broken Hearts Go, Love Will Save the Day.
It's been said that the '80s were the heyday of the blockbuster pop album. This was one of the biggest ones--the decade's best-selling album by a female artist and second best-selling debut album (behind Guns 'N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction). Whitney Houston wrote the book for crossover adult-leaning R&B/pop, a sound that would dominate pop music through the second half of the '80s and most of the '90s, paving the way for other similarly vocally gifted female artists like Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Toni Braxton.
Musically, Whitney Houston adeptly dispatches both its ballads and uptempo tracks. Houston became known for her torchy love songs, and these were among her first and best. "You Give Good Love" set the stage, while "Saving All My Love for You" became her first #1 hit, on which she takes the unusual role of the anti-heroine persona "the other woman." "The Greatest Love of All" was the album's biggest hit ballad, but the lesser-known "All at Once" and "Hold Me," a song that first appeared on duet partner Teddy Pendergrass's 1984 album Love Language and was released as a single, are also good too.
The uptempo numbers on the album don't shine as bright as the ballads with one notable exception, "How Will I Know," a real knockout of a dance pop single. "Thinking About You" and "Someone for Me," while fun, don't hold a candle to its carefree pop perfection (Houston would do generally better uptempo material on her 1987 follow-up, Whitney). Although Jermaine Jackson was surely included for some name recognition, hits two collaborations are the album's weakest material, but "Take Good Care of My Heart" does add some needed energy among the album's many slow songs.
The album Whitney was my first exposure to Houston and, while for nostalgic reasons it will always hold a special place in my heart, I've come to appreciate Whitney Houston more and more as the years go by, and would probably recognize it as the superior of the two sets.
Best: How Will I Know, Saving All My Love for You, You Give Good Love, The Greatest Love of All, All at Once
I'd been planning this post to briefly recap a few key albums from late in 1990, but didn't get around to finishing it last year. But I think it's still worth doing, so here it is.
Pet Shop Boys - Behaviour. Less dance pop than Introspective before it and Very after it, Behaviour was Pet Shop Boys' stab at something a little more stately. Although more subdued than their usual sound, it's not a bad listen, not by a long shot, representing one of the most finely crafted works in their catalog. "Being Boring" is a lovely piece of history-inspired synth pop. "This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave" is more insistent, but also reflective. "To Face the Truth" injects a bit of melancholy, while "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously" (they really liked the long song titles for this one) was a bit more upbeat. "Nervously" is a sweet tale of a first romantic liaison, and despite the fact that Neil Tennant hadn't come out yet, it's a pretty gay song (there are no "shes" but plenty of "hes" thrown out). Best: Being Boring, This Might Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave, How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously, So Hard (4.5).
Cathy Dennis - Move to This. Cathy Dennis would later become one of the most successful British pop music songwriter-producers around. Her credits include Kylie's "Can't Get You Out of My Head," Britney's "Toxic" and the Sugababes' "About You Now." But before she was in the back of the studio she spent some time in the sound booth too, recording some pretty heady dance pop in the early '90s, first as a member of D-Mob, and then as just a solo act. Her best songs were her vibrant, Euro-styled hits "Just Another Day" and "Touch Me (All Night Long)." Producer Shep Pettibone had a hand in this album, and his style is most obvious on "Everybody Move," which sounds quite a bit like the smash he produced for Madonna, "Vogue." The dance pop outshines the ballads, except for "Too Many Walls," which was also a hit. Other ballads aren't nearly as good though, such as "My Beating Heart," which sounds like a limp take on Paula Abdul's "Rush Rush." Best: Just Another Dream, Touch Me (All Night Long), Everybody Move, Too Many Walls (3.5).
Whitney Houston - I'm Your Baby Tonight. With her third album, Whitney Houston tried to update her sound for the '90s with edgier, more R&B-styled productions courtesy of producers extraordinaire Babyface and LA Reid, but the bet was hedged against songs that sound like her late '80s output as well. Thus more modern fare like the bouncy "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and "My Name Is Not Susan" share space with songs like "Lover for Life" and "I Belong to You," which sound like leftovers from the recording of Whitney. None of these are bad songs though, they just sound a bit disjointed together. I used to not really care for this album, but it's grown on me quite a bit. As usual, the big ballads "All The Man that I Need" and "Miracle" are solid songs that went on to be a #1 and top 10 hit respectively. The only misstep is "Anymore," which sounds like a carbon copy of the production Babyface did for Karyn White's "Secret Rendezvous." Best: I'm Your Baby Tonight, My Name Is Not Susan, All the Man That I Need, Lover for Life, I Belong to You, Miracle (4/5).
Madonna - The Immaculate Collection. Madonna finished 1990 with a greatest hit set that pulled together 15 of her biggest hits from the last 7 years plus two new tracks that would also become hits for her. It became Madonna's second diamond-selling album after Like a Virgin, one of the best-selling and most revered greatest hits collections of all time. And despite the fact that it's indisputably wonderful, there's some odd things about it too. The strangest thing from a purists perspective is that none of the songs are either the single or album versions--all of the songs were remixed for the album by Shep Pettibone and edited for length to fit them all on. Some of the remixing is minor--you have to really listen to tell that the intro to Borderline has slightly different instrumentation--but some of it is dramatically different, like the decision to use a dance remix of "Like a Prayer" rather than the classic original. The tracks are sequenced in release order, except that "Lucky Star" and "Borderline" are switched. Really, these are minor gripes though, and since I've sinced gathered all the album and single versions of Madonna's hits, it's kind of fun to also have these strange slight remixes. Best: All 17 tracks represent pop perfection, so I couldn't possibly choose (5/5).
This is the last of this series. If I have time, I have an albums post I'd also like to do.
United States
In the US, the biggest hit of December was Stevie B's "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)," far and away the singer's biggest hit, although not his only one. He had a couple of singles that reached the top 40 in 1989. In 1990, he hit #29 with "Love Me for Life," then #15 with "Love and Emotion" before finally reaching #1 with hits fifth top 40 hit. "Because I Love You" is a tender love ballad with minimal instrumentation--pretty much just keyboard, synthesizer and some light drumming. Although it was one of the year's biggest hits, in retrospect, it's a pretty lightweight song that doesn't really hold up. Stevie B followed it up with his second-biggest hit, "I'll Be By Your Side," which hit #12 in early 1991, and he had one more top 40 single in 1995.
With "I'm Your Baby Tonight," Whitney Houston worked with Babyface to transform her '80s pop sound into an edgier '90s R&B/pop sound. It's a great track, one that I've actually appreciated more with age. It became the singer's 8th #1 hit in early December, the first single from her third album, also titled I'm Your Baby Tonight.
After reviving her pop music career in 1989 with the #1 hit "Wind Beneath My Wings," Bette Midler released Some People's Lives in 1990, which became the most successful album of her career. Its first single, "From a Distance," was a major hit for the singer, hitting #2 and receiving a Grammy Award nomination for Record of the Year.
The coolest hit single of December 1990 was Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner." As remixed by DNA, it gave Vega her second and last major pop single, following her #3 hit from 1987, "Luka." (see the August post in the UK section for more info).
Wilson Phillips finished out 1990 with a third top 5 hit, "Impulsive," another mid-tempo pop song, although by hitting #4, it was their first single to miss the top spot. They would have one more #1 hit in 1991, "You're in Love," before their chart fortunes would fade away (although, as John will attest from his recent interview with them(!), they are still around and going strong).
Rockers Poison had their last major hit with the ballad "Something to Believe In," which hit #4. It was their sixth and last top 10 hit. Two more top 40 singles from 1990 album followed in 1991, but weren't major hits.
George Michael's "Freedom '90" was another notable release from the singer. This, more than any other track on Listen Without Prejudice, stated his desire to step away from the sexy pop singer image cultivated for Faith, to make music on his own terms. The video, like that for "Praying for Time," does not feature Michael, although it does include images of Michael burning the props from his Faith days, including his iconic leather jacket going up in flames and the jukebox from the "Faith" video exploding. The video also features a number of big-name supermodels lipsynching to Michael's lyrics, including Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista. Such a great song--another one that I appreciate more today than when it came out.
United Kingdom
In Britain, the biggest single of the month was Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby," a recent US #1 that spent 3 weeks at #1 in the UK. It relinquished the top spot for Cliff Richard's "Saviour's Day," which was the Christmas #1. The single was Richard's 13th #1 hit and third Christmas #1. His most recent #1 hit in 1999, "Millennium Prayer," gave the singer his 14th #1. At present, he is tied with Westlife for the third most #1 hits after Elvis Presley (21) and The Beatles (17). Madonna is a close fifth with 13 chart-toppers.
Speaking of Madge, she had a hit in December, "Justify My Love," which reached #2. The track was the first single released from The Immaculate Collection, her greatest hits set released in late 1990. That album deserves its own entry (I really need to write that too, okay this series is going to extend into 1991 a bit). "Justify My Love" is sexy spoken-word song with a minimal arrangement produced by Andre Betts and Lenny Kravitz, the latter also doing backing vocals. The song is great of course, but it was its racy video that got it the most attention. As directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, the video was stylishly filmed in grainy and black and white and featured highly sexualized images of Madonna and other leather-cladded friends (including her then-boyfriend, Tony Ward) romping through an old hotel. Famously, MTV banned the video, which led it to be released on videocassette as the first ever video single. It sold handsomely.
English indie rock band EMF achieved major mainstream success with "Unbelievable," an upbeat track that hit #3 in Britain and, the following year, #1 in the US. Another British band, The Farm, also had their biggest hit in December with "All Together Now," which hit #4. The song was inspired by the famous Christmas Day truce of World War I during which soldiers from both sides put down their arms and actually met in "no man's land" to exchange gifts.
Rod Stewart and Tina Turner teamed up for a top 5 remake of "It Takes Two," a song originally released in the '60s by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston. Despite Stewart being pretty big in the US at the time, this was not released there. As cool as that is, my vote for coolest hit single in Britain for December goes to "Falling" by Julee Cruise. The austere, synth-laden track, in its instrumental form, was the theme song to the acclaimed but short-lived series Twin Peaks. It's quite lovely and it's cool that it was a hit. In the US, the single was popular on modern rock stations, but was not a mainstream hit.
Also reaching the top 10 in December were "Mary Had a Little Boy" (#8) by Snap!, the group's fourth top 10 hit, and "This One's for the Children" (#9), another top 10 hit for New Kids on the Block, which had been a US hit the previous holiday season.
Finally there was "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak (#10), a seductive song with a gentle guitar melody under his expressive, crooning vocal. The single was also a top 10 hit in the US the following year. Its black and white video, directed by Herb Ritts, is certainly the sexiest music video ever made.
I was just listening to this song and thinking about how great it is, so I decided to share. It's about falling in love with...gasp...a married man. It was Whitney Houston's first #1 hit in the fall of 1985. I'd never seen the filmed-in-London video before, so I watched that too.
It's been about 10 years since Whitney Houston was a major presence in pop music. During that time, under the gaze of tabloids and her own reality TV show, Houston battled drug addiction and the crumbling of her marriage to Bobby Brown. At some points it seemed she had sunk so low--such as a public appearance where she appeared scarily thin--that I would not have been surprised to read an overdose headline with tragic consequences.
Thankfully, Whitney Houston proved herself to be a fighter, and over the course of the last few years has pulled herself and her career together, under the watchful eye of mentor/producer Clive Davis. Davis has been promising for years that Whitney was working on her great comeback album and that it would be a knockout. A knockout it is not, but a pretty great comeback it is.
I Look to You is populated with a mix of ballads and more upbeat songs, although generally the album's vibe is smooth R&B-flavored pop, so there's no real stompers. Nor are there any ballads with the soaring vocal histrionics that typified Houston's past work. It seems the physical abuse she's put her body through has taken its toll on her voice. It doesn't sound the same and doesn't seem able to achieve what it used to. It's still pretty damn great though and certainly better than many (when you start at the top, if you fall a little bit, you're still much higher than everyone else). If she's playing it safe in the middle, it's a good place for her to be right now.
Thematically, the songs are also a mix of those that address head on her life's experiences and those that are just fun pop songs. Opening track "Million Dollar Bill," written and produced by Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, starts things off on the right foot. The upbeat track has a great bass line and fun retro-'70s sound. Whitney sounds--like she's having a lot of fun, and you will too. "Nothin' But Love," another upbeat track follows with a more purely modern production from Danja and Fernando Garibay. Although Whitney has never been a songwriter, its clear that many of these songs have been crafted to express the singer personally, and this song addresses how, despite her detractors and hardships, she won't let them get her down.
The next few songs are slower, smoother, but also satisfying. Stargate-produced ballad "Call You Tonight" is a sexy mid-tempo ballad with a minor key and a even a bit of twangy guitar to give it a slight country nod. While not an immediate standout, this song has really grown on me. "I Look to You," the album's first single, is a understated piano-based ballad about the power of faith. It's a simple, but lovely little song written by R. Kelly. "Like I Never Left" is a collaboration with Akon, a rather sweet song from an unexpected matchup that can be read as either a plea to a former or Houston's fans to give her a chance because she's back.
The torchy remake of "A Song for You" starts out a slow piano ballad and builds to a frothy disco chorus. "A Song for the Drag Queens" is more like it. It's the album's fastest song and quite a bit of fun. I wasn't really into "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" when it was leaked as a preview track over the summer, but really, it's not a bad song, and it's probably the album's most vocally challenging track.
It's in the last third that the album sags a bit. "Worth It" it is a smooth love song, not as good as the ones at the beginning of the album. It's followed by "For the Lovers," another Danja-produced dance pop track that is decent but unremarkable. Akon and R. Kelly also show again with "I Got You" and "Salute" respectively, neither of which are as good as the other tracks they produced.
While some songs are definitely better than others, there's no bad one here, a real improvement over her last, disappointing 2002 album Just Whitney. I'm really quite impressed that Whitney has mounted such a successful comeback with I Look to You. I've always been a big fan and I'm really glad she pulled it together. Grammy recognition is sure to follow.
Best: Million Dollar Bill, Nothin' But Love, I Look to You, I Didn't Know My Own Strength, Call You Tonight, A Song for You
Whitney Houston's official Web site has the entire album up for streaming. Unfortunately, I don't have time to listen to it for the next few days, as I'll be vacationing at the beach (actually, I guess that isn't unfortunate).
I did, however, buy "Million Dollar Bill" this morning, and I'm loving it. Much much better choice for a single than the other two tracks we've already heard.
In just a week Whitney Houston will finally release a new album. Seven years us Whitney fans have been waiting for this! The event is the perfect occasion to look back on her impressive catalogue:
Whitney Houston (1985). From the opening notes of “You Give Good Love,” it was clear that young Whitney—just 21 at the time—possessed a powerful and expressive voice, and critically, the talent to control it. While so many of today’s young singers “oversing” their work, particularly their ballads, Whitney could keep her melisma in check, deploying it effectively for the big chorus but showing tender restraint at other times. Take “Saving All My Love for You,” in which Houston assumes the role of a married man’s mistress. During the verses, Houston quietly conveys without judgment such a woman's feelings, but lets the passion loose for the chorus (“tonight is the night for feeling alright” she intones with purpose to the would-be adulterer). While Whitey is known for her ballads, she’s pretty good at upbeat material too, as proven by sunny spirit-lifting “How Will I Know,” my favorite song here, as well as keyboard-heavy “Thinking About You” and “Someone for Me.” Other ballads such as megahit “The Greatest Love of All” ad “All at Once” seem less interesting now, if only because such stylings have become so ubiquitous by Houston and her contemporaries. While all the album is good, its duets are the weakest link, particularly the two with Jermaine Jackson. Best: How Will I Know, Saving All My Love for You, You Give Good Love, All at Once, Thinking About You, The Greatest Love of All (5/5).
Whitney (1987). Similar to her debut, and similarly good, Whitney continued to showcase the singer’s strengths as a pop artist, both with slow love songs and upbeat dance pop tunes, the latter of which were even stronger on this second album. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” in particular is probably my favorite Whitey Houston song. I love everything about this sassy, vibrant and very late-‘80s tune. Darker-toned “So Emotional,” with its slight rock leanings, is another clear highlight. Power ballads “Didn’t We Almost Have It All” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” are effective, although predictable. Yet they, as well as the other two songs I’ve mentioned so far, were all number one hits. “For the Love of You” provides a nice contrast as an understated love ballad. This was my first Whitney Houston album, so while I recognize it's probably not as strong as her debut, nostalgia forces me to love it no less. Best: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, So Emotional, Didn’t We Almost Have It All, Love Is a Contact Sport, Just the Lonely Talking Again, Where Do Broken Hearts Go (5/5).
I’m Your Baby Tonight (1990). The sound of pop music changed during the late '80s/early '90s, with the heavy synthesizers and drum machines of the ‘80s being replaced more frequently with acoustic instruments (or least synthesizers and drum machines that sounded more authentic) I’m Your Baby Tonight sat at the crossroads of this change, and while it does give Whitney a new sound with a few songs, it does so tentatively as if to suggest uncertainty over whether doing so was really a good idea. Pushing forward are charging upbeat songs like #1 hit "I'm Your Baby Tonight" and "My Name Is Not Susan," while backward-looking "Lover for Life" and "I Belong to You" sound like Whitney leftovers. As if that wasn't enough confusion, "Anymore" sounds suspiciously like Karyn White's "Secret Rendezvous," which is a shame, since back them Karyn White should have been chasing Whitney Houston and not vice-versa. Despite these odd moves, the album's two hit ballads, "All the Man that I Need" and "Miracle," are timeless, tasteful Whitney at her best. Best: I'm Your Baby Tonight, All the Man That I Need, My Name Is Not Susan, Miracle (3.5/5).
The Bodyguard Soundtrack (1992). Enter the soundtrack years, a period of time during which Whitney Houston released no studio albums, yet had some of her career's biggest hits. The Bodyguard was the centerpiece of this time, a soundtrack collection half made up of songs by Houston, who also starred in the film. While the movie fared poorly with critics, it was a commercial hit, but the soundtrack was absolutely massive, becoming one of the five best-selling albums of the '90s and the best-selling soundtrack of all time. At its core is "I Will Always Love You," a pitch-perfect remake of Dolly Darton's classic love song that is Whitney's most famous single. Beyond that, ballad "I Have Nothing" and dancy remake of Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" were also major hits, both representing then-current production standards for adult pop ballads and dance pop, the two genres the singer was already well known for. The non-Houston stuff isn't really that interesting, save for Lisa Stansfield's "Someday (I'm Coming Back)," but nobody bought this album for anything other than the Whitney Houston tracks. Best: I Will Always Love You, I'm Every Woman, I Have Nothing, Queen of the Night, Run to You (4.5/5).
Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack (1995). Whitney Houston contributed only three tracks to this, and as such, I think it deserves a mention, but not a full assessment. "Exhale" was another major #1 hit for the singer, and "Count on Me," her duet with CeCe Winans, hit the top 10. I used to own this album, but unfortunately no longer have it. Incredibly for a soundtrack, it was nominated for the Album of the Year Grammy--the fourth time for a Whitney Houston project. Best: Exhale (Shoop Shoop) (not rated).
The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack (1996). Does this count as a Whitney Houston album? Well if The Bodyguard does, then it certainly should given that while on that 1992 soundtrack the singer contributed half the songs, but here she sings on almost all of them. The album is a mix of pop and gospel, reflecting the theme of the film while also serving to give the singer a couple of hits. While not notable, "I Believe in You and Me" and Annie Lennox-penned "Step by Step" are decent songs. Best: Step by Step, I Believe in You and Me (not rated).
My Love Is YourLove (1998). While the 1990 attempt to "update" Whitney Houston didn't quite work, the 1998 effort worked like a charm, redefining the singer as not only a torchy balladeer but also a fierce interpreter of modern R&B-flavored pop. Working with Rodney Jerkens, then known for his massive Brandy and Monica hit "The Boy Is Mine," Houston turned out the cool opener "It's Not Right, But It's Okay" about a woman who realizes her man is cheating on her but refuses to be ruined by it. Other Jerkens-produced tracks, "If I Told You That" and "Get It Back" are almost as good. Love spurned is a recurring theme, such as on the album's biggest hit, "Heartbreak Hotel," or the album's best ballad "I Learned from the Best." Other big-name collaborators show up with positive effect--Wyclef Jean on "My Love Is Your Love" and Missy Elliott on "In My Business." The album's weakest moments are its traditional Whitney ballads, which just aren't as interesting as the upbeat R&B. While I liked the album's lead single, the Mariah Carey duet "When You Believe," it proved a lesson in the limits of calculation--that a Babyface-produced ballad between the industry's two hottest properties tied into a major animated film isn't a guaranteed hit. Best: It's Not Right, But It's Okay, Heartbreak Hotel, If I Told You That, In My Business, I Learned from the Best, When You Believe, My Love Is Your Love (4.5/5).
Just Whitney (2002). I don't own this album, although I've listened to it online quite a few times. It is by far the weakest of Whitney Houston's albums, coming at a very difficult time for the singer. There are a couple of good songs--"Try It on My Own" is rather lovely--but mostly there's little here that's memorable. And at its worst--the paranoia-fuled "Whatchulookinat"--the results are disappointing. Best: Try It on My Own (2/5).
It seems like all I wrote about now is Madonna and Whitney Houston. Ha! I'm in pop music heaven. So "Celebration" the single is available for sale now from iTunes in the US (not sure if abroad too, but probably).
Also, I've found myself singing Whitney Houston's "I Look to You" quite a bit the last couple of days, so I actually must like it. Chris and I were just saying that perhaps the fact that's is rather understated is a good thing.
Whitney Houston is offering her new single "I Look to You" as a free download on her Web site until Friday. While I think this is a better choice than "I Didn't Know My Own Strength," I can't say I love it. Chris and I just listened to it and then right after to "I Will Always Love You," and she really doesn't sound like the same singer anymore. Not by a long shot. Still, I'm hopeful there will be some good songs on this album.
After the poor reception of "I Didn't Know My Own Strength," rumors have been circulating about what the first I Look to You single will be. While it's been suggested that it could be upbeat "Million Dollar Bill" or "Call You Tonight," rap up is reporting it will be the R. Kelly-penned title track.
Interesting choice. For a Whitney Houston ballad, "I Look to You," is rather understated, with no final act key change or soaring orchestra flourish (there's a little flourish, but not like she's done in the past). I guess this is a better choice than "I Didn't Know My Own Strength," but I'm still looking forward to hearing "Million Dollar Bill," which sounds like a great song.
"I Didn't Know My Own Strength" is out and about now. Here's a link, but it might not last long (just search for it on YouTube). My initial reaction is that it's a bit disappointing. While Whitney sounds good, and the instrumentation is appropriately lush, the song seriously lacks a good hook. The lyric "I didn't know my own strength" is too much of a mouthful to make a good chorus. Hopefully, there's a big upbeat pop song waiting around the corner.
Many of our beloved big female pop stars have new projects coming the second half of the year. Here's the current skinny on we can look forward to:
Christina Aguilera's planning a new album for September called Light & Darkness. After the throwback styles of 2006's Back to Basics, word is that her new album will be thoroughly modern and electronic, with collaborators like Goldfrapp, Ladytron, and Sia in tow (plus good ol' Linda Perry of course). "Keeps Gettin' Better," the single from her recent greatest hits set, certainly pointed in this direction. No word on the first single, but it's rumored to have a July release.
Mariah Carey's last album came out just over a year ago, but she's already got its follow-up ready. Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel is due in September, with first single "Obsessed" due to hit radio on Tuesday. Behind-the-scenes work comes from the usual mix of producers, including The Dream, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, and Timbaland, as well the return of longtime collaborator Walter Anasieff, the man behind many of Carey's early hits, including "Love Takes Time," "Hero," and "One Sweet Day." Also rumored is a cover of Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is."
Whitney Houston hasn't released a popular album since 1998 (2002's Just Whitney was a flop). Having dealt with drugs, divorce, and reality TV since then, the singer has been reportedly working to rebuilding her career the last few years. And while rumors have surfaced periodically about her return, this time it looks like it will happen. The album is currently slated for release in September. Although no word on its title, the first single is said to be "I Didn't Know My Own Strength," written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster--a powerhouse team for a pop ballad comeback.
Leona Lewis, who became the first star from a British reality show music contest to break into the US, is due to release her second album in November. Ryan Tedder will be returning to the mix, along with Timbaland, Ne-Yo, Xenomania, and Jay-Z. Lewis is reportedly interested in having Coldplay's Chris Martin contribute as well.
Madonna, wrapping up her 27-year relationship with Warner Brothers Records, will release a career-capping greatest hits collection this fall. No word on the format yet, but I'm hoping for something like we got from Celine Dion last year--multiple releases, depending on your interest, such as a one-disc version for casual fans, and a three-disc version with remixes and b-sides for the devoted. Paul Oakenfold worked with Madonna to record some new material for the release, which he told Attitude magazine are called "Broken," "I'm Sorry," and "Celebrate." We'll see if they make the cut.
Shania Twain is rumored to be releasing her new album this fall, her first since Up! in 2002. I can't find any details about it though, so among these potential new releases, this would seem to be the most tentative.
