I have been a huge fan of Whitney since she first came out in 1985 - in my opinion she has one of the best female voices of all-time. Here's my review of the eleven songs features on I Look to You.
1. Million Dollar Bill - Hands down the best song on the CD. Written by the amazing Alicia Keys, this song is so funky and upbeat, probably the most upbeat song since Whitney recorded I Want to Dance with Somebody. The song does remind me of a song from the late 70s but it also has a fresh feel to it on top of the classic vibe. Whitney sounds great on this track - her vocals are strong and solid, Keys offers her amazing voice on the background vocals giving this song exactly what it needs. I do wish Houston and Keys would do an entire album together. I am hoping this single brings Houston back on the music charts this year.
2. Nothin' But Love - This song has a nice feel to it - reminds me of classic Whitney. I like how Whitney is thanking all the people that stood by her through the good and bad times. Her vocas are great on this track. It's a nice "thank you" track.
3. Call You Tonight - I really like this feel good song, again, reminds me of old school Whitney. I really think her voice sounds super crisp on this song - the lyrics are great. An age appropritae song for Houston to sing.
4. I Look To You - A strong ballad. When I first this song I was not overly crazy for it, but after several listens - it's a really great song. Whintey sounds good, I feel she is holding back a bit. The bridge of the song could have been a bit stronger with the vocals but all in all - great ballad from Whitney written by R. Kelly.
5. Like I Never Left - This song is in the same feel, sound and vide from the rest of the album to this point. It's an interesting duet with Akon - I think it should have been someone like Ne-Yo but all in all - it's an ok song, not one of my faves on this album.
6. A Song For You - Whitney needs to release this song as a single - it gave me chills listening to the amazing Houston singing with just the piano in the background at the beginning of the song. Damn - she can still sing!! I love love love this song! Really great vocal performance. I love how it speeds up and Whitney is almost asking for forgiveness for her past mistakes - great song.
7. I Didn't Know My Own Strength - The lyrics to his song really hit my heard - I can relate to the words to this song and every time I hear it reminds me of my own strength and battles I had to overcome. Great ballad - happy to hear Whitney sing it and mean it.
8. Worth It - Slow, smooth jam...old school Whitney for sure. After a few listens I like it - reminds me of the Whitney from back in the day.
9. For the Lovers - I like this song - probably the most modern song on the disc. Houston's voice sounds muffled and deep but I think that's the sound they were going for on this song.
10. I Got You - Akon is introduced in this song - not crazy about it. Wish she didn't more with Alicia Keys than Akon. Whitney sounds great though.
11. Salute - This is along the same lines as Beyonce's song Halo, but this song is stronger. It's a song about leaving a love and moving on. A great way for Whintey to close this album. I think this is a great fuck you to Bobby Brown.
All in all it's a strong effort for a 46 year old Whitney Houston who was pretty much written off for not being able to sing anymore. The album is strong and should return Whitney to the R&B charts - the only single on here that I can see going on the mainstream Hot 100 charts is Million Dollar Bill - it should go Top 10. I am hoping this CD is just a warmup to the next album Whitney is going to release in the near future.
1 comment:
I Like, "Where do Broken Hearts Go"
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