By snoadmin
Whitney Houston’s seventh album is a hot mix of excellent songs that cements her place as one of R&B’s best singers.
Houston has had some difficult times, based on her firsthand account on the Oprah show about her relationship with her husband. Although the new album doesn’t offer too many new surprises to the typical Whitney Houston formula, the emotional accounts of her breakup are beautiful.
Admittedly, it’s a little corny to hear simple lyrics such as “There were times where I never thought I would get to where I got to/Had some angels to guide me, someone to finally lay on my love/Now this is my chance to say ain’t got nothin but love.” However, considering how difficult her breakup with Bobby Brown was, there’s nothing more soulful to sing than “Ain’t Got Nothin’ But Love.” The dance beat is just as infectious, with awesome, bouncy synthesizer sounds like those in a Depeche Mode song.
Many songs have a much darker, ironic tone. For example, in “I’ll Call You Tonight,” Houston sings “I wish that I could stay, but now I gots to go/I’m gonna call you tonight/I will baby, just as soon as I get time alone.” However, she clearly said in the Oprah interview that she still hasn’t called Brown back. The song is a strong assertion of Houston’s need for a more mutual relationship. At times, the words are much more moving than the background music, which is somewhat disappointing.
No one can deny how powerful Houston’s voice is in her first single on the CD, “I Look to You.” Even if she’s performed this type of ballad a million times before, the diva never fails to impress listeners with her voice when she calmly croons, “I look to you/After my strength is gone/In you I can be strong.”
There’s only a few moments where the jamming dance beats get in the way of the vocals. For instance, Houston’s cover of Leon Russell’s bluesy ballad, “A Song for You” sounds a tad too weird with rave synthesizers and bouncing bass beats.
There are also times when her guest performers tend to get in the way of her awesome diva singing. For instance, Akon does a splendid job in their first collaboration, “Like I Never Left.” However, he sounds a little like the pop star Hannah Montana in the breakup song “I’ve Got You.”
Even when lyrics such as “I’m a soldier girl” sound awkward, Houston is infectiously soulful. It’s a very different experience to hear Houston sing to catchy electronic sounds and hip-hop beats. By the time listeners reach the epic ballad “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength,” they will be sold over by Houston’s gentle, moving voice. This is certainly one of Houston’s best.
Even though I still miss the cutesy dance sound of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me),” Houston is still one of the most unforgettable artists, even today.
