Whitney Houston - I Look To YouRelease: August 28, 2009 | Label: Arista | Number: 88697 58020 2
Genre: R&B / Soul / Pop | Mono/Stereo: 2 Channel
EAC Rip | Included: EAC Log + CUE + Flac + Full Covers
Size: 316 MB | RAR files | RS.com
Seven years after her last album of pop songs, two years after her divorce, Whitney Houston re-emerges with full diva qualifications on I Look to You.
For the album, most of the revelations aren't verbal; they're in the husky, vehement sound of Houston's voice.
Houston started her career as a goody two-shoes with a glorious vocal instrument. Then came her turbulent marriage to and divorce from Bobby Brown, shaky public performances, her admitted drug use and her long absence from pop after her 2002 album, Just Whitney.
Just Whitney was a bristling, defensive album; I Look to You, with Houston's longtime mentor Clive Davis as her co-producer, is more subdued, canny and cautious. Houston still sings about the power of love, though it's not always benign anymore.
The album is split between songs that hint at her travails and songs that try to ignore them, like the lightweight, Motown-tinged first single, Million Dollar Bill, written and produced by Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz.
The title song, written by R. Kelly, harks back to Houston's heyday, only to reveal how much she has changed.
I Look to You is a gospel-rooted ballad that builds up to a vow of devotion before humbly tapering off. Her voice is thicker and lower, and her improvisatory phrases are shorter. They curve downward as if tugged by gravity, making her approachable, even sympathetic.
Houston's back story also infuses the upbeat, electronic Nothin' but Love, which promises love to "even the ones who tried to break me," and a hymnlike Diane Warren song, I Didn't Know My Own Strength, which aims to become an inspirational diva standard: "I crashed down and I tumbled, but I did not crumble/I got through all the pain."
The album's final song, also by R. Kelly, is Salute, a sparsely arranged minor-key breakup song that jeers, "You say I'll never do better/Yeah, right, whatever."
For danceable tracks, the album draws on other current hit makers, including Fernando Garibay, Stargate and Nathaniel Hills (aka Danja). And Houston collaborates with the producer and singer Akon on midtempo songs promising reconciliation — with a man, but also, perhaps, with the audience that now listens to Beyonce, Keyshia Cole, Rihanna and Ledisi. At times, in the wistfully insinuating Like I Never Left, her voice is nearly indistinguishable from Akon's computer-tuned croon.
Houston is tentatively climbing back into the pop machinery, no longer invincible but showing a diva's determination.
Here's a track-by-track rundown of what's in store:1. "Million Dollar Bill" (3:24)Opening the proceedings is this club jam that practically screams remix. Produced by Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, it's accented by a catchy hook on which Houston emphatically notes, "If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill, say it." The song contains a sample from "We're Getting Stronger" as performed by Loleatta Holloway.
2. "Nothin' But Love" (3:35)Behind the production helm are uptempo specialists Fernando Garibay and Nate "Danja" Hills. Houston proclaims that after everything she's been through, she has nothin' but love for family, teachers and "anyone who tried to hate on me/ Even the ones who tried to break me take me down."
3. "Call You Tonight" (4:09)This is a lilting mid-tempo tune about love, a cornerstone subject in Houston's storied career. Her assured, distinctive vocals are front and center on this Stargate production.
4. "I Look to You" (4:26)The first single and title track is one of two R. Kelly compositions on the album. It's a simple, inspirational ballad that comes closest to Houston's iconic "I Will Always Love You"; co-produced by Tricky Stewart and Harvey Mason Jr.
5. "Like I Never Left" featuring Akon (3:49)Akon produced this easygoing, mid-tempo groove about reconciling lovers. His musical tenor is the perfect complement to Houston's resonating, gospel-honed voice. She also co-wrote the song.
6. "A Song for You" (4:11)The album's only cover is a classic penned by Leon Russell and recorded by a number of artists, most notably Donny Hathaway. Houston puts her own stamp on the track, starting slow and then revving up the tempo. Remindful of Houston's 1993 cover of "I'm Every Woman," this is another Stargate-produced track.
7. "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" (3:40)It wouldn't be a Whitney Houston album without at least a couple of ballads. This dramatic anthem -- heavy on the piano, drums and synths -- was penned by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster.
8. "Worth It" (4:39)An understated but still sassy and saucy Houston goes to work on this mid-tempo song about knowing when love is worth it. She sings, "This is for the lovers just getting on their feet; for the lovers 20 years deep." It's produced by Eric Hudson (Kanye West, Ne-Yo, Mary J. Blige).
9. "For the Lovers" (4:13)Houston ratchets up the beat on this outing, whose contemporary, infectious rhythms signal another potential club and/or top 40 single. Nate "Danja" Hills produced.
10. "I Got You" (4:12)With its atmospheric backdrop, this cut is a heart-felt declaration about the never-fading chemistry between two former romantic partners. Akon steps back in as producer on this mid-tempo selection, also co-written by Houston.
11. "Salute" (4:10)Minimal accompaniment -- keyboard, drums and guitar -- provides the backdrop on the second of R. Kelly's contributions. With conviction in her voice, Houston is ready to shed no more tears as she salutes a departing lover. You can fill in the blank.
Total Time: 44:44 minusmn
