The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The “not milk” generation: How Gen Z prompted milk’s rebrand
A piece of our history: A look into the Montgomery Farm Women’s Co-operative Market
LIVE: Baseball takes on Richard Montgomery in home opener
Coach Manon achieves 200 wins and state championship in a thrilling wrestling season
Overtime Elite: A new wave of professional basketball
Proposed bill will guarantee top 10% of Maryland students to 12 Maryland universities

Proposed bill will guarantee top 10% of Maryland students to 12 Maryland universities

March 21, 2024

Whitney’s back from the dark

Photo Courtesy AOLradioblog.com
Photo Courtesy AOLradioblog.com

*By Kirstin Baglien*

 

Story continues below advertisement
Ready to move on from her “I Will Always Love You” glory days, Whitney Houston released her new album, I Look to You, on Aug. 28.  This is Houston’s first release since 2002, following alleged drug abuse and a nasty divorce from husband Bobby Brown.
Despite the seven-year hiatus, I Look to You is a solid comeback for the R&B star. 

The album announces Houston’s freedom from the dark times that plagued her, and how she won’t let them slow her down.  In the song “Salute,” Houston sings about her strength and independence with the lyrics “I’m feeling kind of stronger than you, lately/ I’m feeling kind of better than you.”

The album also manages to maintain a near-perfect blend of Houston’s signature vocals and contemporary hip-hop songs that appeal to a younger audience.

The song I Look to You gives listeners a much missed taste of Houston’s empowering gospel-style vocals. However, the track is not innovative or even fairly different than any of Houston’s older songs, which makes it less than spectacular.

In the song “Million Dollar Bill,” Houston’s sound shifts from gospel to a more hip-hop club-ready sound.  Similarly, “For The Lovers” features a slightly electronic sound that Houston hasn’t used before. 

Other songs like “Salute” and “Call You Tonight” aren’t exactly the tracks you would dance to in a club, but instead are a combination of Houston’s classic and newer sounds, with strong vocals and fast-paced music. 

The change in Houston’s sound can be credited to her collaboration with popular artists in the music industry.  “Million Dollar Bill” is written by Alicia Keys, “Salute” is written by R. Kelly and the song “Like I Never Left” features Akon.

I Look To You is not musical genius, nor an extreme change for Houston, but succeeds in re-launching her career with a fairly solid album.

More to Discover