I Look To You Album – Whitney Houston

• Producers: Clive Davis, Whitney Houston, and Larry Jackson
• Released: August 31st, 2009
• RIAA Certification: Platinum 
• Singles: I Look To You, and Million Dollar Bill
• 7th studio album 
• Total of songs: 11

Whitney Houston’s last album, I Look To You, is one hundred percent about strength and love. It’s an album that thousands of people can connect with and listen to during some of their darkest hours. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most conflicting albums of Whitney Houston’s career. Fans claim that her voice was destroyed by drug abuse and cigarettes, while others praise the beauty and strength it still holds.

Whatever the case is, it still placed number one on Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 39 weeks while selling more than 2.5 million copies. The I Look To You album was supposed to be Whitney’s comeback after years of disappearing. It’s one of her most uplifting albums, with the theme being personal reflection and overcoming adversity.

During the production, she says that it was the old-school writers and producers that she took to very well. She wanted to keep what people loved about her, even though the music industry was evolving around this time. In this case, she was speaking about her vocals. The end product ended up being the I Look To You album, and here are the 11 songs that comprise it.

Million Dollar Bill

I don’t know what it feels like to be like a million-dollar bill, but I get the picture after listening to this song. The song is simply about the feelings new love can bring. Thanks to Alicia Keys And Swizz Beatz, Whitney created an upbeat tempo song with strong disco vibes.

The trio was a shock for me, especially after hearing of three from three different people in my childhood. It amazed me and only made me wonder how Keys and Beatz got their ticket on the album.

Houston said after hearing Keys perform at one of Clive Davis’ parties, ” I walked over to her and off the cuff said, ‘Hey, do you think you can produce me?'”

Really Keys was terrified. Later she admits, “So I’m terrified. I was like, how? Who writes a song for Whitney Houston? How am I gonna do that?

One can only imagine the immense pressure Keys felt after a star like Houston asked her to produce her. After all, Keys was still pretty fresh in the game around this time; however, one could also imagine what an honor it would have been. 

Of course, this couldn’t have happened without the skills of Swizz Beatz. His ticket was when he received a call from Clive Davis and Larry Jackson. They said they were working with Whitney and asked what material he had. Swizz explained, “I went to the office and vibed with Larry. I was like, ‘She really sounds good. She’s on her A-game.'” He says, ” We need to bring Whitney back. We need to do stuff to support Whitney.

Samples of Loleatta Holloway’s “We’re Getting Stronger” by Norman Harris were used, again, with disco vibes and hard drums. In the end, the trio created the song, and so were new friendships. Whitney states that Alicia was like a sister to her. In return, Keys told Billboard Magazine,

“Whitney is an artist who inspired me from (the time I was) a little girl. Fast-forwarding to now and being able to work with her to help create this song that took off was fun. We had lots of laughs. It was like being with a long-lost friend.”

• Bonus Fact

The video to Million Dollar Bill was directed by Melina Matsoukas- who also did I Look To You- and was filmed in the Chelsea area of New York.

Nothin’ But Love

The name of her last tour because she claims she wanted to give nothin’ but love to her fans. However, we’re not talking about the tour. Nathaniel “Danja” Hills and Fernando Garibay co-written and produced the song. It’s a reflective tale of survival and strength. Through it, she declares that even for the haters (hers, to be exact), she has nothin’ but love.

Danja told Billboard Magazine that his contribution to the track was adding subtle elements to enhance the feel of the song,

“I loved the essence of the original track. I didn’t want to change it”, he said,” Just a little bit more knock on the drums, just make sure the chorus explodes, that everybody should dance when they hear it.”

Call You Tonight

A fairytale waiting to happen for a lot of people. Everyone wants that one moment in life where you find prince charming (or that dazzling princess) at such an unexpected time. It doesn’t matter, though, because all you know is that it’s love at first sight, and the first thing you want to do when you get home is call them or vice versa.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen when we want it, so it’s still fun to listen and daydream about it. Call You Tonight paints that picture, but ultimately it’s about love and not having enough time for romance. The song was co-written by R&B songwriters Johnta Austin, Mikkel Erikson, and Tor Erik Hermansen and produced by Star Gate for 45th and 3rd Music LLC.

I Look To You

A song that is filled with nothing but hope. After Whitney Houston’s death, some fans associate I Look To You as her goodbye song to the world. A bit depressing to think about, but it holds a symbolism that many just can’t let go of.

The piano ballad was released on July 27th, 2009. By July 30th, it had reached #19 on Billboard Hot R&B and Hip Hop Chart. This became her 30th top hit and has been her highest chart single in the U.S. for nine years. 

The track was produced by Tricky Stewart and Harvey Mason Jr. but was written by R. Kelly. The song was actually written years before Whitney ever laid eyes on it and was held from her by Clive Davis for a long time. It got to her when she started the album. Whitney was unaware that.t R. Kelly wanted to work with her for quite a while.

The song’s message was to find strength and hope from God in the turmoil in her life. The track spoke to her so well it earned its name as the album title. Clive Davis said at an NYC Listening Party, quoting Whitney, ” This song just says all I want to say about the last few years…”

Houston said herself at one of her listening parties, ” The last seven years, spiritually, this song says all I wanted to say. There are times in life when we go through certain situations- some not good. You have to reach for higher strength. You have to reach deep into yourself. Spend with yourself to make corrections that go beyond your own understanding and lean on a higher understanding. For me puts it all in check. If I did not have my faith, I wouldn’t be strong today.”

The song is a sensation and means so much to many, just as much as it meant to Whitney. After Houston’s death, R. Kelly performed it at her funeral at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. Perhaps that’s why fans associate it as her goodbye song to the world.

• Bonus Fact

The I Look To You music video was also directed by Melina Matsoukas. It was made simple because she wanted to show her humbleness to the Lord.

Like I Never Left

This song is how I feel for the tropics; ironically, it’s an island record. Thanks to Akon (who co-wrote and produced the song) and Whitney, the two were able to sing a song about how she left her partner and now regrets it. She wants him to love, hold, and touch her like she never left. Sounds like a song about her ex-husband Bobby Brown, but it’s not. Akon cleared this up on MTV News. He said, 

“She’s not singing about nobody. She really ain’t. Actually, we switched some words around so people don’t think she was singing about Bobby. This record is more of a record that anybody going through that situation would be able to relate to. It’s just the fact that she got out of a situation is what made it more relevant.” 

Whitney knew what she wanted from the jump but with who was a different story. She told MTV, “When Clive told me I would be working with Akon, I thought, ‘Hmm, interesting, um, all right,'” She added, “I wanted the record like My Love Is Your Love with an island feel. I wanted an island record because My Love Is Your Love is so huge… It had its own fashion with Wyclef. I wanted that feeling, but I didn’t know who I (could do that). And Clive came and said, ‘Akon is the guy we’re going to work with.’ And I was like, ‘Ok, Akon. Ok, I can deal with that.”

In the end, Akon became someone she adored working with and even made a second song on the same album. Houston told MTV, “He’s a gentleman. He did his work very well. We did it very quickly, very diligently, and I’m very proud of that record. It’s a great record.” 

In the interview to the Making of I Look To You, she also states, ” Singing with Akon was kind of… Unique.”

A Song For You

If you didn’t know, this isn’t Whitney Houston’s song. In fact, it is a cover of Leon Russel’s song. It was originally a soul ballad. However, Stargate (who also produced Call You Tonight) helped make it into a disco number.

Clive Davis said it was on the album because “We wanted to include something that would be a fun throwback, honoring all that Whitney’s been.”

Others that have covered the song are Ray Charles, 2007 X Factor winner Leon Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock as a duet with Christina Aguilera, Michael Buble, and Donny Hathaway. 

I Didn’t Know My Own Strength

When you got Oprah crying on her own show, you can imagine how beautiful and meaningful the ballad truly is. The song is about her strength and surviving all the turmoil in her life. The track was written by Dianne Warren and produced by David Foster.

I Didn’t Know My Own Strength was supposed to be the lead single, but after some pre-release album listening party, I Look To You became the 1st U.S. single and Million Dollar Bill the International lead single. It reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance at the 52nd Grammy Awards. On the Oprah Winfrey Show, she clarified, 

“I know from whence my help cometh. And I know that it’s strong within me.”Whitney said, ” If I ever get low. I get weak. I know where I can turn to. I love the spirit of God so much.”

Worth It

Love is worth it, no matter what. That’s what the song is talking about. The track was written by Johnta Austin and produced by Eric Hudson.

Ironically, Houston says that Hudson grew up in her hometown. She knew his mother and father for years (the former wrote Holiday for Madonna.) Houston was genuinely stunned when she saw Hudson grown up playing “like Beethoven” and ecstatic when she got to work with him.

For The Lovers

If I had to pick a song to roller skate to off this tracklist, it would definitely be this one. This song was meant for everyone who believes in love. It was written by Claude Kelly and Marcella Arca. Once again, Nathaniel “Danja” Hills appears on this album with the role of producing it.

In an interview with Billboard Magazine, Danja told them that he first heard this song before Larry Jackson and Clive Davis gave it to him to produce. He said,
” I always liked it. It makes me feel like the ‘Africa’ song (by Toto).

Danja also said that during the production, he realized the song was meant for her,
“When we finally got the zone, we started to design it for her,” he continued, ” We did it in a day. It was a spur-of-the-moment type of thing. We had this record. Everybody loved it, but it just could be taken to another level. It just needed something in the chorus, something to build,” That’s when he stepped in.

I Got You

Once again, here’s Akon, who wrote and produced the track with his collaborator Giogio Tumford. They aren’t the only ones involved in the songwriting process, though. Claude Kelly( who had a hand in For The Lovers) and Whitney Houston also have songwriting credits. The song is simply about Whitney’s love for her former romantic partner. I bet some of you can relate.

Salute

The final track of this album is written and produced by no other than R. Kelly. This time his vocals play a part in the song ( “eh, eh, eh.”) One thing that stands out on this track is Whitney- who is known to be a well-known lady- curses in the second verse. Not that curse words shock me, just only when it comes out of Whitney’s mouth. Maybe that was the point.

The song means an acerbic salute to a departing lover who has done her dirty. Clearly, there is no love but pure strength. A piece that many fans think was directly towards her ex-husband Bobby Brown.

Conclusion

I rarely get to say this, and I’m not saying this because it’s Whitney Houston, either, but I can sincerely say I enjoyed each and every song off the I Look To You album. So I’ll consider it one of my favorites that Houston has done. However, I do have 3 top songs that stick with me. Starting from number 3:

3. Call You Tonight

It’s for sure a fairytale waiting to come true. At least it feels like it. This song and Salute were the hardest to debate between. Still, I settled with this track because it brings out a particular spirit I can’t wait to experience.

2. I Look To You

Out of all the songs on this album, it’s the one I remember the most from my childhood. When grandma has the speakers blaring so loud that you can’t even hear the person beside you speaking, it’s hard to forget a song like this. I Look to You carries emotions and memories I can’t explain.
Finally, number one goes to:

1. I Didn’t Know My Own Strength

Whenever I feel at my lowest or lose confidence, I think of this song. It’s the most uplifting song to me on this album and makes me think of times when I pushed through some of the most challenging times in my life.

So those were my top three favorites. What are yours and why? How do you use them in your life? I would love to know.