Whitney Houston’s much-hyped comeback single ‘I Didn’t Know My Own Strength’ premiered within the last hour. Lord knows we’ve been waiting on the Dianne Warren penned cut for the longest…
So, does it live up to the hype? Well, yes and no. I’m really liking that this is a vintage Whitney ballad. Yet how this will fare in the contemporary chart climate will be interesting to see. Whitney’s ‘new voice’, also, is unavoidable to scrutinize. Gone, apparently, is the glorious belting and power which put Whitney head and shoulders above the rest vocally (something I’m sure age and her much publicized problems are attributable to), in it’s place a competent, deeper, gritty, yet still-rich tone from the legendary diva. Nothing to be ashamed of; if anything it gives the song a heightened level of realism. I fully expect Whitney to do this song justice live, as it appears to fit the profile of where her voice is today. It’d be far more detrimental to Nippy IMO to have her voice ProTool’ed to the high heavens, only for her to not be able to deliver live like a certain other woman once famed for her voice (I won’t say no names). As I type, I have my reservations about this as a single and whether it will work (word has it the label are trying to gauge a response, but confirming a single solidly); that aside, welcome back Whitney!
Hit or Miss?