"How Will I Know" | ||||
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Single by Whitney Houston | ||||
from the album Whitney Houston | ||||
B-side |
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Released | November 22, 1985 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:30 | |||
Label | Arista | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Narada Michael Walden | |||
Whitney Houston singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"How Will I Know" on YouTube |
"How Will I Know" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her self-titled debut studio album. It was released on November 22, 1985, by Arista Records as the album's third single. Originally written and composed by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, it was originally intended for pop singer Janet Jackson, who passed on it. Houston then recorded the song with altered lyrics and production from Narada Michael Walden.
"How Will I Know" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. It became Houston's second number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1986, spending two weeks atop the chart, and also became her first chart-topper on the Canadian RPM Top 100 Singles chart. It also reached top-10 positions in Australia, Sweden, Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, and top-20 positions in the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
The accompanying music video for "How Will I Know" features scenes of Houston dancing in a setting of video screens and colored partitions. The music video gave Houston exposure to teenagers via MTV and other video outlets. It received two nominations at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards; Best Female Video and Best New Artist, winning the former category. The song was performed on many of her tours including Greatest Love Tour (1986) and her Nothing But Love World Tour (2009–10). "How Will I Know" is also featured as a remix on Houston's compilation album Whitney: The Greatest Hits (2000), whereas the original single version is featured on The Ultimate Collection (2007) and I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston (2012).
Initially, husband-and-wife songwriters George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam had written the song's demo in 1984 for pop singer Janet Jackson, who was managed by A&M Records executive John McClain. [1] However, after hearing the song, Jackson's management passed on it, feeling it was not a compatible fit with material already in development for her. In an interview with Fred Bronson, Merrill expressed his feelings after learning of Jackson's decision: "We were pretty upset because we thought it was perfect for her at the time. We had written it with her completely in mind." [1] During this period, Brenda Andrews at Almo-Irving Music, Merrill and Rubicam's publisher, played the song for Gerry Griffith, the director for R&B music at A&M and Arista Records. Griffith, who was then compiling material for Houston's debut album, felt the song perfectly matched her musical style. He soon contacted Andrews and the song's two writers and suggested that they give the song to him for Houston's debut album. [1] Griffith described his discovery of the song and what he and Clive Davis thought of it:
"We had a lot of R&B-based tunes, we had a few ballads, but we didn't have a pop crossover song. So when I heard 'How Will I Know,' I said 'this is absolutely perfect.' I played it for Clive [and] he fell in love with it. I wasn't very familiar with her family background; I didn't realize that, even at that time, there was a pretty big industry buzz about her future." [1]
After receiving permission from Merrill to use the song, Griffith quickly turned to Narada Michael Walden, who at the time was producing material for Aretha Franklin's album Who's Zoomin' Who? . [1] Griffith implored him to produce it, describing how important the song would be for Houston's upcoming album. After hearing the demo, Walden agreed to fly to San Rafael, California to arrange it. He was not very impressed with the demo and requested permission to change some of the lyrics and chord progression, inducing Merrill and Rubicam to deny him the right to their song. [1] After a lot of back-and-forth with Griffith, they compromised and allowed Walden to de-construct the song and change the key and tempo. After completing the song, Houston came in to the studio to record her vocal in late 1984. Her mother Cissy Houston joined her on background vocals. Griffith stated:
"I asked Whitney to sing on the background session. She was reluctant because she wanted to enjoy hearing her mother sing. I said, 'No, get out there and sing,' so she did. The background sounded incredible ... Clive Davis heard the mix and immediately gave it a 10, which is outrageous for him, because he doesn't like anything!" [1]
"How Will I Know" is a synth-funk [2] and dance-pop [3] [4] song composed in a 1980s dance beat. [5] According to Kyle Anderson of MTV, the song found Houston hitting an "incredible groove". [6] It is written in the key of G flat major. [5] The beat is set the time signature of common time and moves at a fast tempo of 120 beats per minute. [5] The song also has the sequence of G♭-B♭m7-G♭/C♭-D♭-E♭m-D♭ as its chord progression. [5] Houston's vocals in the song span from the note of D♭4 to the high note of G5. [5] Lyrically, the song speaks about the lead woman trying to discern whether a man she likes will ever like her back. [7] She is also hesitant, because her friends tell her "love can be deceiving", and she is so shy that she cannot call him. [7] Later, she feels that it might be a dream, but realizes that "there's no mistaking", and that what she feels is really love. [7]
"How Will I Know" mainly garnered positive reviews from music critics, with some noting it as a standout on the album. [8] Don Shewey of Rolling Stone commented "Although it's awfully reminiscent of the Pointer Sisters' 'He's So Shy', 'How Will I Know' is still irresistibly danceable." [9] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote "...what really impresses some 20-plus years on are the lighter tracks, particularly the breakthrough single 'How Will I Know'." [8] While reviewing the Deluxe Anniversary Edition of the album, Mikael Wood of Entertainment Weekly commented on the a cappella version of the song, noting, "a cappella mix of 'How Will I Know' displays the singer's precision long before the advent of Auto-Tune." [10] While reviewing The Ultimate Collection , Nick Levine of Digital Spy added, "Houston's floor-fillers have aged a little more gracefully, although their clunky, thudding drum sounds are as unmistakably Eighties as Joan Collins' Dynasty wardrobe." [11] Dave Rimmer of Smash Hits considered that "this dreary bit of disco isn't anywhere near as good" as "Saving All My Love for You," adding that it "sounds positively snoozeworthy, in fact." [12] The song was voted number 12 in VH1's List of Greatest Songs of the 1980s. [13] [14]
"How Will I Know" debuted at number 60 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in the December 7, 1985 issue. [15] Nine weeks later it peaked at number one in the issue dated February 15, 1986, becoming Houston's second number-one single on that chart. [1] It displaced Houston's cousin Dionne Warwick's "That's What Friends Are For," stayed at number one for two weeks, and was displaced by Mr. Mister's "Kyrie." [1] It also debuted on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart at number 60, and later peaked at number one for one week. [15] In the issue dated January 25, 1986, "How Will I Know" entered the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart at number 30, and later peaked at number three in the February 22, 1986, issue. [15] It also reached number one on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. [15] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the single Gold on December 6, 1985, for shipments of 500,000 copies or more, and later Double Platinum, for an equivalent sales of 2,000,000 units. [16] It ranked at number six on the Billboard year-end chart. In Canada, the single debuted at number 80 on the RPM Top 100 Singles chart in the issue dated December 14, 1985. [17] It later peaked at number one in the week dated March 1, 1986, becoming Houston's first number-one single in Canada. [18] It was later certified Gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) on May 1, 1986, for shipments of 200,000 copies or more. [19]
The single also performed well in other countries. In the United Kingdom it debuted at number 36 during the week of January 25, 1986, and later peaked at number five. [20] It was also certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). [21] According to MTV UK and Ireland, the single has sold about 280,000 copies in the UK. [22] In New Zealand it debuted at number 35, and peaked at number 19. [23] In Austria it reached a peak position of number 28, [23] while peaking at number 12 in the Netherlands. [23] It also reached number two in Norway and Sweden, while charting at number 11 in Switzerland. [23] According to AllMusic, "How Will I Know" has sold about 1.5 million copies worldwide. [24]
In Australia "How Will I Know" was released as the first single from the album in March 1985. [25] It spent a single week on the Kent Music Report chart at number 97 in July 1985, [26] before re-entering the chart in February 1986, eventually peaking at number two. [27]
The accompanying music video for "How Will I Know", directed by British director Brian Grant and choreographed by Arlene Phillips, [28] was filmed prior to the release of the single and album. [29] Unlike her past music videos, Houston was given the opportunity to move beyond the staged performance settings to demonstrate straightforward dance moves. [29] The video is set against a strikingly designed, vividly colored setting of video screens and partitions. [29] Houston's hair is dyed honey blonde and is worn by a dazzling, colored hairbow. [29] She is also seen underlined by a form-fitting silver dress made of metal mesh, reaching almost to her knees, adorned with matching fingerless gloves. [29] [30] Houston is also seen performing with backup dancers in black outfits and wearing French-style makeup. [30] The video also has a scene of spattering of paint and drizzling down the screen. [30] Houston's labelmate and family friend Aretha Franklin also makes a black-and-white cameo appearance in the otherwise colorful music video. [30] In 2011, Kyle Anderson of MTV wrote that it was "eye-opening to watch her cut loose in a fun environment," since her past songs were ballads. [6]
The music video was her first to receive heavy rotation on MTV. [31] [32] It was also nominated for two awards at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, in the categories of Best New Artist and Best Female Video, winning the latter. [33]
Houston performed the song on her Greatest Love Tour (1986), Moment of Truth World Tour (1987–88), Feels So Right Japan Tour (1990), I'm Your Baby Tonight World Tour (1991), The Bodyguard World Tour (1993–1994), My Love Is Your Love World Tour (1999) and Nothing But Love World Tour (2009–2010). Apart from the concert tour performances, Houston has performed the song on many other occasions like the third annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1986, where she sang "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love of All", [33] [34] [35] 13th annual American Music Awards (1986), [36] and 1987 BRIT Awards. [37] The latter performance is included in the 2014 CD/DVD release, Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances . [38] On May 15, 1987, during her European promotion for then-new album, Whitney , Houston sang the song at the Montreux Golden Rose Rock Festival: IM&MC Gala with two other 1986 released songs, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go". [39] On April 29, 1985, she appeared on The Merv Griffin Show , taped in New York City, and performed "How Will I Know". [40] [41] On her Moment of Truth World Tour, she participated in the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute Concert and performed the song with other seven songs. She also performed the song on Welcome Home Heroes, a concert dedicated to the U.S. troops, their families, and military and government dignitaries in honor of those returning from the Gulf War, which aired on HBO on March 31, 1991. [42] [43] The concert was taped and later released as a VHS on May 14, 1991. [42] She also performed the song on The Concert for a New South Africa, three concerts in 1994 to honor President Nelson Mandela. Houston later performed the song on the closing ceremonies of the 1994 World Cup along with five of her other songs. [44] In 2000, she performed the song on Arista's 25th Anniversary, along with "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)." [45]
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Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Canada (Music Canada) [84] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [85] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [86] Digital single | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [87] Physical single | Silver | 250,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [16] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
British singer Sam Smith released a cover of "How Will I Know" in June 2014, taking a slower tempo [88] and a snippet of that version was used in an episode of Grey's Anatomy . [89] It was later included on Smith's 2015 In the Lonely Hour (Drowning Shadows Edition) , a re-release of their debut album. [90]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [91] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [92] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [93] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [94] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"If You Really Love Me (How Will I Know)" | ||||
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Single by David Guetta, MistaJam and John Newman | ||||
Released | July 2, 2021 [95] [96] | |||
Length | 3:04 | |||
Label | Parlophone | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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David Guetta singles chronology | ||||
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MistaJam singles chronology | ||||
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John Newman singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"(If You Really Love Me) How Will I Know" on YouTube |
In 2021,French DJ and producer David Guetta teamed up with British DJ and producer MistaJam and singer John Newman to release a dance track based on an interpolation of "How Will I Know". [99] Now called "If You Really Love Me (How Will I Know)",the song charted in the UK,reaching No. 66 in the Top 75 (for the week ending August 5,2021) after amassing a sales total of 7,018 units. [100] [101] The song became the fourth entry on that week's chart for Guetta (though the only single out of the four chart hits where he took lead artist credit) and the first chart credit for Newman since "Give Me Your Love" with British DJ and record producer Sigala and American guitarist Nile Rodgers in 2016.
Chart (2021–2022) | Peak position |
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Czech Republic (Rádio –Top 100) [102] | 20 |
Global Excl. US ( Billboard ) [103] | 154 |
Hungary (Dance Top 40) [104] | 13 |
Hungary (Single Top 40) [105] | 26 |
Ireland (IRMA) [106] | 30 |
Slovakia (Rádio Top 100) [107] | 33 |
UK Singles (OCC) [108] | 27 |
UK Dance (OCC) [109] | 8 |
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs ( Billboard ) [110] | 19 |
Chart (2021) | Position |
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Hungary (Dance Top 40) [111] | 89 |
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard) [112] | 86 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Austria (IFPI Austria) [113] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [114] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"How Will I Know (Whitney ×Clean Bandit)" | ||||
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Single by Whitney Houston and Clean Bandit | ||||
Released | September 24, 2021 [115] | |||
Length | 3:33 | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Whitney Houston singles chronology | ||||
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Clean Bandit singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"How Will I Know (Whitney Houston ×Clean Bandit)" on YouTube |
In September 2021,British electronic music group Clean Bandit released a remix of the track. [116]
Chart (2021–2022) | Peak position |
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Canada AC ( Billboard ) [117] | 12 |
Canada Hot AC ( Billboard ) [118] | 48 |
Japan Hot Overseas ( Billboard ) [119] | 20 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) [120] | 26 |
South Africa Radio (RISA) [121] | 55 |
UK Singles (OCC) [122] | 92 |
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs ( Billboard ) [123] | 23 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Canada (Music Canada) [124] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [125] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
In January 2004,British dance group LMC and Irish rock band U2 released the song "Take Me to the Clouds Above",which interpolates the first four lines of "How Will I Know". [126]
Whitney Elizabeth Houston was an American singer,songwriter,actress,film producer,and philanthropist. Known as "the Voice",she is one of the most awarded entertainers and one of the best-selling music artists of all time,with sales of over 220 million records worldwide. Houston's crossover appeal on the popular music charts and her performances influenced the breaking down of gender and racial barriers,as well as popular culture. Known for her vocal delivery and distinctive timbre,Houston was ranked second by Rolling Stone on its list of the greatest singers of all time. Her life and career have been the subject of multiple documentaries and television specials.
Whitney Houston is the debut studio album by American singer Whitney Houston,released on February 14,1985,by Arista Records. Whitney Houston initially had a slow commercial response,but began getting more popular in mid-1985. It eventually topped the Billboard 200 for 14 weeks in 1986,generating three number-one singles—"Saving All My Love for You","How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love of All"—on the Billboard Hot 100,which made it both the first debut album and the first album by a solo female artist to produce three number-one singles in the United States.
I'm Your Baby Tonight is the third studio album by American singer Whitney Houston. It was released on November 6,1990,by Arista Records. The album is one of the best-selling female albums of all time and has been certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
My Love Is Your Love is the fourth studio album by American singer Whitney Houston,released worldwide on November 17,1998. The album is one of the best-selling female albums of all time,selling over 10 million copies worldwide. It was Houston's first studio album in eight years,following I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990) although she had participated on three movie soundtracks during that period. Musically,My Love Is Your Love is a hip hop and R&B album that is composed of elements of pop,gospel and dance music,produced by musicians such as Whitney Houston herself,Rodney Jerkins,Soulshock &Karlin,Missy Elliott,Wyclef Jean,David Foster,Lauryn Hill,and Babyface.
"I Will Always Love You" is a song written and originally recorded in 1973 by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Written as a farewell to her business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner,expressing Parton's decision to pursue a solo career,the country single was released in 1974. The song was a commercial success for Parton,twice reaching the top spot of the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart:first in June 1974,then again in October 1982,with a re-recording for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas soundtrack.
"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston,featured on the soundtrack for the film Waiting to Exhale. It was released as the lead single from the soundtrack on November 6,1995,by Arista Records. The song was written and produced by Babyface. A mid-tempo R&B and soul ballad,composed in the key of D-flat major,the song's lyrics speak about growing up and learning to let go. The song garnered mostly positive reviews from critics,many of whom noted Houston's vocal maturity in the song.
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her second studio album,Whitney (1987). It was released as the lead single from the album on April 28,1987,by Arista Records. It was produced by Narada Michael Walden,and written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam,of the band Boy Meets Girl,who had previously collaborated with Houston on "How Will I Know". At the 30th Annual Grammy Awards,"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" won for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance,marking Houston's second win in the category.
"Saving All My Love for You" is a song written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin,originally recorded by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. for their album Marilyn &Billy (1978). American singer Whitney Houston recorded it for her self-titled debut studio album (1985). It was released on August 13,1985,by Arista Records,as the second single from the album in the United States,and third worldwide.
"Didn't We Almost Have It All" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her second studio album,Whitney (1987). The song was written by Michael Masser and Will Jennings and produced by Masser. Initially,Houston's cover version of the Isley Brothers' "For the Love of You" was intended to be released as the second single from the album. However,the record label decided to release "Didn't We Almost Have It All",believing all Houston's material should be original. The song was released in July 1987 by Arista Records.
"I'm Every Woman" is a song by American singer Chaka Khan,released in September 1978 by Warner Bros. as her debut solo single from her first album,Chaka (1978). It was Khan's first hit outside her recordings with the funk band Rufus. "I'm Every Woman" was produced by Arif Mardin and written by the successful songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. The single established Chaka's career outside the group Rufus,whom she would leave after their eighth studio album,Masterjam,was released in late 1979.
"Higher Love" is a 1986 song by English singer Steve Winwood. It was the first single released from his fourth solo LP,Back in the High Life (1986). It was written by Winwood and Will Jennings and produced by Russ Titelman and Winwood. The background vocals were performed by Chaka Khan,who also appeared in the music video.
"I Learned from the Best" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston. The ballad,written by Diane Warren,was released as the fifth and final single from Houston's fourth studio album,My Love Is Your Love (1998),in November 1999. When released,it peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Dance remixes of the song by Hex Hector and Junior Vasquez topped the US dance chart for three weeks. Houston gained another top 20 hit on the UK Singles Chart with this song,where it peaked at number 19. The song also topped the charts in Romania and Poland.
"Heartbreak Hotel" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston. Originally written for inclusion on TLC's third studio album FanMail,it was later recorded by Houston after TLC rejected the song. The song was written by Carsten Schack,Kenneth Karlin and Tamara Savage,and produced by Soulshock &Karlin. It was released on December 15,1998,by Arista Records,as the second single from Houston's 1998 album My Love Is Your Love. The song prominently features R&B singers Faith Evans and Kelly Price during the choruses and bridge.
"When Love Takes Over" is a song by French DJ and record producer David Guetta featuring vocals by American singer Kelly Rowland,from Guetta's fourth studio album,One Love (2009). It was released as the lead single from the album on 21 April 2009 by Virgin Records. The song was conceived when Guetta played the instrumental version during one of his DJ sets in summer 2008;American recording artist Kelly Rowland,who fell in love with the track,convinced Guetta to allow her to take it so that she could write and record vocals for it. It was co-written by Nervo.
"Million Dollar Bill" is a song performed by American recording artist Whitney Houston from her seventh and final studio album,I Look to You (2009). The song was written by Alicia Keys,her husband Kaseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean and Norman Harris,and produced by Keys and Beatz. It was released as the official worldwide lead single from the album on August 18,2009,through Arista Records in the US and August 24,2009,through RCA Records in the UK. It is Houston's final single from a studio album,and the last song released in her lifetime before her death in 2012. The song samples R&B singer Loleatta Holloway's "We're Getting Stronger",co-written by Harris.
French house DJ and producer David Guetta has released seven studio albums,eleven compilation albums,three extended plays,ninety-nine singles,eleven promotional singles,and forty-two music videos.
"Who's That Chick?" is a song by French DJ and producer David Guetta featuring vocals from Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released from the reissue of Guetta's fourth studio album One Love (2009),entitled One More Love (2010). The song was written by Guetta,Kinda "Kee" Hamid,Frédéric Riesterer,and Giorgio Tuinfort. Since the song contains an interpolation of "Who's That Girl",Madonna and Patrick Leonard are credited as co-writers as well. It was released internationally as the second single on 22 November 2010 as a digital single,and was also released as a CD single and an Extended play (EP),the latter of which was released in the United States and contained remixes of the song.
The videography of American recording artist Whitney Houston,nicknamed “The Voice”,consists of fifty-five music videos,four music video compilations,a concert tour video and three music video singles. In 1983,Houston signed a recording contract with Arista Records and two years later released her eponymous debut album. Houston's first music video was for the single "You Give Good Love",which was selected to establish her in the black marketplace first. Houston then released the video of her worldwide hit "Saving All My Love for You". The following video,for the song "How Will I Know",helped introduce the singer to a wider audience when it became one of the first videos by a black female singer to earn heavy rotation on MTV,and it won MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video at its 3rd ceremony of 1986. "Greatest Love of All",the final single released from Houston's debut album,helped cement the M.O. for the classic Whitney video. In June 1986,Houston released her first video compilation The No. 1 Video Hits,containing her four music videos off the Whitney Houston album. It reached number-one on the Billboard Top Music Videocassettes chart and stayed there for 22 weeks,which remains the all-time record for a video collection by a female artist,it was also certified Platinum for shipments of 100,000 units by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on July 15,1986. In 1987,Houston released the music video for "I Wanna Dance with Somebody ",the first single from her second album Whitney (1987),which depicts Houston in one of her iconic looks,the clip―towering curly wig,colorful dangly earrings and a series of going-to-the-club outfits. In 1988,the music video for the song "One Moment in Time",the title track off the 1988 Summer Olympics Album:One Moment in Time,was released.
American singer Whitney Houston,known as "The Voice",released 57 singles as a leading artist and 4 as a featured artist. Houston is one of the best-selling music artists of all time,with over 220 million records sold worldwide. In the United States,Houston amassed 11 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles,all of whom have been certified either gold,platinum,multi-platinum or diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America and was one of a selected group of artists to have a top ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in four different decades. She is currently ranked in seventh place of the artists with the most number one singles in the history of the Billboard Hot 100. Prior to the introduction of digital singles,Houston sold 16.5 million physical singles in the country,the most ever by a female recording artist. In October 2012,the Official Charts Company claimed Houston was the fourth biggest-selling female singles artist of all time with a sales total of 8.5 million singles in that country.
...the dance-pop giddiness of her first album's signature smash, "How Will I Know"...
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