"I Look to You" is a pop-soul song performed by American singer Whitney Houston, from her seventh and final studio album[1][2]of the same name. It was released as a worldwide promotional single[3] and as the first US single from the album on July 23, 2009 on US radio following highly favorable reviews at pre-release album listening parties.[4]
The single is one of two songs written by R. Kelly which appear on the album and was produced by Emanuel Kiriakou, Tricky Stewart, and Harvey Mason Jr. Following its preview on US radio the single was released fully for airplay on July 27, 2009.[5] The song became a multi-format hit in the United States upon its release, producing her best chart results on Billboard since 2001, becoming her 30th top 20 hit on the R&B charts and produced her best chart peak with a new song on the Billboard Hot 100 since 2000, reaching a peak of 70.
On February 18, 2012, R. Kelly (who wrote "I Look to You") performed the song at Houston's homegoing at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. The service was broadcast and streamed live to a worldwide audience. Kelly later recorded and released a posthumous duet with Houston with the song.
Background
In 2002, Whitney Houston released her fifth studio album, Just Whitney, which, despite going platinum in the United States was a relative underperformance compared to her previous album, My Love Is Your Love (1998). The album was also the first in which it was not helmed by Houston's longtime mentor Clive Davis, who left Arista Records in 2000. Houston's music career had by then was overshadowed by stories of substance abuse and a torrid marriage to singer Bobby Brown.
Following the release of Just Whitney and the holiday release, One Wish: The Holiday Album (2003), Houston took a self-styled sabbatical from the music industry to deal with personal issues. In 2007, after nearly 15 years of marriage, Houston had divorced Brown and had relocated to Laguna Hills, California, where she focused on sobriety and on dealing with long-standing vocal issues with voice teacher Gary Catona. By then, Davis had reunited with Houston after becoming the head of RCA Music Group, which housed Arista, J Records and LaFace Records, and the two began assembling music for the latter's next album with recording sessions first taking place in 2008.
Recording and production
Back in 1996, Houston had been working on the soundtrack of her film, The Preacher's Wife, which was mainly a collection of gospel songs. Around this time, R. Kelly had tried to send a song to Arista's office in Manhattan called "I Look to You" directly for Houston to record but was told that she wouldn't be able to record the song due to having finished working on her soundtrack. Kelly later played the song during an MTV interview in 2000.
It wouldn't be until 2008 that Houston would hear Kelly's demo of the song after Harvey Mason Jr. sent it to her to pick songs for her album. Houston agreed to record the song, later deciding to name her new album after the song. The singer later stated that the song "resounds in my soul. It set the tone for the album as far as what I wanted to say. It’s a very powerful song — I listen to it and it gives me strength and courage."[6]
Houston recorded the song in Los Angeles after plans to have Kelly produce the track himself with Houston in Chicago fell through. Houston also contributed background vocals on the song.
Song launch
Initially Vibe magazine reported that another song titled "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" penned by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster would be released as the lead single.[7] However, on July 14, 21 and 23 Houston held 3 pre-release album listening parties in which 9 of the 11 songs where previewed, "Call You Tonight" was described as a possible lead single by mentor Clive Davis.[8]
Swizz Beatz, producer of the song "Million Dollar Bill" (written by Alicia Keys) said that his record was definitely a potential comeback record and with critical acclaim at all three parties it was widely expected that the song would succeed the others as the lead single.
However both Rap-Up and Houston's official website confirmed the title song would be the first US single[3] whilst "Million Dollar Bill" was released as the worldwide lead single (second US single, almost simultaneously with first single). "I Look to You" was the second single from the album in the United Kingdom, where it was released on December 14, 2009.[9]
Music video
The video for "I Look to You" premiered on September 10, 2009 on Whitney Houston's official website[10] and on Entertainment Tonight.[11]
The video, also directed by Melina Matsoukas, features the singer in front of a plain beige and gray backdrop with different angles of her. She is sitting on an apple box with a spotlight focused on her.
Toward the end of the video, a shower of flowers are shown falling all around her. Houston is wearing a white dress in mood of the beige and grey background.
Live performances
Houston first performed the song at Good Morning America on September 1, 2009, with the show being aired the following day. During the performance, Houston tearfully sang part of the song directly to her mother Cissy Houston, who was in the audience, thanking her for "standing by" her. Houston also performed the song on the German television Wetten, dass..? where she received critical praise for her soulful performance.
Houston included the song on her setlist for the Nothing but Love World Tour (2010) after two 2009 rehearsal shows in December 2009 at Moscow, Russia and Saint Petersburg, Russia. During the performances of the song, Houston dedicated the song to her fans.
On January 30, 2011, Houston would surprise the audience at the 2nd annual BETCelebration of Gospel gala by performing the song as a duet with Kim Burrell after Burrell began the song. Houston sang the second verse without introduction and elicited a standing ovation from the audience.[12] The performance was acclaimed as the best performance of the night. It's notable as Houston's final television performance prior to her death the following year.[12]
Critical reception
Houston said that the powerful piano ballad sums up the album and was all she wanted to say at that stage of her life.[8] From the album parties Rolling Stone said that with the two tracks from R. Kelly (the chippy kiss-off "Salute" and the steely title track produced by Tricky Stewart, Emanuel Kiriakou and Harvey Mason Jr.) Houston seemed to be aiming for a younger audience and the radio.[13]Billboard magazine's Mark Surtherland wrote "The overall feel of the album was notably contemporary, while retaining Houston's trademark vocal flourishes. Clive Davis praised Houston by saying that on songs like "I Look to You" it is not difficult to say she is 'the premium balladeer of our time'.[14]
Billboard's Monica Herrera gave the song a positive review, writing that Houston is "both vulnerable and in control". She adds that "the minimalist production, which features a lone, sullen piano and soft synths, exists purely to cushion Houston's moving vocal performance". Lastly, she stated that it "stands firmly in the tradition of her most emotive hits ("Greatest Love of All," "I Will Always Love You") and signals the long-awaited return of a true diva".[15]
Commercial performance
The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 86 on August 22, 2009, becoming her first single to chart on the Hot 100 since her 2003 single "Try It on My Own" peaked at number 80. Five weeks later, for the week of September 19, it reached its peak at number 70, becoming her best chart showing since 2001. In that same week, her dance single "Million Dollar Bill" entered the same chart at number 100, marking the first time since 1999 that Houston had simultaneously charted with two singles on the Hot 100. It became her penultimate entry on the chart prior to her death, spending a total of six weeks on the chart and becoming her 38th entry altogether, marking a 25-year chart span.
The song also did well on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, first entering the chart on August 8, 2009 at number 27, becoming her first top 40 R&B entry since "One of Those Days" in 2003. For the week of August 22, the song reached its peak of number 19, marking her first top 20 single since "Same Script, Different Cast" peaked at 14 in 2000 and was Houston's career 30th top 20 single on the chart, eventually spending a total of 20 cumulative weeks on the chart. On the component Adult R&B Songs chart, it entered the chart in the same week it entered the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 23, as the chart's "Greatest Gainer" of the week.[16] Nine weeks later, it reached a peak of number two in the week of October 3, 2009, becoming her twelfth top ten entry on the chart.[17][18]
The song also reached the top 40 in other Billboard charts, peaking at number 22 on the Adult Contemporary chart, number 35 on the Hot Dance Club Songs chart, number 21 on the Smooth Hot Jazz Songs chart and number 14 on the Hot Gospel Songs chart, becoming her first entries on the latter two charts while it became her 32nd career entry on the adult contemporary chart. The song also entered the Gospel Digital Song Sales chart at number 3 for the week of January 23, 2010. Upon Houston's passing, the song re-entered the chart for the week of February 25, 2012, peaking at number one on the chart, becoming Houston's first posthumous Billboard number one single. It would remain at the top of the chart for six straight weeks. On the same chart, Houston simultaneously charted five songs in the top five of the same chart.[19] It reached number 68 in Canada and reached number 34 on its AC chart.
In Europe, the song achieved moderate chart success, peaking at number 115 in the United Kingdom, with the song's release being overshadowed by the success of "Million Dollar Bill", which was a top five hit there. In Austria, it reached number 47 and peaked at number 41 in Germany as a double-sided single with "Million Dollar Bill". It reached the top 40 of Belgium's Ultratip charts in Wallonia and Flanders. It reached a peak of 33 in Sweden and 16 in Switzerland. In France, it reached a peak of number 124, doing so posthumously. In Asia, it peaked at number 16 on South Korea's Circle international singles chart. On the Billboard Brazil charts, it reached number one, its most successful international showing outside the US.
In May 2012, it was reported that the song had sold around 300,000 physical copies in the US while selling more than 550,000 physical copies worldwide. In January 2023, nearly 14 years after its release, the song was certified platinum by the RIAA for equivalent sales of over a million copies, becoming Houston's first single of the 2000s to do so and the penultimate single of her lifetime to do so.[20] It was the 21st best-selling adult R&B single of 2009 as well as the 87th best-selling single on the R&B/hip-hop singles chart.[21]
Cover versions
The song was covered on the television show Glee during the second-season episode "Grilled Cheesus". With Amber Riley on lead vocals, the song debuted and peaked at #74 on the Hot 100 during the week of October 23, 2010.
On February 18, 2012, singer/songwriter R. Kelly (who wrote "I Look to You") performed the song at Houston's funeral at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. The service was broadcast and streamed live to a worldwide audience.
The song was covered on the NBC television show Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, during season 2, episode 10 "Zoey's Extraordinary Girls' Night" performed by Alex Newell. The episode aired on April 18, 2021.
The song was later re-recorded as a duet between Houston and R. Kelly and was released as a single on September 25,2012,seven months after Houston's death.[63] This version marks Houston's final single,and third posthumous release. One day before the release,a sneak peek of this version debuted on Ryan Seacrest's website.[64] The duet version of the song was released from and to promote Houston's posthumous compilation album I Will Always Love You:The Best of Whitney Houston. The song was released as the first and only single from the compilation by RCA Records.
It entered and peaked at number 90 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for the week of October 13,2012,becoming Houston's second posthumous hit and her 46th career entry. It reached a peak of 29 on the Adult R&B Songs chart,staying on the chart for 13 weeks,while entering number one on the Gospel Digital Song Sales chart.
Track listing
Digital download
"I Look to You" (Whitney Houston and R. Kelly) —3:39
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