♫ Whitney Houston – I Didn’t Know My Own Strength
♫ ALTERNATE LINK ♫
Whitney Houston’s first single, “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” hit the internet yesterday. The new track comes from her long-awaited seventh studio album, I Look At You. It was first announced in March 2007 by Clive Davis who revealed that the singer would be heading into the studio to record her first studio album in 4 years. It will be released September 1, 2009 by long-term record label Arista in assocation with J. Records.
The new single, produced by David Foster and penned by Diane Warren, tries to capture a timeless sound that Whitney should be going for. On the album, Whitney is slated to also work with hitmakers Akon, Swizz Beatz, Sean Garrett, Alicia Keys and R. Kelly.
yay im first havent heard the song yet cuz i wanted to be first but just wait for the review. boom boom pow
omg brian i was wonderin when ya’ll were gonna post this
i absolutely looooooooooooove this song
the lyrics are so real and you can tell whitney is really back and she not playin
now granted..
her voice dont sound like it did 20 years ago but whose does? i know mariah dont sound like she did when she was singin vision of love so this works for me..im jus glad there is no autotune and its jus her singin
i love this song
Is anyone up or what ? Whitney is one the last true icon left (Tina, Aretha…) She may have not change the way music was but still, she has a voice, such voice… I hope for the best for her !
Notice how ther’s only women living legends left. The Kings are gone.
Rip MJ,
omg bee u r so true. i just noticed that. hopefully we will have some future men legends to come. but i know for sure we have some female legends in the makings. damnit why r woman so much more talented than woman
I love this song. It’s very uplifting and positive. Whitney Houston is a wonderful singer and her trials and trubulations goes show you she is human. Everyone makes mistakes and it takes a GOD fearing person to bounce back to help some one else through theirs.
My GOD continue to bless you Whitney. We love you.
Her voice is alot heavier and “hoarse”. Cannot carry a long note. Sounds out of breathe. You can tell she is a smoker (cigarettes). But Whitney, I am still rooting for you girl.. God Bless you in all that u do!
I was a huge Whitney fan back in the day. Unfortunately, I think this song is too safe and won’t do much for her “comeback.” It’s a far cry from the amazing vocals we once knew.
boring
i just hope we dont have to have whitney die before everyone realizes and appreciates how great of an artist she is
i truly hope everyone goes out and supports whitney..
the song is really good
this shouldn’t be the first single to me, but i like it though. i think she should drop something mid-tempo first to let the world know the ‘queen’ is back to reclaim her throne! love ya nippy!!
I am excite about having Whit back in the game. Real music with meaningful mature lyrics. Its been a long time coming. Now, if En Vogue can get that reunion cd on the shelves this could be a good year after all the tragedies.
loove the song..love u nippy..come back asap..its such raw emotions and passions and i like that..not the typical dianne warren cheesy american idol polished sound,its raw whitney which makes it so much more honest.Love it!!
I think this song is kinda hot, the vocals are ok but theres always room for improvement but i just love the message in the song its beautiful, and its funny because sometimes you really dont know your own strength until you go through something and then you look back after and think how the heck did i get through that??
To Kelvin,
I think Beyoncé has icon material, really, she sets up the pace, tries to be one step ahead… Well she’s not perfect but, she has such a healthy lifestyle (no drugs, addiction, she’s no party freak/ sex tape type or whatever..) she mainly rely’s on her talents/looks… so far that is, we dont kno what nasty lil secrets she’s hiding in her closet lol
Let’s think of someone else ? Mary J? Missy ? (Cant think of any men really, many of them seem to have reached their climax at a very young age and seem unable de reinvent themselves or go further than the mere star system level…)
@ rip mike
i totally agree..i know everyone not gonna like the song i just dont want people to dismiss her like she doesnt have a place
the song suits her
i could see this gettin airplay on the radio
Yes she’s back!!
i love the single it’s a perfect comback single. i hope her cd is mature like jennifer hudsons or jazmin sulivan but more consistant and full of hits..
btw we Still have Prince left but i guess he is one the Diva icons also lol
the song is cool… not winning me over… but it’s cool….
I LOVE MS. HOUSTON!!!
@ 12 so true, totally raw sound of Whitney just in a studio one take sanging, no gimmicks no autotune, just Whitney love it
I would have loved to hear something as strong as ‘I will always love you’…but I know better anyway… I hope she is healed. God bless you Whitney You were untouchable back in the day.
I love Whitney and would love to see her back on top—-BUT I HATED IT!!!!!!!
I SAY THIS OUT OF LOVE…THE PRODUCTION NEEDS TO BE MUCH TIGHTER, THE BEAT SHOULD UP TEMPO. THEN SHE NEEDS TO WEAR A PATCH (TO KEEP FROM SMOKING OR SOMETHING), SUCK ON SOME LEMONS TO TRY AND PRESERVE OR RESTORE HER VOICE, AND GO BACK IN THE STUDIO AND REDO IT.
THE LYRICS ARE EXCELLENT JUST NEEDS A CATCHY BEAT TO GET SOME RADIO PLAY. THIS SONG IS NOT WORTHY OF AN ICONIC DIVA LIKE AUNTIE WHITNEY!!!
WHITNEY, I LOVE YOU AND I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!!!
She sounds good but looks not that good. The drugs definitely sped up the aging process although I think they could have helped some w/better makeup.
very nice !
i like it and love whitney
i dont care if its whitney. this song is wack!
i really like it! I think it’s a perfect first choice single. Vocally, it’s not up to par with the typical Whitney voice but i like that it’s simple and not overwhelming. she will nail this live. Rooting for u too Whit!
Her voice is gone as I knew it. Smoking stuff and not taking care of your gift is a tragedy. The song was ok, because her voice is just ok. I wish her no ill will. Hers is a cautionary tale.
I love you Whitney!!!
I didn’t listen 2 your song yet, (because I’m cramping & I’m about 2 go 2 bed),
but when these 5 days r up, u best believe……….u best believe (LOL)!
I REALLY WISH SHE WOULD’VE NEVER TOUCHED THE DRUGS! SHE HAD ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING VOICES EVER! WHITNEY I STILL LOVE YOU! I WANT YOU TO BE HEALTHY FIRST AND FOREMOST..THEN I WANT YOUR NEW ALBUM TO BE A SUCCESS!
& LOL @ KEEP IT 100!!! GET YOU SOME CHAMOMILE TEA, A HEATING PAD AND SOME IBUPROFEN. YOU’LL BE AS GOOD AS NEW!
& LOL @ SOMEONE CALLING PRINCE A “DIVA”!
I LOOOOVVVVEEEEE HIM! HE CAN DO NO WRONG!
Her vocals are disappointing…this is a Diane Warren for crying out loud, you know what she gives.
i think the simplicity of the song is the point, her re-introduction to the world, i love it and welcome back Whitney, still the Diva of all Diva’s
@3.
STEVIE IS STILL HERE, BUT U RIGHT, MOST OF THE KINGS IS GONE.
ANYWAYS THIS MUSIC IS SO PLAYED OUT. BEING ABLE TO SING IS PLAYED OUT FOR THAT MATTER. DON’T KNOW WHEN A GENERATION THAT CAN SING WILL COME ALONG BUT RIGHT NOW MUSIC IS PRETTY MUCH DEAD NOW THAT MJ IS GONE. MUSIC DON’T FEEL RIGHT. LIKE THE LEADER IS GONE AND THEY ARE ALL TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO KEEP GOING WITHOUT HIM.
This is a great song….not as strong vocals…I believe she deliberately under sung this song…with all the technology and what an average producer can do with pro tools, the vocals could have been much better…I believe or hope she wants to surprise and wow fans either with her live singing of this song or future singles to be released…or the release if necessary…Go Whitney!!!
This is an album track and not a single… actually this is a bonus track! J-records and Whitney need to realise what year it is, nobody is going to be buying this as a single, its not a comeback, she needs to look to the My Love is Your Love template and go from there because that brought her up to date. When the vocals are no longer cutting it then the song, video and styling needs to… they actually need to be cutting it anyway.
Glad she’s back. She needs to lay off the nicotine as it’s having a negative affect on your voice. I love Whit!
WOW!!!!
real music i love u my sis!!
is about time cuz im sick of wack ass shit!
YEP, I GOT CHILLS! THE VOICE IS BAAAAAAAAACK.
Honestly I’m a huge Whitney fan and just knowing it was her singing gave me chills. She sound good…not like how she use to sound but still theres something about her voice that even when she sings low …it’s Whitney and you know it. I can’t wait to see what Alicia has written and produced for her because Alicia is a beast and will try to get something big out of Whitney. Hope Whitney sticks to what she is known for. Don’t try to keep up with the young barely talented artists. To me that was Mariah’s biggest mistake.
its a bit anticlimactic but i surprisingly like it… doesn’t blow me out the water, but nice effort.
Simply excellent! Finally the woman that led the pack for years is returning to show how its done. Did I expect her to sound like 1992? NO! Did drugs play a part in it? YES! But its Whitney Houston. This song is so inspiring not only to her, but to all her true fans. I have been to the point where I couldn’t return and God has turned my life around.
Whitney we are routing for you. Great talent. I rather hear raw raspy vocals from someone who has already proven her talents, than some autotune, over doing it, shaking your a$$, trash that is played on the radio today. Whitney you have a following that is Massive! Not just here in the United States but in many countries.
Go WHITNEY!!! I am so proud of her. Forget the haters and do what God has called you to do!
She’s Back outstanding , i am so happy for her , i am in love with the song .
I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Whitney’s so-called fans was voting Aiight or Not. Mariah’s Hot or Not voting for Obssessed was a noncompromising 90% very quickly, even though the song is really not that great. But hey, Mariah’s fans are.
This is her at her best i gave it a 10 i will buy the album can’t wait for it.
love it go whitney you rock
counting the days for the queen of pop to explode on the airwaves.
When I first heard this song…it gave me chills….no she doesn’t sound like she did back the early 90′s but the woman can still blow! The emotion that she points into this song shows her own personal struggle. I love it! This is 2009 Whitney and I am feeling it.
Oh and this is not the first single. Arista/ Clive has yet to announce a first single. I think they leaked this b/c there were bad quality versions floating around online.
Welcome back Whitney!!
Easily debuts #1 on Billboard, Houston’s voice, Foster’s arrangement, Warren’s pen…where will u ever go wrong! Awesome timeless classic! *No Artist out there can sing this!
Wow!!! whitney houston is back and with a bang!!!!!!!!!!!!. welcome back indeed. AWESOME IS NOT EVEN THE WORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Bahamas
Madonna is the Queen of Pop. Everyone knows that. Whitney may not have ever been given an “official” title like Elvis (King of Rock and Roll), Tina (Queen of Rock), etc, but she’s a legend in her own right, surely.
Definitely a good start. Naturally her voice will be deeper after all these years especially with the wear and tear of all her years of performing, along with some affect from smoking. Besides, her mom Cissy’s voice is also very deep. I still feel like this is a great start and would be a good way to start her way back to the top. I’m rooting for her! Good luck Whit!!
meh. her voice sounds great but the song…I’ll pass.
whitney is from an era when talent was the key, being talanted made you an icon, a voice a legend, today all we see is skin and off key tones i miss the true r&b style a strong voice and being classy go whitney
my favorite singer of all time. the voice has changed but she still can outsing 99% of these new losers out. I think this is gonna be a big comeback…..i mean come on it’s Whitney Houston…everybody loves Whit!
Great song! I can’t say anything bad about it…not exactly radio friendly tho…I can’t see them playin this, then Booty Dew right after lol
sorry but im not feelin it.
the vocal arrangement is wack, it sounds off in places, doesn’t flow right.
and she needs to sing higher but iono, maybe she can’t cuz her voice jus isn’t there yet, which i can sorta tell. shouldn’t be this noticeable either, is it unmastered?
overall i don’t like it… sorry whit. but hopefully whatever they choose for the 1st single is better then this cuz if not, i don’t see this project being the triumphant comeback they are trying to bill it as.
i love the song and i love Whitney, you go girl you know your fans down here in the Bahamas got your back….i even went as far as posting my $$$ on Amazon therefore i already got my back order…lol i love Whitney Houston
Great song Whitney. I’m so happy that you are vack on the scene God Bless YOu!
da dutch man
dutch4ya@yahoo.com
Love the msg, but Diane Warren let the lyrics go all over the place. I would have preferred it to be smoother. As for Whitney, always a fan and she sounds good, but I hear ‘struggle’ in some of the high notes.
Still, b/c it’s Whitney, Diane, and a great message- fans may support this one.