Intro: My mom always talks about how Whitney Houston made hit songs back in her days. I have always been very interested in the music she had and listened to. I was looking up “famous musicians” online, saw Whitney Houston, and immediately dove right into learning about her.
Although I didn't know that much about Whitney, If I heard one of her songs play at a party or on the radio, I would guess it to be her. In my head, I thought her dynamic voice was euphonious. I also enjoy listening to her amazing Christmas music. She interested me so much because of how broad her music and voice were.
Artist Background: Whitney Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1963, an American singer and actress who was one of the best-selling musical performers of the 1980s and '90s. They say she was destined to be a singer from the second she was born.
When she turned 15, Houston was performing regularly with her mom and attempting to get her very own record arrangement. Around a similar time, she was found by a photographer who loved her regular excellence. She then turned into an incredibly searched teenager model, one of the principal African American ladies to show up on the front of Seventeen magazine. However, music remained her genuine passion.
At the point when she was 19, she was found in a dance club by Arista Records' Clive Davis, who marked her quickly and assumed control of her vocation as she explored from gospel to pop fame. In 1983, Houston made her presentation on public TV, showing up on The Merv Griffin Show to sing "Home" from the melodic The Wiz. She and Davis went through the following two years dealing with her introduction collection, finding the best makers and musicians accessible to feature her astonishing vocal ability.
Whitney Houston sadly passed away in 2012. As incredible as a musician she was, Whitney was very depressed. Living a famous life didn't always make her happy. She also was terribly beaten by her husband, both of them were highly addictive drug users. At first, their marriage was passionate and loving, while having their first daughter together, Bobbi Kristina Brown. As timed passed, things got worse. Both Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston battled substance abuse and unpredictable behavior. Houston later confessed to emotional and violent abuse from Brown. The L.A. County Coroner’s office issued a report that said the official cause of the pop diva’s death was “drowning and effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use.”
Houston won seven Grammy awards in her life and was nominated for 26. Her first Grammy nomination and win were in 1986 for the Female Best Pop Vocal Performance. Houston was admitted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013, the year following her death.
Song Introduction: The song I have decided to focus on is “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”. This song was recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her second studio album. It came out as the album's lead single on May 2, 1987, by Arista Records. It was produced by Narada Michael Walden and written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam.
Clock strikes upon the hour And the sun begins to fade Still enough time to figure out How to chase my blues away I've done alright up to now It's the light of day that shows me how And when the night falls, loneliness calls
Oh, I wanna dance with somebody I wanna feel the heat with somebody Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody With somebody who loves me Oh, I wanna dance with somebody I wanna feel the heat with somebody Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody With somebody who loves me
I've been in love and lost my senses Spinning through the town Sooner or later, the fever ends And I wind up feeling down I need a man who'll take a chance On a love that burns hot enough to last So when the night falls My lonely heart calls
Oh, I wanna dance with somebody I wanna feel the heat with somebody Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody With somebody who loves me Oh, I wanna dance with somebody I wanna feel the heat with somebody Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody With somebody who loves me
Don'tcha wanna dance with me baby Dontcha wanna dance with me boy Hey Don'tcha wanna dance with me baby With somebody who loves me
Don'tcha wanna dance say you wanna dance Don'tcha wanna dance Don'tcha wanna dance say you wanna dance Don'tcha wanna dance Don'tcha wanna dance say you wanna dance With somebody who loves me Dance
Song Analysis: The song starts out having some catchy 80s beats. The instrumental is repeating rhythmic syncopation with electric keyboards and instruments. The first lyrics speak about how she gets lonely at the time when night and darkness fall. Then she talks about chasing the feeling of being with someone, anyone. I feel like Whitney made this song as a feel-good, get up and dance song but also in dealing with depression and loneliness. The lyrics are dancing and being close to 'somebody'. It almost sounds as if she is lonely inside and just wants to dance with somebody to make her feel whole.
Conclusion: Learning about Whitney's life while interpreting the song, is a reflection of her life and emptiness inside. It is very sad a woman who was an incredibly talented and successful musician also lived with loneliness, depression, and ultimately the burden of stardom. With such unbelievable talent and success, the price you pay is a life demanded by great performance after performance and perfection on the outside. Great success can cost you your happiness. This song “I Wanna Dance with Somebody ” is definitely my favorite of all her songs and I understand why it became an instant Top Hit!
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Sources:
“I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Oct. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Wanna_Dance_with_Somebody_(Who_Loves_Me).
“Home.” Whitney Houston Official Site, 25 Sept. 2020, www.whitneyhouston.com/.
Chaney, Jen. “Whitney Houston's Official Cause of Death: Drowning, Heart Disease, and Cocaine Use.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 22 Mar. 2012, www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/celebritology/post/2012/03/22/gIQAXukIUS_blog.html.
Buskin, Richard. Whitney Houston 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody', 1 Oct. 2020, www.soundonsound.com/people/whitney-houston-i-wanna-dance-somebody.
Biography.com Editors. “Whitney Houston.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 23 June 2020, www.biography.com/musician/whitney-houston.
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