How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
big returns
Is Whitney Houston’s Voice Ready for a Comeback?
Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...
We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?
Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated
Geoff M
Anyone expecting the soaring range from her earlier work is going to be a little letdown…for whatever reason (crack pipe/age/vocal wear and tear) she sings much lower in her register on this offering however I think this is a great collection of songs and SO worth the money. I’m actually looking forward to the remixes that are sure to follow. It is fantastic to see Whitney back in the spotlight….I’m just hoping she is as successful in her personal life as I’m sure she will be again commercially.
Giovanni
That one of the worlds most truly spectacular voices has been needlessly destroyed is heartbreaking to say the least (I could cry a thousand tears and then one thousand more..) but I am thrilled that she has pulled herself together enough to have a go at it. I will definitely buy the album to support Whitney but I may never be able to listen to it.
dgz
@Geoff M: that’s a good perspective, and i think it’s useful to point out that “vocal wear-and-tear” is the most likely culprit. she has nodules, so does mariah. it’s just something that happens when you belt every day for decades.
Fitz
I don’t think it’s normal to get nodules… I mean, think of other big voices.. Think of an ol girl like Baez, or something. But that being said, I bought the tracks, and it sounds good. Her voice took a hit (or 2), but she used what she has very well. No vocal gymnastics, but some good pop.
Dennis
@Giovanni:
I’m not as upest as you, but I had a similar response. I’m truly glad she’s getting it together again, but hearing her reduced vocal capability is also more a little bit sad…she had a one in a million voice, an amazing gift…and you just can’t scorch your throat with hot crack smoke for so many years and expect it to have no effect.
Keep it together girl, crack IS whack! Stay away from it, and Bobby too.
dgz
@Fitz: you’re right, it’s not normal, but it IS the unavoidable result of the way she sings. on the bright side, i personally know many singers with fucked-up chords who’ve made it work for them, and embraced the rasp. the real problem is pitch — readjusting to the new situation. from the sound of it, that’s what she needs to work on.
or, she could bite the bullet, take a chance, and try surgical intervention. worked for julie andrews.
asa1973
@dgz: Rumor is, she already had surgery. This may be the best her voice will ever get, which is still an instrument “singers” today would die for.
Honestly not sure if she’ll ever be a great live performer again (sadness). But if she puts her heart and soul and interpretation into another studio album like “I Look to You,” I don’t think she’ll have a problem selling records. Her current rasp and authenticity are worthy replacements we may just have to accept in lieu of the easy vocal acrobatics of yore.
But…as her #1 fan since 6th grade when she debuted in 1985, I will truly, truly miss the VOICE. Nonetheless, get ’em, Whitney, and welcome back.
diego
I remember her more for yelling “Kiss my @#$!”
fitz
@dgz: I just listened again, and… well, I think this is the tool she has in 2009– and her song selection needs a rethink. I was remembering when “Broken English” came out in the early 80’s, and we all thought “WTF did Marianne do to her friggen voice?” but then we listened, and realized that she was using what she had PERFECTLY. She poured her anger and failure and hope in. I think what this album is doing is trying to hit that same selection with a diminished capacity. Whitney deserves better. Show us your anger, babe! We can take it!!
Geoff M
@dgz: SO glad you mentioned Mariah…..did you catch her performance on the MJ memorial? No way did I buy the ‘I couldn’t sing because I was so upset’. I mean, sure…probably that was a part of it, but you’re right on the money about divas belting it out for so long takes it toll on their voice. Sad, but if they embrace whatever the current state of their voice is , it could work for them. I tell ya…the remixes could really be something if she gives the ‘ok’.
Cheeky
Whitney has been to hell and back. And guess what, she can still sing, and sound heavenly. She may not be able to hit those high notes for whatever reason (e.g. age, drugs, vocal polyps etx) however, her return to the music scene should be applauded. She has real talent unlike so many mass-marketed tween singers.
Chitown Kev
Whitney can still sing better than 90-95% of the divas out there. But, you know…
She can’t SANG! For the faster tunes, some fierce remixes might help.
Chitown Kev
I have to say, though, I still luv me some Whitney.
asa1973
@Chitown Kev: Amen. I’ll always be in her corner. Just so glad to see her happy and healthy and De-Bobby-fied!
mikeandrewsdantescove
I would say the back up singers did well. As for Whitney not so good. Why she kept putting the mike out to the crowd, I will never understand. It’s a new song – people don’t know the lyrics yet.
Mike
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSyB0f0l4is
ChicagoLIberal
@mikeandrewsdantescove: Listen a little closer. The songs from her album were streaming on her website a clear week before it was “officially” released. Plus, Million Dollar Bill and I Look to You have been on YouTube for almost 2 months. I promise, those fans KNEW the songs. They were singing it with her. I’ve known the lyrics for a month, now.
But yes, her voice could have been in better shape…
Lex
I can’t help but laugh when people allude that drugs are the only factor in her voice being less extraordinary than it was in the past. She’s older now, she’s been singing for decades, it was bound to happen regardless.
Most if not all of the huge voices of the past have faded over time. That’s just life. Voices are no different than looks. They don’t last forever.
scott ny'er
babs has been belting since she was a teen. And I think only when she hit her 60s did she start to show some wear.
nikko
Wow, that was quite bad. Her voice really is shot. But she was usually lousy live ’cause she’d talk the song rather than sing like the record. Aaaargh! At least Mariah sticks close to the recording when she sing live. AndCeline, she’s great live consistently.
Rick
@fitz: You are 10,000% right.
villager
i hope she makes it again. love her!
dgz
@fitz: good point.
@Geoff M: yes! i also think she did a lot of damage relying on her whistle register for so long — that can wreak havoc.
@asa1973: really? good to know; i hadn’t heard that rumor. it’s a risky surgery.
Michael vdB
I remember as a great singer, a Diva, a troubled star, a crack whore, a wounderful woman who hit rock bottom. But I am still rooting for her because at the end of the day, if we can give others a second chance to get help, clean up their lives, and ask again for the right to preform, then go for it. She is putting herself out on the line with the support of her family and friends and I hope she does well.
asa1973
@nikko: What made Whitney so great is that when she performed live, it was an exponential outdoing of her “controlled” album recordings. Who ever wants to go see someone in concert sing their songs exactly like the albums. How boring. Whithey would always give you something different and MAGNIFICENT. Some early examples of her interpreting, not “talking through” her songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df5aaUbRx_s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2vIpx6nDSw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN1eYW617uw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1CmKRpqa_E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1CmKRpqa_E
D.B.
I realize some of the above posters are Whitney fans, but c’mon … her performance on GMA was pretty bad. And worse, she “blames” it on an Oprah interview. Unless she was screaming all of her answers to Oprah, I kind of doubt that’s entirely true.
Yes, voices age and change over time. But professionals, like Whitney, are well aware of the steps they need to take to preserve their voices over the years. For example, look at Broadway’s leading ladies — they belt it out live 8 times a week. Many of them have very lengthy careers. But all of them are very careful with their voices.
It’s pretty clear that Whitney’s own choices (read: substance abuse) has taken a pretty big toll on her voice. It’s really kind of sad.
The Milkman
First off, I love me some Whitney. Now let’s talk about some of the statements on voice disorders.
1. Whitney is 46 years old. That’s a little young for the onset of normal age-related voice changes, but not unheard of. Also, in the past several years she’s spent a lot of time away from singing. Both of those things can cause a little loss of muscle bulk in the larynx, which will result in breathiness, weakness, and/or a general decrease in vocal control. This can be remedied with voice therapy with a qualified speech pathologist.
2. No one but her doctor and her speech pathologist knows whether Whitney has vocal nodules, and it should stay that way. Vocal nodules are treated using therapy, and are only very rarely addressed surgically. The reason for this is that nodules are the result of vocal behavior, and unless the behavior is changed they will likely recur postoperatively.
3. Belting isn’t always a voice-killer… it’s only a bad thing if you don’t know how to do it correctly. Streisand has belted for decades, but she has a strong base in classical voice training that has provided her with the neuromuscular control to be able to do it relatively safely. Merman did too. Whitney doesn’t have that background to my knowledge. I see this often… singers who have beautiful and impressive natural voices who crumble when illness or other factors present themselves. They just don’t have the training to be able to sing around it. Those who do have this training, even if they don’t use it in a classical vocal production, can produce lovely vocal output even with vocal folds that have significant pathology (nodules, scarring, whatever). Look at David Archuleta for example… he has been very open about having had a vocal fold paralysis, and has done remarkably well by developing an excellent vocal technique to compensate for it.
I, for one, look forward to hearing the new Whitney. Her previous success was based on the sheer power of her voice. Now we will see if she has the interpretive skills to be able to maintain that success without the vocal fireworks she used in previous years. The recordings I’ve heard have been great… it’s a more intimate, mature, and expressive sound. Through the development of a new vocal technique and careful repertoire choices, we might indeed have our diva back.
beebob
I think she sounds fine. She may not have the range she had twenty yrs. ago-but that can be remedied by vocal exercises and rest (no excessive talking Whitney). With proper care and hard work the voice may return to it’s former power albeit perhaps 1/2 an octave lower. Even lower and coarser she still cab out sing the likes of Brittaney,Lady GAGA, et al. Welcome back Whitney!
Green Line
First of all, any decline in Whitney’s voice has to do with the fact that she’s not 20 year old anymore, and she smokes cigarrettes; that’s it. Aretha Franklin’s voice is much heavier now. Why? Because this isn’t the 1960s anymore and she also smokes. Madonna’s voice is much heavier than when she was singing Bordeline, Lucky Star, Material Girl and a slew of other songs back then . Why? Because she’s older and this isn’t the 1980s anymore. But Whitney’s voice get heavier and you guys act like she’s not a human being or something. It has nothing to do with drugs per se, it has to do with smoking, whether cigarrettes or anything else, and aging a couple of extra decades. Also, its seems racist to state her drug use several years ago was crack or using crack pipes. It was cocaine. Why would any person here think she would use crack and she has $200 million in her bank account? Robert Downey Jr. was never accused of crack (and he never did crack, he did cocaine and heroin) and he has millions of dollars, but he has less than Whitney. The only reason anyone says crack instead of cocaine when referencing Whitney is do to racism -whether person saying it is white or black. And black on black racism is even worse.
Tiffany
She could be the black Bonnie Tyler now…she just needs to ditch those slow ballads and rock it up a bit…I love raspy voices given the right song.