Whitney Houston - The Voice

i've never seen a singer with more poise and grace, nor greater conviction in voice than Whitney. At her prime, no one came close to her, not even Mariah in my opinion. That voice is a gift from god, as many have said. That powerful voice can easily match a huge choir and any loud band. All the more impressive was how she made every switch in notes and octave, vibrato and falsetto, look so effortless. she's always in control of the song. And it's not just sheer power in her voice; there's rhythm, there's confidence, and more importantly there's soul. you almost believe every word she sings.

her recent comeback was one high-profile return. A guest stint at Oprah, in which she opened up like never before; a number 1 album that sees her reuniting with her industry father Clive Davis; performances at the AMA, GMA, France, X-factor, and touring across the states. some were painful to watch, as u see her struggle to hit the notes and rise above the song, with the occasional crack in her voice. This is one of the rare few performances in which she sang and sounded beautifully, with a sign of former glory in her poised body language and confidence (i think she moves more when she's comfortable, with all the hand signs and facial expressions). and of course, the sight of Oprah singing along and in tears of happiness at her friend's return was a stamp of approval of a successful comeback. everything Oprah touches is gold; she is like the golden standard to everything that is right in life. whatever Oprah approves, you know you can do no wrong.

i remember slamming her album when it first came out a few mths back. in a strange turn of events (and tt's how life is), i cant seem to stop listening to that album every day. the first 3 tracks are incredibly hooky. i hope Whitney can harness that new-found raspiness in her voice, the way Aretha and Joni Mitchell did when their voice quality changed, and evolve to become a greater singer. watching her past youtube clips, i wished i was born earlier so that i cld catch her in the 1990s. i wish one of these days, she'll be gd enough for me to say that i wana watch 1 of her concerts before i die.


circa 1996


circa 150909, Oprah Winfrey Show