Does Houston Have a Problem?

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Author: Kainoa King

Whitney Houston, also known as “the voice,” has been considered by many the greatest female vocalist of all time. Having sold over 170 million records over the course of her career, she has been deemed one of the most influential musicians for the pop/R&B genre.

However, her recent concert performances in Australia and her newly- released album “I Look to You” revealed a drastic change in the quality of Houston’s voice that is being criticized by fans and the media alike.

Debuting in 1985 with her self-titled album, Houston produced #1 hits such as “Saving All My Love for You,” “How Will I Know,” and “Greatest Love of All.” Throughout the remainder of the ’80s and up until the early ’90s, Houston, with the help of iconic music mogul Clive Davis, continued to dominate the charts with sold-out concerts and popular albums.

In 1992, she made one of the biggest moves of her career by acting alongside Kevin Costner in “The Bodyguard.” This film not only launched her acting career, but its soundtrack paraded Houston’s famous song, “I Will Always Love You,” arguably the most influential song of her career.

Through her success in both the music and film industries, Houston quickly became known as one of the best female artists of her time. In her prime years of performing, she outsold all of the female artists of her era and was said to have one of the greatest voices of all time, according to Rolling Stone.

Recently, however, it seems as though the queen of pop has fallen flat from her throne. After an abusive, turbulent marriage with former New Edition member Bobby Brown and a series of drug-related scandals, Houston made a comeback in 2009 with her album, “I Look To You.” Although Houston is regarded as having one of the most powerful female voices of her time, fans and critics have expressed disappointment with her recent performance style.

Most criticisms have been attributed to the quality of her performances on her current tour, Nothing But Love, and, more specifically, her performances in Brisbane, Australia. According to CBS News, many angered fans gave negative reviews of her “new voice,” stating that she can no longer hit the high notes she once could and often appears exhausted and breathless on stage. One fan stated that Houston “couldn’t entertain a dead rat . . .”

However, although she is facing harsh criticism from old fans, Houston’s weathered voice beautifully reflects her struggle with both emotional and substance abuse. She may not sing with as much intensity and skill as she once did, but the new sound of her voice symbolizes her emotional fight with drugs and marital issues. Fans may notice that her voice seems exhausted and worn, bur rather than acting as a detriment, this vocal change actually logically coincides with her sense of emotional exhaustion, giving her music a greater sense of depth.

Despite the disappointment surrounding Whitney Houston’s new sound, as well as her inability to recreate her old style of music, I enjoy the lower register and raspy quality she now employs. Her new album represents a Whitney Houston that is more lyrically-oriented. No longer is she singing about fantasies of love and being famous. Rather, her voice reflects her personal experiences as she tells a motivational story.

This new quality makes her music more authentic than it has been in the past, allowing audiences to hear the real Whitney Houston on the inside. Though fickle fans may abandon their love for Houston, she is still a legend deserving of respect and support.

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