Exhale (Shoop Shoop)
Encyclopedia
"Exhale" is a song by American recording artist Whitney Houston
, featured on the soundtrack for the film Waiting to Exhale
. It was released as the lead single from the soundtrack on November 7, 1995, by Arista Records
. The song was written and produced by Babyface. A mid-tempo R&B
ballad
, composed in the key
of C major
, the song's lyrics speaks about growing up and learning to let go. The song garnered mostly positive reviews from critics, many of whom noted Houston's vocal maturity in the song.
In the United States, it became the third single to debut on top of the Billboard Hot 100
chart in Billboard
s history, and Houston's eleventh number one single. It was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA), for shipments of one million copies. The song also reached number one in Canada, and the top ten in Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden. Additionally, it peaked within the top twenty in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. At the 39th Annual Grammy Awards, held on February 26, 1997, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" received four nominations, including the Grammy Award for the Song of the Year, and won in the category of Best R&B Song. The song also won four other awards, including a Soul Train Music Award
.
The music video
for the song, directed by Forest Whitaker
, shows close-up scenes of Houston inter-cut with scenes from the film Waiting to Exhale. Houston performed the song at the 39th Grammy Awards ceremony, and on the HBO special Classic Whitney Live from Washington, D.C.
in October 1997. It was included in the set-list of Houston's three tours and select dates of various concerts. "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" is also featured on three of Houston's compilation albums, Whitney: The Greatest Hits
(2000), Love, Whitney (2001), The Ultimate Collection
(2007), and The Essential Whitney Houston (2011).
to play the role of Savannah Jackson in the film Waiting to Exhale
, which was adapted from the novel of the same name by Terry McMillan
. Initially, she had no interest in recording songs for the film's soundtrack, as she wanted to concentrate on her acting. The film's director, Forest Whitaker
, hired Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds to compose the film score
and the accompanying soundtrack. Though Babyface visited the set of the film and tried to convince her, Houston was determined not to record songs for the soundtrack. She finally agreed after hearing Babyface play one of the songs she liked. In an interview with Fred Bronson
, Babyface explained the development of the song:
Babyface produced the song, and it was released as the lead single from Waiting to Exhale soundtrack on November 7, 1995, through Arista Records
. The b-side
of the single includes four songs: "Dancin' on the Smooth Edge", which was initially included as the b-side to "All the Man That I Need
" (1991), "Moment of Truth", "Do You Hear What I Hear
", which Houston recorded for the compilation A Very Special Christmas album (1987), and her duet with Aretha Franklin
, "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be
" (1989). "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" is also featured on Houston's compilation albums Whitney: The Greatest Hits
(2000), Love, Whitney (2001), The Ultimate Collection
(2007), and The Essential Whitney Houston (2011).
ballad
written in the key
of C major
. The song is set in common time
with a tempo of 80 beats per minute. It has the sequence of F(add9)–C/E–Dm7–C as its chord progression
throughout the track, and Houston's vocals span an octave and a perfect fifth
, from the low note of G3 to the high note of D5. The song's instrumentation includes quiet bells and string
s, and the whole arrangement is mellow. According to Steve Knopper of Newsday
, the bells resemble electronic Christmas bells, and Houston ad-lib
s "shoo-pay" over the chorus. The chorus repeats the phrase "shoop de shoop".
According to Bronson, the song summarizes the movie's philosophy. His opinion was somewhat echoed by Ted Cox, author of the book Whitney Houston, who noted that the soothing quality of the song fitted perfectly with the mood and texture of the movie. He described that the song has a "slow groove" that features the most relaxed singing of Houston's career. The Miami Herald
described the song as a model of "refined, easy-going soul
", and Kyle Anderson of MTV
described it as a "smooth jam" with a "crazy-catchy groove". Describing the instrumentation as "silky", Larry Flick of Billboard wrote that Houston's performance was more soulful than before, with far more "vocal colors". Stephen Holden
of The New York Times
commented that the song is reminiscent of 1960s girl group
records, and the verses speak about growing up and learning to let go.
praised the song, saying "Houston's elegant 'Exhale (Shoop Shoop)' [...] exude[s] maturity without resorting to the relentlessly big vocals that characterize so many R&B records aiming for adult audiences." Geoffrey Himes of The Washington Post
wrote, "Sounding like someone who has just emptied her lungs after holding her breath a long time, Houston brings a surprisingly mature, world-weary tone to the song." Robert Hilburn
, pop music critic of Los Angeles Times, noted Babyface's achievement in the song, saying "he [Babyface] brings Houston down to earth, trading her normal vocal exuberance for convincing warmth." Larry Flick of Billboard
called the song "a surprisingly understated shuffle-ballad with soul and far more interesting vocal colors than all the shrieking can provide." Rome News-Tribune
wrote that "Exhale' has an easygoing, infectious charm," and that Houston "delivers a soulfully relaxed vocal." Anthony Violanti of The Buffalo News
gave the song a positive review, commenting that Houston's vocals were intoxicating. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
, in their review of the soundtrack, viewed the song as "easy and understated". Steve Knopper of Newsday wrote that the song was "irresistibly catchy" and irritating at the same time. However, Patricia Smith of The Boston Globe
wrote that the "Shoop Shoop"s were "annoying". While reviewing Houston's compilation Whitney: The Greatest Hits (2000), Christine Galera of Orlando Sentinel
also expressed her dislike for the song, stating the songs from Waiting to Exhale, including "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" and "Why Does It Hurt So Bad
", were too mellow.
award and was nominated for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year at the 10th Annual Soul Train Music Awards
on March 29, 1996. Houston won two National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) Image Awards for Outstanding Song
and Outstanding Female Artist
at the 27th annual ceremony, broadcast live on April 23, 1996. The song was nominated for Best Song from a Movie at the 5th MTV Movie Awards on June 8, and for Best R&B/Soul Single – Solo at the Second Annual Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards on September 9, 1996. The song received four Grammy nominations―Song of the Year
(Babyface), Best R&B Song
(Babyface), Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (Babyface), and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (Houston), and won in the category of Best R&B Song, at the 39th Grammy Awards, held on February 26, 1997. Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds won a Broadcast Music Incorporated
(BMI) Pop Music Award for the song at the 45th annual ceremony, held on May 13, 1997.
chart and the Hot R&B Singles
chart, the issue dated November 25, 1995, with 125,000 copies sold in its first week. It became the third single to do so in Billboards history, following Michael Jackson
's "You Are Not Alone
" (1995) and Mariah Carey
's "Fantasy
" (1995). In addition, it became Houston's eleventh and seventh number one single on the Hot 100 and the Hot R&B Singles charts respectively. The single stayed at the top of the Hot 100 for just one week, and was replaced by "One Sweet Day
" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men
. It descended to the number two position and spent eleven consecutive weeks there, from December 2, 1995, to February 10, 1996, setting the record for the longest stay in the runner-up position. On the Hot R&B Singles chart, the single remained at the summit for eight consecutive weeks from its debut week, making it Houston's second-longest stay on the top position since "I Will Always Love You" (1992), which remained atop the chart for eleven weeks. The song peaked at number five on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, spending a total of twenty-six weeks on the chart. The song placed at number fourteen and number eighteen on the 1996 Billboard year-end Hot 100 and Hot R&B Singles charts respectively. It has sold over 1,500,000 copies in the US and was certified platinum for shipments exceeding 1,000,000 copies by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) on January 3, 1996. In Canada, the single entered the RPM
100 Hit Tracks chart at number ninety, on November 13, 1995. Eight weeks later it topped the chart and spent two weeks at the top spot, becoming Houston's eighth number-one single in Canada. The song was ranked at number twenty on the RPM Year-end Top 100 Hit Tracks chart for 1996.
In other countries, the single performed moderately on the chart In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart
for the week dated November 18, 1995. The next week it dropped to number sixteen before descending the charts steadily. According to MTV
, the single has sold about 100,000 copied in the UK. In the Netherlands, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" peaked at number seven and stayed on the chart for a total of eleven weeks. It made number seventy-nine on the Dutch Singles year-end charts. In Australia, the song entered the ARIA Charts
at number thirty, the week dated December 10, 1995. The following week, it ascended to its peak position of number eighteen, before descending the charts. In Switzerland, "Exhale" debuted at number sixteen, the week dated December 10, 1995. Three weeks later, it peaked at number thirteen. The song fell to number sixteen the next week, and exited the chart at number forty-nine, the week dated March 24, 1996. The song also reached number six in Finland and number four in New Zealand, and number ten in Sweden. It peaked within the top twenty of the singles charts in a few other countries: number fifteen in Austria, sixteen in Belgium (Wallonia) and Ireland, fourteen in Norway, and thirteen in Switzerland. However, in few other countries, the song managed to reach only the top forty; it peaked at number twenty-two in Belgium (Flanders), twenty-three in France, and twenty-six in Germany.
The music video for "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" was directed by Forest Whitaker
, who also directed Waiting to Exhale. The video focuses mainly on close-ups of Houston, sporting a short and mature coif
, as she sings. Scenes of the movie are inter-cut between her scenes. In a Making of the Video segment of "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)", which aired on Japanese satellite television channel NHK-BS2
, Houston explained:
According to Houston, the song was direct, so she wanted the video to be direct and concentrate on her face and on the lyrics. Whittaker also expressed a same opinion of the song. He said, "I've seen the video [...] It's like a thing she has, you know, that I guess people would say is like a charisma
kinda thing that it zooms, you know, comes up. It's beautiful [...] It's magic, it's spirit." The video aired on MTV on October 10, 1995. According to Marla Shelton, a writer for Camera Obscura, a journal of feminism
and film theory
, "the video concept's originality stops with Houston's hair style as its stark simplicity underscores the 'straight and narrow' politics of the film." When the film was released, the video was shown as a trailer
prior to the beginning of films on 450 General Cinema
screens in some major US media markets.
" by Brandy
, "Not Gon' Cry
" by Mary J. Blige
, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" by Houston, and "Count on Me
" by Houston, CeCe Winans
, Brandy, Blige, Chaka Khan
, and Aretha Franklin
―at the 39th Grammy Awards. Houston sang the song live on the HBO special "Classic Whitney Live from Washington, D.C.
" on both October 3 and 5, 1997. Houston's solo performance was followed by ad-libs of its chorus. She was joined by BeBe Winans
, Monica, and Shirley Caesar
, who was seated in the audience and invited onstage by Houston. Houston used the song throughout the entire run of her The Pacific Rim Tour
(1997).
She later performed it during the entire run of her My Love Is Your Love World Tour
(1999), as a part of the promotion for her fourth studio album, My Love Is Your Love
(1998). During her performance at the Universal Amphitheatre
in Los Angeles
on July 30, 1999, Houston introduced Clive Davis
and Babyface to the audience, and also brought in Monica to sing along. However, she lost the pace of the show at some point, causing it to run a half-hour over its scheduled time. Her performance was commended by Robert Hilburn of Los Angeles Times, who wrote that it "was disarming to see Houston, once so lifeless on stage, enjoying herself so much." In April 2000 Houston performed the song on the 25th Anniversary Celebration of Arista Records
. She was backed by a seven-piece band, a 14-piece string section
and four background singers. Houston started by saying "We all need to exhale sometimes," and proceeded to sing the song. The song was included in the set list of her Nothing but Love World Tour (2010) promoting her seventh studio album, I Look to You
(2009).
.
"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)"
"Dancin' on the Smooth Edge"
"Moment of Truth"
"Do You Hear What I Hear"
"It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be"
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
, featured on the soundtrack for the film Waiting to Exhale
Waiting to Exhale
Waiting to Exhale is a 1995 romance film starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett, directed by Forest Whitaker. The movie was adapted from the 1992 novel of the same name by Terry McMillan. Loretta Devine, Lela Rochon, Dennis Haysbert, Michael Beach, Gregory Hines, Donald Faison and Mykelti...
. It was released as the lead single from the soundtrack on November 7, 1995, by Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
. The song was written and produced by Babyface. A mid-tempo R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, composed in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
, the song's lyrics speaks about growing up and learning to let go. The song garnered mostly positive reviews from critics, many of whom noted Houston's vocal maturity in the song.
In the United States, it became the third single to debut on top of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s history, and Houston's eleventh number one single. It was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA), for shipments of one million copies. The song also reached number one in Canada, and the top ten in Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden. Additionally, it peaked within the top twenty in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. At the 39th Annual Grammy Awards, held on February 26, 1997, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" received four nominations, including the Grammy Award for the Song of the Year, and won in the category of Best R&B Song. The song also won four other awards, including a Soul Train Music Award
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment...
.
The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song, directed by Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker
Forest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television...
, shows close-up scenes of Houston inter-cut with scenes from the film Waiting to Exhale. Houston performed the song at the 39th Grammy Awards ceremony, and on the HBO special Classic Whitney Live from Washington, D.C.
Classic Whitney Live from Washington, D.C.
Classic Whitney, Live from Washington, D.C., were special live concerts by Whitney Houston featuring many of her greatest hits, as well as gospel favorites and songs saluting some of her influences including Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross. The concerts were held at historic DAR...
in October 1997. It was included in the set-list of Houston's three tours and select dates of various concerts. "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" is also featured on three of Houston's compilation albums, Whitney: The Greatest Hits
Whitney: The Greatest Hits
-International edition:-Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes:Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes is a limited-edition four-record vinyl set, containing eight full club versions of selected remixes found on the American release...
(2000), Love, Whitney (2001), The Ultimate Collection
The Ultimate Collection (Whitney Houston album)
The Ultimate Collection is a Whitney Houston greatest hits collection, released on October 29, 2007. For the first time, a single CD of Houston's hit singles is released. It debuted at number five in the UK, with sales of 37,228. It climbed to number three in its second week on the chart...
(2007), and The Essential Whitney Houston (2011).
Background and release
In 1994, Houston signed with 20th Century Fox20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
to play the role of Savannah Jackson in the film Waiting to Exhale
Waiting to Exhale
Waiting to Exhale is a 1995 romance film starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett, directed by Forest Whitaker. The movie was adapted from the 1992 novel of the same name by Terry McMillan. Loretta Devine, Lela Rochon, Dennis Haysbert, Michael Beach, Gregory Hines, Donald Faison and Mykelti...
, which was adapted from the novel of the same name by Terry McMillan
Terry McMillan
Terry McMillan is an American author. Her interest in books comes from working at a library when she was sixteen. She received her BA in journalism in 1986 at University of California, Berkeley. Her work is characterized by strong female protagonists.Her first book, Mama, was published in 1987...
. Initially, she had no interest in recording songs for the film's soundtrack, as she wanted to concentrate on her acting. The film's director, Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker
Forest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television...
, hired Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds to compose the film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
and the accompanying soundtrack. Though Babyface visited the set of the film and tried to convince her, Houston was determined not to record songs for the soundtrack. She finally agreed after hearing Babyface play one of the songs she liked. In an interview with Fred Bronson
Fred Bronson
Fredric M. Bronson is an American journalist, author and writer. He is best known for his appearances on American Idol, the weekly "Chart Beat" column in Billboard magazine, and as the author of books related to Billboard charts.Born to Irving and Mildred Bronson and raised in Culver City,...
, Babyface explained the development of the song:
"When Whitney first heard the song, she figured I'd lost it—I couldn't come up with words anymore. And, actually she's right. I couldn't think of anything for that particular part. It felt like it should groove there. But I knew it couldn't groove without any vocals, so I started humming along with it and that's what happened. The 'shoops' came. But they felt so good, I thought 'Why not?' It doesn't have to mean anything."
Babyface produced the song, and it was released as the lead single from Waiting to Exhale soundtrack on November 7, 1995, through Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
. The b-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of the single includes four songs: "Dancin' on the Smooth Edge", which was initially included as the b-side to "All the Man That I Need
All the Man That I Need
"All the Man That I Need" is a song written by American songwriters Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore. The song was first recorded under the name "All the man I need" by singer Linda Clifford, in 1982, for her album I'll Keep on Loving You. Pitchford and Gore had in mind Clifford and her husband...
" (1991), "Moment of Truth", "Do You Hear What I Hear
Do You Hear What I Hear?
"Do You Hear What I Hear?" is a Christmas song written in October 1962 with lyrics by Noël Regney and music by Gloria Shayne Baker. The pair were married at the time, and wrote it as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis...
", which Houston recorded for the compilation A Very Special Christmas album (1987), and her duet with Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be
It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be
"It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be" is a duet recorded between R&B singers Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston, and appears on Franklin's 1989 album Through the Storm. It was released as a single that year, peaking at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop...
" (1989). "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" is also featured on Houston's compilation albums Whitney: The Greatest Hits
Whitney: The Greatest Hits
-International edition:-Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes:Whitney: The Unreleased Mixes is a limited-edition four-record vinyl set, containing eight full club versions of selected remixes found on the American release...
(2000), Love, Whitney (2001), The Ultimate Collection
The Ultimate Collection (Whitney Houston album)
The Ultimate Collection is a Whitney Houston greatest hits collection, released on October 29, 2007. For the first time, a single CD of Houston's hit singles is released. It debuted at number five in the UK, with sales of 37,228. It climbed to number three in its second week on the chart...
(2007), and The Essential Whitney Houston (2011).
Composition
"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" is an R&BContemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
written in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
. The song is set in common time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
with a tempo of 80 beats per minute. It has the sequence of F(add9)–C/E–Dm7–C as its chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
throughout the track, and Houston's vocals span an octave and a perfect fifth
Perfect fifth
In classical music from Western culture, a fifth is a musical interval encompassing five staff positions , and the perfect fifth is a fifth spanning seven semitones, or in meantone, four diatonic semitones and three chromatic semitones...
, from the low note of G3 to the high note of D5. The song's instrumentation includes quiet bells and string
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
s, and the whole arrangement is mellow. According to Steve Knopper of Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
, the bells resemble electronic Christmas bells, and Houston ad-lib
Ad libitum
Ad libitum is Latin for "at one's pleasure"; it is often shortened to "ad lib" or "ad-lib"...
s "shoo-pay" over the chorus. The chorus repeats the phrase "shoop de shoop".
According to Bronson, the song summarizes the movie's philosophy. His opinion was somewhat echoed by Ted Cox, author of the book Whitney Houston, who noted that the soothing quality of the song fitted perfectly with the mood and texture of the movie. He described that the song has a "slow groove" that features the most relaxed singing of Houston's career. The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
described the song as a model of "refined, easy-going soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
", and Kyle Anderson of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
described it as a "smooth jam" with a "crazy-catchy groove". Describing the instrumentation as "silky", Larry Flick of Billboard wrote that Houston's performance was more soulful than before, with far more "vocal colors". Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
commented that the song is reminiscent of 1960s girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
records, and the verses speak about growing up and learning to let go.
Critical reception
Since the beginning of her singing career, Houston has received negative criticism for not having "the soul" in her voice. "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" received mainly positive reviews from music critics; most of which were positive about Houston's 'soulful' performance and vocal maturity. Jean Rosenbluth of Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
praised the song, saying "Houston's elegant 'Exhale (Shoop Shoop)' [...] exude[s] maturity without resorting to the relentlessly big vocals that characterize so many R&B records aiming for adult audiences." Geoffrey Himes of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
wrote, "Sounding like someone who has just emptied her lungs after holding her breath a long time, Houston brings a surprisingly mature, world-weary tone to the song." Robert Hilburn
Robert Hilburn
Robert Hilburn is a pop music critic and author. As critic and music editor of the Los Angeles Times from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays and profiles have appeared in hundreds of publications around the world...
, pop music critic of Los Angeles Times, noted Babyface's achievement in the song, saying "he [Babyface] brings Houston down to earth, trading her normal vocal exuberance for convincing warmth." Larry Flick of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
called the song "a surprisingly understated shuffle-ballad with soul and far more interesting vocal colors than all the shrieking can provide." Rome News-Tribune
Rome News-Tribune
Rome News-Tribune is the local daily newspaper of Rome, Georgia. Begun originally as a weekly newspaper, the paper has survived several merges with other newspapers. Aside from several months during the Civil War, the paper has been published continuously since 1843. It is owned by the News...
wrote that "Exhale' has an easygoing, infectious charm," and that Houston "delivers a soulfully relaxed vocal." Anthony Violanti of The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News
The Buffalo News is the primary newspaper of the Buffalo – Niagara Falls metropolitan area, and the area's only daily newspaper. It is the only newspaper owned by Berkshire Hathaway.-History:...
gave the song a positive review, commenting that Houston's vocals were intoxicating. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the only major daily newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and its suburbs. The AJC, as it is called, is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the result of the merger between The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta...
, in their review of the soundtrack, viewed the song as "easy and understated". Steve Knopper of Newsday wrote that the song was "irresistibly catchy" and irritating at the same time. However, Patricia Smith of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
wrote that the "Shoop Shoop"s were "annoying". While reviewing Houston's compilation Whitney: The Greatest Hits (2000), Christine Galera of Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
also expressed her dislike for the song, stating the songs from Waiting to Exhale, including "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" and "Why Does It Hurt So Bad
Why Does It Hurt So Bad
"Why Does It Hurt So Bad" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale. It was released on July 7, 1996, by Arista Records as the seventh and final single from the accompanying soundtrack. The song was written and produced solely by Babyface...
", were too mellow.
Awards and accolades
"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" won Best R&B/Soul Single, FemaleSoul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female
The Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female was given out every year since the first annual Soul Train Music Awards in 1987. From 1989-1992 the award was known as the R&B/Urban Contemporary Single - Female....
award and was nominated for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year at the 10th Annual Soul Train Music Awards
1996 Soul Train Music Awards
The 1996 Soul Train Music Awards was held on March 29, 1996 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The show honored the best in R&B, soul, rap, jazz, and gospel music from the previous year. The show was co-hosted by Brandy, LL Cool J., and Anita Baker....
on March 29, 1996. Houston won two National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
(NAACP) Image Awards for Outstanding Song
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song
The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Song:...
and Outstanding Female Artist
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Female Artist
The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Female Artist:-Stats:*As of 2011 ceremony, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys & Whitney Houston holds the records with the most wins at three.*Most Nominations**1. Mary J. Blige- 9 nominations...
at the 27th annual ceremony, broadcast live on April 23, 1996. The song was nominated for Best Song from a Movie at the 5th MTV Movie Awards on June 8, and for Best R&B/Soul Single – Solo at the Second Annual Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards on September 9, 1996. The song received four Grammy nominations―Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
(Babyface), Best R&B Song
Grammy Award for Best R&B Song
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song has been awarded since 1959. From 1969 to 2000 it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song, from 1962 to 1968 it was known as Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and from 1959-1961 as Best Rhythm & Blues Performance...
(Babyface), Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (Babyface), and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (Houston), and won in the category of Best R&B Song, at the 39th Grammy Awards, held on February 26, 1997. Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds won a Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
(BMI) Pop Music Award for the song at the 45th annual ceremony, held on May 13, 1997.
Chart performance
In the United States, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart and the Hot R&B Singles
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart, the issue dated November 25, 1995, with 125,000 copies sold in its first week. It became the third single to do so in Billboards history, following Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "You Are Not Alone
You Are Not Alone
"You Are Not Alone", released on the 10th of August 1995, is the second single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory. The R&B ballad's composition has been attributed R. Kelly in response to difficult times in his personal life. He then forwarded a bare demo tape to Jackson, who liked the song and...
" (1995) and Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
's "Fantasy
Fantasy (Mariah Carey song)
"Fantasy" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on September 12, 1995 by Columbia Records as the lead single for her fifth studio album, Daydream . The song was written by Carey and Dave Hall, both serving as primary producers alongside Sean Combs...
" (1995). In addition, it became Houston's eleventh and seventh number one single on the Hot 100 and the Hot R&B Singles charts respectively. The single stayed at the top of the Hot 100 for just one week, and was replaced by "One Sweet Day
One Sweet Day
"One Sweet Day" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey and R&B group Boyz II Men. The song was written by Carey, Walter Afanasieff and the members of Boyz II Men: Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris, and Michael McCary. "One Sweet Day" was produced by Carey and Afanasieff for...
" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
. It descended to the number two position and spent eleven consecutive weeks there, from December 2, 1995, to February 10, 1996, setting the record for the longest stay in the runner-up position. On the Hot R&B Singles chart, the single remained at the summit for eight consecutive weeks from its debut week, making it Houston's second-longest stay on the top position since "I Will Always Love You" (1992), which remained atop the chart for eleven weeks. The song peaked at number five on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, spending a total of twenty-six weeks on the chart. The song placed at number fourteen and number eighteen on the 1996 Billboard year-end Hot 100 and Hot R&B Singles charts respectively. It has sold over 1,500,000 copies in the US and was certified platinum for shipments exceeding 1,000,000 copies by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) on January 3, 1996. In Canada, the single entered the RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
100 Hit Tracks chart at number ninety, on November 13, 1995. Eight weeks later it topped the chart and spent two weeks at the top spot, becoming Houston's eighth number-one single in Canada. The song was ranked at number twenty on the RPM Year-end Top 100 Hit Tracks chart for 1996.
In other countries, the single performed moderately on the chart In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
for the week dated November 18, 1995. The next week it dropped to number sixteen before descending the charts steadily. According to MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, the single has sold about 100,000 copied in the UK. In the Netherlands, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" peaked at number seven and stayed on the chart for a total of eleven weeks. It made number seventy-nine on the Dutch Singles year-end charts. In Australia, the song entered the ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
at number thirty, the week dated December 10, 1995. The following week, it ascended to its peak position of number eighteen, before descending the charts. In Switzerland, "Exhale" debuted at number sixteen, the week dated December 10, 1995. Three weeks later, it peaked at number thirteen. The song fell to number sixteen the next week, and exited the chart at number forty-nine, the week dated March 24, 1996. The song also reached number six in Finland and number four in New Zealand, and number ten in Sweden. It peaked within the top twenty of the singles charts in a few other countries: number fifteen in Austria, sixteen in Belgium (Wallonia) and Ireland, fourteen in Norway, and thirteen in Switzerland. However, in few other countries, the song managed to reach only the top forty; it peaked at number twenty-two in Belgium (Flanders), twenty-three in France, and twenty-six in Germany.
Music video
Forest Whitaker
Forest Steven Whitaker is an American actor, producer, and director. He has earned a reputation for intensive character study work for films such as Bird and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and for his recurring role as ex-LAPD Lieutenant Jon Kavanaugh on the gritty, award-winning television...
, who also directed Waiting to Exhale. The video focuses mainly on close-ups of Houston, sporting a short and mature coif
Coif
A coif is a close fitting cap that covers the top, back, and sides of the head.- History :Coifs were worn by all classes in England and Scotland from the Middle Ages to the early seventeenth century .Tudor and earlier coifs are usually made of unadorned white linen and tied under...
, as she sings. Scenes of the movie are inter-cut between her scenes. In a Making of the Video segment of "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)", which aired on Japanese satellite television channel NHK-BS2
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
, Houston explained:
"I wanted him [Whittaker] to do it. And he said 'yeah'. I said 'are you sure you can? Because you've got so much to do.' He said 'I think I can do this.' I kinda got afraid because I knew he was working so hard."
According to Houston, the song was direct, so she wanted the video to be direct and concentrate on her face and on the lyrics. Whittaker also expressed a same opinion of the song. He said, "I've seen the video [...] It's like a thing she has, you know, that I guess people would say is like a charisma
Charisma
The term charisma has two senses: 1) compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, 2) a divinely conferred power or talent. For some theological usages the term is rendered charism, with a meaning the same as sense 2...
kinda thing that it zooms, you know, comes up. It's beautiful [...] It's magic, it's spirit." The video aired on MTV on October 10, 1995. According to Marla Shelton, a writer for Camera Obscura, a journal of feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
and film theory
Film theory
Film theory is an academic discipline that aims to explore the essence of the cinema and provides conceptual frameworks for understanding film's relationship to reality, the other arts, individual viewers, and society at large...
, "the video concept's originality stops with Houston's hair style as its stark simplicity underscores the 'straight and narrow' politics of the film." When the film was released, the video was shown as a trailer
Trailer (film)
A trailer or preview is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the...
prior to the beginning of films on 450 General Cinema
General Cinema Corporation
General Cinema was a nationwide chain of movie theaters that operated from 1935 until 2002. The theater chain, in its prime, operated approximately 621 screens, some of which were the first cinemas certified by THX. Its mascot was Popcorn Bob and his Candy Band, which graced the company's policy...
screens in some major US media markets.
Live performances
Houston performed "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" live a number of times, between 1997 and 2009 In February 1997, Houston performed it as the third song of her 'Waiting to Exhale Medley'―"Sittin' Up in My RoomSittin' up in My Room
"Sittin' Up in My Room" is a song by American singer Brandy, written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds for the soundtrack of the 1995 motion picture Waiting to Exhale...
" by Brandy
Brandy Norwood
Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
, "Not Gon' Cry
Not Gon' Cry
"Not Gon' Cry" is a 1996 single by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige from the soundtrack to the film Waiting to Exhale; the song is also featured on Blige's 1997 album, Share My World...
" by Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" by Houston, and "Count on Me
Count on Me
"Count on Me" is a duet by American recording artists Whitney Houston and CeCe Winans. It is an uplifting song about leaning on a friend for support when needed. Released in early 1996, the song was the fourth single from the soundtrack album of the motion picture Waiting to Exhale, and the second...
" by Houston, CeCe Winans
CeCe Winans
Priscilla "CeCe" Marie Winans Love is an American Gospel singer, who has won numerous Grammy and Stellar Awards.-Early life:CeCe Winans was born in Detroit, Michigan, to David and Delores Winans, on October 8, 1964...
, Brandy, Blige, Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, and Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
―at the 39th Grammy Awards. Houston sang the song live on the HBO special "Classic Whitney Live from Washington, D.C.
Classic Whitney Live from Washington, D.C.
Classic Whitney, Live from Washington, D.C., were special live concerts by Whitney Houston featuring many of her greatest hits, as well as gospel favorites and songs saluting some of her influences including Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross. The concerts were held at historic DAR...
" on both October 3 and 5, 1997. Houston's solo performance was followed by ad-libs of its chorus. She was joined by BeBe Winans
BeBe Winans
Benjamin "BeBe" Winans is a gospel and R&B singer. He is a member of the noted Winans family, most members of which are also gospel artists.-The PTL Club:...
, Monica, and Shirley Caesar
Shirley Caesar
Shirley Ann Caesar is an American Gospel music singer, songwriter and recording artist whose career has spanned six decades...
, who was seated in the audience and invited onstage by Houston. Houston used the song throughout the entire run of her The Pacific Rim Tour
Pacific Rim Tour
The Pacific Rim Tour was a concert tour of arenas or stadiums by American Pop/R&B singer Whitney Houston that included 10 concert dates in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia and Hawaii in 1997.-Setlist:# "I'm Every Woman"# "So Emotional"...
(1997).
She later performed it during the entire run of her My Love Is Your Love World Tour
My Love Is Your Love World Tour
-Additional notes:*During opening night, June 22nd in Chicago, IL; after Houston performed "I Will Always Love You" she closed the show with two encore's, "My Love Is Your Love" and "Step by Step"...
(1999), as a part of the promotion for her fourth studio album, My Love Is Your Love
My Love Is Your Love
My Love Is Your Love is the fourth studio album by American singer Whitney Houston, released worldwide on November 17, 1998. The album, her first studio album in eight years since I'm Your Baby Tonight, was composed of mid-tempo R&B, hip hop, ballads, urban-dance, reggae, and torch songs, produced...
(1998). During her performance at the Universal Amphitheatre
Gibson Amphitheatre
The Gibson Amphitheatre is a theatre located in Universal City, California, USA. It seats up to 6,189 for concerts, including 6,089 chairback seats...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on July 30, 1999, Houston introduced Clive Davis
Clive Davis
Clive Davis is an American record producer and music industry executive. He has won five Grammy Awards and is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. From 1967 to 1973 he was the President of Columbia Records. He was the founder and president of Arista Records from 1975...
and Babyface to the audience, and also brought in Monica to sing along. However, she lost the pace of the show at some point, causing it to run a half-hour over its scheduled time. Her performance was commended by Robert Hilburn of Los Angeles Times, who wrote that it "was disarming to see Houston, once so lifeless on stage, enjoying herself so much." In April 2000 Houston performed the song on the 25th Anniversary Celebration of Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
. She was backed by a seven-piece band, a 14-piece string section
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
and four background singers. Houston started by saying "We all need to exhale sometimes," and proceeded to sing the song. The song was included in the set list of her Nothing but Love World Tour (2010) promoting her seventh studio album, I Look to You
I Look to You
I Look to You is the seventh studio album by American R&B-pop singer Whitney Houston. It was first released on August 28, 2009 through Sony Music in Europe, then August 31, 2009 with Arista Records in the United States before being released by RCA Records in the United Kingdom on October 19, 2009...
(2009).
Live cover version
Babyface performed the song with Beverly Crowder on MTV Unplugged on October 18, 1997. The performance was released on CD in November 1997, and on DVD and VHS in August 2001, titled Babyface MTV Unplugged NYC 1997.Track listing and formats
- US 12" Vinyl Single / US CD Single (Version 1) / JPN Maxi-CD Single
- "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" – 3:25
- "Dancin' on the Smooth Edge" – 6:19
- "Moment of Truth" – 4:40
- "Do You Hear What I Hear?Do You Hear What I Hear?"Do You Hear What I Hear?" is a Christmas song written in October 1962 with lyrics by Noël Regney and music by Gloria Shayne Baker. The pair were married at the time, and wrote it as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis...
" – 3:32 - "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be" (Duet with Aretha FranklinAretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
) – 4:51
- US CD Single (Version 2) / JPN 3" CD Single
- "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" – 3:25
- "Dancin' on the Smooth Edge" – 6:19
- EU CD Single
- "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" – 3:25
- "Do You Hear What I Hear?" – 3:32
- "Moment of Truth" – 4:40
- EU Maxi-CD Single
- "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" – 3:25
- "Dancin' on the Smooth Edge" – 6:19
- "It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be" (Duet with Aretha Franklin) – 4:51
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" single liner notesLiner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
.
"Exhale (Shoop Shoop)"
- Babyface – writerLyricistA lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Whitney HoustonWhitney HoustonWhitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
– vocals
"Dancin' on the Smooth Edge"
- David Lesley – writer
- Robbie Long – writer
- Narada Michael WaldenNarada Michael WaldenNarada Michael Walden is an American producer, drummer, singer, and songwriter. He was given the name Narada by guru Sri Chinmoy in the early 1970s and his musical career spans three decades, in which he was awarded several gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards...
– producer, vocal arrangement - Whitney Houston – vocals
"Moment of Truth"
- David Paul Bryant – writer
- Jan Buckingham – writer
- Narada Michael Walden – producer
- Whitney Houston – vocals
"Do You Hear What I Hear"
- Gloria Shayne BakerGloria Shayne BakerGloria Shayne Baker was an American composer and songwriter best known for composing the "Do You Hear What I Hear?" Christmas carol in 1962 with her then husband, Noël Regney.-Early life:...
– writer - Noël RegneyNoel RegneyNoël Regney , World War II veteran and French songwriter, composed the Christmas standard "Do You Hear What I Hear?" with his then-wife Gloria Shayne Baker in 1962. Originally from Alsace, France, he moved to New York City and then eventually Connecticut, where he lived out the remainder of his life...
– writer - Jimmy IovineJimmy IovineJames "Jimmy" Iovine is an American music producer, entrepreneur and chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M.-Biography:...
– producer - Whitney Houston – vocals
"It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be"
- Albert HammondAlbert HammondAlbert Hammond OBE is a British singer, songwriter and record producer from Gibraltar.-Birth and early success:Hammond was born in London, England, where his family had been evacuated to from Gibraltar during World War II. His family returned to Gibraltar shortly after his birth, and there he grew...
– writer - Diane WarrenDiane WarrenDiane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
– writer - Narada Michael Walden – producer
- Aretha FranklinAretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
– vocals - Whitney Houston – vocals
Weekly charts
| Chart (1995–1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... ) |
1 |
| Ireland (IRMA Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... ) |
16 |
| Japan (Oricon Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... ) |
61 |
| Spain (AFYVE) | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1995) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgium Ultratop (Wallonia) | 97 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 87 |
| Chart (1996) | Position |
| Canadian RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks | 20 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 79 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 14 |
| US Hot R&B Singles | 18 |
| US Hot Adult Contemporary | 16 |
Decade-end charts
| Chart (1990–1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 52 |
Certifications
| Region (Provider) | Certification(s) |
|---|---|
| United States (RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... ) |
Platinum |
See also
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1995 (U.S.)
- List of R&B number-one singles of 1995 (U.S.)R&B number-one hits of 1995 (USA)These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1995:-Chart history:-Chart comparisons:*Five songs reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100/pop chart: "Creep," "This Is How We Do It," "You Are Not Alone," "Fantasy" and "Exhale ."*Six songs reached number-one on the...
- List of R&B number-one singles of 1996 (U.S.)R&B number-one hits of 1996 (USA)These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1996:-Chart history:-Chart comparisons:*Seven songs reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100/pop chart : "Always Be My Baby," "Tha Crossroads," "How Do U Want It" / "California Love," "You're Makin' Me High" / "Let It Flow"...
- List of RPM number-one singles of 1996
External links
- "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" music video at MTV.comMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
- "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" lyrics at Rhapsody.comRhapsody (online music service)Rhapsody is an online music store subscription service, launched in December 2001, and available in the United States only. On April 6, 2010, Rhapsody officially declared its independence from RealNetworks. Downloaded files come with restrictions on their use, enforced by Helix, Rhapsody's version...