Just Whitney
Encyclopedia
Just Whitney is the fifth studio album
by American
recording artist Whitney Houston
, released on December 10, 2002 in North America by Arista Records
. It was her first studio album in four years, since 1998's My Love Is Your Love
, and after signing her new $100 million Arista contract.
The album debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200
, and number three of Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
, with sales of 205,147 copies in the first week, not only beating her previous high first-week sales of 177,284 units with Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack Album but also logged her highest debut sales out of her SoundScan-era solo albums. The album received mixed reviews from music critics.
It spawned four official singles - with three; "Whatchulookinat", "Love That Man" and "Try It on My Own" peaking number-one on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart. Since its release, Just Whitney... has gone on to sell/ship more than 3 million units worldwide and has also earned Platinum certification in the U.S. and Switzerland and gold in France, Brazil and other countries. The album's sales in U.S. stands at over 747,000 units.
, which was blended with hip hop
and reggae
jams. Regarding the album's recording sessions L.A. Reid, with whom Houston was working, said
She started to work with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, with whom she had worked in her previous albums, Kevin Briggs who produced songs for Destiny's Child
, TLC
and others. Other major producers included Missy Elliot, who worked with Houston on her previous effort My Love Is Your Love
, Teddy Bishop, Gordon Chambers, Rob Fusari and Troy Taylor. Her then husband, Bobby Brown
also co-produced one of the tracks along with Jerry Mohammed. Andre Lewis, who met Houston through Brown, also contributed to the project. In addition to these producers, Houston also worked with Rodney Jerkins
and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
, but their works did not make the album.
In an interview with Billboard
, Houston said that the whole recording process was "very loose". She said that she would listen to tracks and Reid would recommend the producers. She also said that she really enjoyed the process, because she got some "really great creative" material. About the process, Reid said,
Recording took place in various locations including Atlanta Premier Recordings in Atlanta, Capitol Studios
in California, Crossways Studios in New Jersey, The Hit Factory-Criteria in Miami and many other locations.
Musically, the album is a mixture of music ranging from R&B and soul to dance. According to Houston,
She also said that she wanted to give something to the fans, songs which they can sing along to and love the melody. She also incorporated samples into her songs such as in "One of Those Days" ㅡ album's second single, which sampled The Isley Brothers
' song "Between the Sheets
". She also covered Debby Boone
's classic "You Light Up My Life
". The album also contains the rock influenced "Tell Me No", which was produced by Babyface, who also produced some other songs on the album including the ballad "Try It on My Own" and dance-pop song "Love That Man" ㅡ both of which became singles. The song "Whatchulookinat" was produced by Brown and Mohammad 2G and became the project's lead single. The lyrics of the song co-written by Houston herself was taken by critics as an answer to the media for preoccupying her private life and personal travails.
awarding the album 53 out of 100. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
of Allmusic commented that Just Whitney was "an assertion that she [Houston]'s returning to her basics." He also said that the album was a measured attempt to salvage a career that's on the verge of destruction. He concluded by saying, "It would be a good standard-issue Whitney album if it wasn't for her disarming, defensive attempt to defuse every rumor hurled in her direction." Billboard
reviewed the album commenting that "Just Whitney... appears and sounds more like a work-in-progress than a finished disk" and said that the album showcased an artist simply going through the motions and her voice lacked emotion and verve." Steve Jones of USA Today
graded the album two-and-half stars out of four, giving a mixed review saying, "At her best, Houston is full of sass and attitude and, most of all, joy. But with so much emphasis on what's bothering her, you can't help but wonder whether the thrill is gone."
Joan Anderman of The Boston Globe
reviewed the album neutrally writing, "[Just Whitney...] is as unlikely to get her career back on track" and marked the album as a "shiny, heartless undertaking." Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly
graded the album a B- and noted that Just Whitney... had a refreshingly "old-school vibe." He also commented, "Whatever her personal problems, our gal sounds plucky and on top of her game. Still, in her third decade as a diva, Houston remains a formidable role model for American Idol wannabes." Robert Hilburn of Los Angeles Times
graded the album one and half stars out of five commenting, "Just Whitney suffers from the sense of career desperation that surrounded Michael Jackson
's recent CDs. She and four dozen writers and producers work so hard finding another hit, they lose track of the human qualities that made her music so formidable." Jon Caramanica of Rolling Stone
said that the album "lacked any fire whatsoever." He also commented on Houston's cover of "You Light Up My Life" saying, "this cover, only shows an artist vainly trying to reach for what her future once could have been" and graded the album two stars out of five.
Jon Pareles of New York Times wrote, "Ms. Houston's voice sails and spirals through breathy ballads, staccato constructions and big-build anthems; she's strategic and improvisatory at the same time." He summarized by saying that even when she [Houston]'s seething, she's graceful. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
rated the album two-and-half stars out of five, being disappointed in the fact that Just Whitney... was not geared to recapture the crossover R&B success of her previous album My Love Is Your Love
.
But, Angus Batey from Yahoo! Music UK & Ireland
graded the album seven stars out of ten commenting, "[...]this is a cogent, compact and really quite good record, one that mixes upbeat, perhaps slightly clinical R&B with uber-ballads and occasional snatches of what appears to be an attempt at intimacy." Craig Seymour of Atlanta Journal and Constitution reviewed the album gave a favorable review stating, "On Just Whitney..., her first album since 1998, Houston off as everything she wasn't during her recent TV interview with Diane Sawyer
: warm, lucid, open and sharp. Keysha Davis of BBC gave a favorable review commenting, "With one of the exceptional voices in contemporary music, her latest album, aptly titled Just Whitney sees the diva return to her former glory with a combination of high-voltage ballads and smooth-liqueur R&B. [...]Whitney's return to big ballads will hopefully ensure that this pop princess will be able to lead the rest of her life like a clichéd fairy tale - happily ever after." Mike Bell from Jam! Showbiz
, was also favorable in his review, saying "Maybe because of everything that's happened in her past, maybe because of the sideshow, she has the ability to give the songs real feeling, real life." In addition, he stated that her voice was in fine form, "showcasing those incredible pipes that launched a thousand imitators." He concluded by saying, "And it shows up all of those followers with recent releases ㅡ including Mariah Carey
and Celine Dion
ㅡ because not only does Houston have the lungs, but she has the soul."
and number three on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
, becoming Houston's fourth and fifth top ten studio album on each chart, respectively. The album sold 205,147 copies, an amount higher than her previous record of 177,284 copies with Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album, in its first week, thus earning Houston's highest first week sales of her career in the Nielsen Soundscan
era at that time. The album spent twenty six weeks on the charts. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA
for shipments exceeding one million copies. According to Nielsen Soundscan
, the album has sold 737,000 copies in the United States.
Just Whitney... was a moderate hit worldwide, unlike her previous sets. In Australia, the album reached number twenty-two on the ARIA Urban Albums Chart. The album debuted at number eighty-five on the Canadian Albums chart, selling 3,000 copies in its first week. In Austria, it entered the albums chart on December 8, 2002 at its peak position of number thirty-three. In Switzerland, the album saw its second highest peak, when it debuted at number ten on the charts. It was certified Platinum by the IFPI Switzerland for shipment/sales of 30,000 copies or more. In France, the album charted at number twenty-five and was certified Gold, for shipment of 50,000 copies. In Netherlands, it peaked at number seventy on the albums chart. Apart from this, Just Whitney... was certified Gold in Brazil for shipment/sales of 40,000 copies or more. In other countries, the album failed to chart or peaked outside top forty and thus became a moderate seller. In the UK, it peaked at number seventy-six and has sold 42,114 copies there. The album has sold about three million copies worldwide.
In 2003, Just Whitney was nominated at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards in the category for Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year
.
"Whatchulookinat
" became the album's lead single released on September 17, 2002. The song received mixed to unfavorable reviews from critics. It was seen as an attack on the media for the negative attention it gave to her life. The single became a moderate success worldwide, peaking inside the top forty in most countries. In the U.S., it became her tenth Hot Dance Club Play
topper. The corresponding music video was also considered as Houston's answer to the media for getting too deep into her personal life. The video showed a white set with cameras all over, following Houston's every move. The set was also full with old movie cameras and people dressed as reporters and photographers. Houston is shown dancing in front of them.
"One of Those Days
" was the album's second single and was released on February 4, 2003. The song received positive reviews from critics. It sampled The Isley Brothers
' song "Between the Sheets
." The single was a moderate success in the U.S., peaking inside top eighty of the charts. The accompanying music video's plot revolved around Houston and her friends, having a day for themselves and getting away from stress.
"Try It on My Own
" became the project's third single and was released on February 11, 2003. The song received acclaim from critics as well as fans; most of them who named it as the album's highlight. The song, like its predecessors, was a moderate success and topped Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. It also reached the top ten on the U.S. Adult Contemporary charts. Internationally, the song performed fair. A music video was released to promote the single.
"Love That Man
" was the fourth and final single from the album, released on May 20, 2003. It became another Dance Club chart-topping single, but failed to make the Hot 100. No accompanying video was released for the single.
, performing her new single "Whatchulookinat". She also appeared on the 2003 VH1 Divas Duets: An Honors Concert for the VH1 Save the Music Foundation and performed her hits including two songs from the album; "My Love" and "Try It on My Own". Apart from these, she also performed live on Good Morning America
. No major tours were arranged to support the album.
| align="center"|2003 || align="center"|Just Whitney || align="center"|R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Solo ||
+On International Editions, "Try It on My Own" is labelled as "On My Own".
Personnel
Production
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
recording artist Whitney Houston
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...
, released on December 10, 2002 in North America 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...
. It was her first studio album in four years, since 1998's 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...
, and after signing her new $100 million Arista contract.
The album debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and number three of Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
, with sales of 205,147 copies in the first week, not only beating her previous high first-week sales of 177,284 units with Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack Album but also logged her highest debut sales out of her SoundScan-era solo albums. The album received mixed reviews from music critics.
It spawned four official singles - with three; "Whatchulookinat", "Love That Man" and "Try It on My Own" peaking number-one on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart. Since its release, Just Whitney... has gone on to sell/ship more than 3 million units worldwide and has also earned Platinum certification in the U.S. and Switzerland and gold in France, Brazil and other countries. The album's sales in U.S. stands at over 747,000 units.
Background and production
Just Whitney is Houston's fifth studio album, that she recorded after renewing her contract with Arista for a record $100 million. It is mixed with soulful and R&B ballads to dance songs. Houston said that she wanted to make a "very soul oriented" album, something she felt was missing on the radio. It was a departure in style from her previous album My Love Is Your LoveMy 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...
, which was blended with hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
jams. Regarding the album's recording sessions L.A. Reid, with whom Houston was working, said
She started to work with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, with whom she had worked in her previous albums, Kevin Briggs who produced songs for Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
, TLC
TLC (band)
TLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
and others. Other major producers included Missy Elliot, who worked with Houston on her previous effort 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...
, Teddy Bishop, Gordon Chambers, Rob Fusari and Troy Taylor. Her then husband, Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown
Robert Barisford "Bobby" Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer. After success in pop group New Edition, Brown began his solo career in 1987 and had a string of Top 10 Billboard hits, culminating in a Grammy Award. He was a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a...
also co-produced one of the tracks along with Jerry Mohammed. Andre Lewis, who met Houston through Brown, also contributed to the project. In addition to these producers, Houston also worked with Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B and pop-music songwriting and record production team...
, but their works did not make the album.
In an interview with 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...
, Houston said that the whole recording process was "very loose". She said that she would listen to tracks and Reid would recommend the producers. She also said that she really enjoyed the process, because she got some "really great creative" material. About the process, Reid said,
Recording took place in various locations including Atlanta Premier Recordings in Atlanta, Capitol Studios
Capitol Studios
The Capitol Studios complex opened in the Capitol Records Building, a futuristic new building in the heart of Hollywood, in 1956. It has since hosted some of the most treasured recordings in music history, from Frank Sinatra to the Beastie Boys. It is owned by Capitol Records whose parent company...
in California, Crossways Studios in New Jersey, The Hit Factory-Criteria in Miami and many other locations.
Musically, the album is a mixture of music ranging from R&B and soul to dance. According to Houston,
She also said that she wanted to give something to the fans, songs which they can sing along to and love the melody. She also incorporated samples into her songs such as in "One of Those Days" ㅡ album's second single, which sampled The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
' song "Between the Sheets
Between the Sheets (song)
"Between the Sheets" is a quiet storm funk song released by American R&B/soul/funk band The Isley Brothers in 1983 off their album of the same name on the T-Neck imprint.-History:...
". She also covered Debby Boone
Debby Boone
Deborah Anne Boone is an American singer and stage actress. She is best known for her 1977 hit, "You Light Up My Life," which spent a then record ten weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and led to her winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist the following year...
's classic "You Light Up My Life
You Light Up My Life (song)
Many artists have covered "You Light Up My Life" since 1977. The following year, Johnny Mathis recorded and named his album after the song. LeAnn Rimes released her version as a single in 1997, 20 years after Boone's version was released and on the same record label . Her version fared modestly...
". The album also contains the rock influenced "Tell Me No", which was produced by Babyface, who also produced some other songs on the album including the ballad "Try It on My Own" and dance-pop song "Love That Man" ㅡ both of which became singles. The song "Whatchulookinat" was produced by Brown and Mohammad 2G and became the project's lead single. The lyrics of the song co-written by Houston herself was taken by critics as an answer to the media for preoccupying her private life and personal travails.
Critical reception
Upon its release, Just Whitney received mixed reviews from critics, with aggregated reviews on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
awarding the album 53 out of 100. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
of Allmusic commented that Just Whitney was "an assertion that she [Houston]'s returning to her basics." He also said that the album was a measured attempt to salvage a career that's on the verge of destruction. He concluded by saying, "It would be a good standard-issue Whitney album if it wasn't for her disarming, defensive attempt to defuse every rumor hurled in her direction." 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...
reviewed the album commenting that "Just Whitney... appears and sounds more like a work-in-progress than a finished disk" and said that the album showcased an artist simply going through the motions and her voice lacked emotion and verve." Steve Jones of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
graded the album two-and-half stars out of four, giving a mixed review saying, "At her best, Houston is full of sass and attitude and, most of all, joy. But with so much emphasis on what's bothering her, you can't help but wonder whether the thrill is gone."
Joan Anderman 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...
reviewed the album neutrally writing, "[Just Whitney...] is as unlikely to get her career back on track" and marked the album as a "shiny, heartless undertaking." Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
graded the album a B- and noted that Just Whitney... had a refreshingly "old-school vibe." He also commented, "Whatever her personal problems, our gal sounds plucky and on top of her game. Still, in her third decade as a diva, Houston remains a formidable role model for American Idol wannabes." Robert Hilburn of Los Angeles Times
Los 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....
graded the album one and half stars out of five commenting, "Just Whitney suffers from the sense of career desperation that surrounded 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 recent CDs. She and four dozen writers and producers work so hard finding another hit, they lose track of the human qualities that made her music so formidable." Jon Caramanica of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said that the album "lacked any fire whatsoever." He also commented on Houston's cover of "You Light Up My Life" saying, "this cover, only shows an artist vainly trying to reach for what her future once could have been" and graded the album two stars out of five.
Jon Pareles of New York Times wrote, "Ms. Houston's voice sails and spirals through breathy ballads, staccato constructions and big-build anthems; she's strategic and improvisatory at the same time." He summarized by saying that even when she [Houston]'s seething, she's graceful. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
rated the album two-and-half stars out of five, being disappointed in the fact that Just Whitney... was not geared to recapture the crossover R&B success of her previous 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...
.
But, Angus Batey from Yahoo! Music UK & Ireland
Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...
graded the album seven stars out of ten commenting, "[...]this is a cogent, compact and really quite good record, one that mixes upbeat, perhaps slightly clinical R&B with uber-ballads and occasional snatches of what appears to be an attempt at intimacy." Craig Seymour of Atlanta Journal and Constitution reviewed the album gave a favorable review stating, "On Just Whitney..., her first album since 1998, Houston off as everything she wasn't during her recent TV interview with Diane Sawyer
Diane Sawyer
Lila Diane Sawyer is the current anchor of ABC News' flagship program, ABC World News. Previously, Sawyer had been co-anchor of ABC Newss morning news program, Good Morning America ....
: warm, lucid, open and sharp. Keysha Davis of BBC gave a favorable review commenting, "With one of the exceptional voices in contemporary music, her latest album, aptly titled Just Whitney sees the diva return to her former glory with a combination of high-voltage ballads and smooth-liqueur R&B. [...]Whitney's return to big ballads will hopefully ensure that this pop princess will be able to lead the rest of her life like a clichéd fairy tale - happily ever after." Mike Bell from Jam! Showbiz
Jam!
Jam! is a Canadian website, which covers entertainment news. It is part of the CANOE online portal, owned and operated by Quebecor through its Sun Media division....
, was also favorable in his review, saying "Maybe because of everything that's happened in her past, maybe because of the sideshow, she has the ability to give the songs real feeling, real life." In addition, he stated that her voice was in fine form, "showcasing those incredible pipes that launched a thousand imitators." He concluded by saying, "And it shows up all of those followers with recent releases ㅡ including 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...
and Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
ㅡ because not only does Houston have the lungs, but she has the soul."
Commercial performance
On the week ending December 28, 2002, Just Whitney... debuted and peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and number three on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
, becoming Houston's fourth and fifth top ten studio album on each chart, respectively. The album sold 205,147 copies, an amount higher than her previous record of 177,284 copies with Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album, in its first week, thus earning Houston's highest first week sales of her career in the Nielsen Soundscan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
era at that time. The album spent twenty six weeks on the charts. It was certified Platinum by the 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...
for shipments exceeding one million copies. According to Nielsen Soundscan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
, the album has sold 737,000 copies in the United States.
Just Whitney... was a moderate hit worldwide, unlike her previous sets. In Australia, the album reached number twenty-two on the ARIA Urban Albums Chart. The album debuted at number eighty-five on the Canadian Albums chart, selling 3,000 copies in its first week. In Austria, it entered the albums chart on December 8, 2002 at its peak position of number thirty-three. In Switzerland, the album saw its second highest peak, when it debuted at number ten on the charts. It was certified Platinum by the IFPI Switzerland for shipment/sales of 30,000 copies or more. In France, the album charted at number twenty-five and was certified Gold, for shipment of 50,000 copies. In Netherlands, it peaked at number seventy on the albums chart. Apart from this, Just Whitney... was certified Gold in Brazil for shipment/sales of 40,000 copies or more. In other countries, the album failed to chart or peaked outside top forty and thus became a moderate seller. In the UK, it peaked at number seventy-six and has sold 42,114 copies there. The album has sold about three million copies worldwide.
In 2003, Just Whitney was nominated at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards in the category for Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year
Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year
This article is a list of the Soul Train Music Awards winners for Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year.-See also:Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Album, Female and Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Album, Male....
.
Singles
The album saw release of four official singles - one preceding and other three succeeding the album's release."Whatchulookinat
Whatchulookinat
"Whatchulookinat" is a 2002 single released by American R&B/pop singer Whitney Houston. The song serves as the initial single from Houston's U.S. platinum selling fifth studio album, Just Whitney. The single peaked at #96 on the Billboard Hot 100, but fared much better on the Billboard Hot Dance...
" became the album's lead single released on September 17, 2002. The song received mixed to unfavorable reviews from critics. It was seen as an attack on the media for the negative attention it gave to her life. The single became a moderate success worldwide, peaking inside the top forty in most countries. In the U.S., it became her tenth Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
topper. The corresponding music video was also considered as Houston's answer to the media for getting too deep into her personal life. The video showed a white set with cameras all over, following Houston's every move. The set was also full with old movie cameras and people dressed as reporters and photographers. Houston is shown dancing in front of them.
"One of Those Days
One of Those Days
"One of Those Days" is a song by American recording artist Whitney Houston, from her fifth studio album Just Whitney . Written by Kevin Briggs, Dwight Renolds, Patrice Stewart, Ernest Isley, Marvin Isley, Christopher Jasper, Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, and Rudolph Isley, and produced by Briggs, the...
" was the album's second single and was released on February 4, 2003. The song received positive reviews from critics. It sampled The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
' song "Between the Sheets
Between the Sheets (song)
"Between the Sheets" is a quiet storm funk song released by American R&B/soul/funk band The Isley Brothers in 1983 off their album of the same name on the T-Neck imprint.-History:...
." The single was a moderate success in the U.S., peaking inside top eighty of the charts. The accompanying music video's plot revolved around Houston and her friends, having a day for themselves and getting away from stress.
"Try It on My Own
Try It on My Own
"Try It on My Own" is a 2003 single released by American R&B/pop singer Whitney Houston. The song is about overcoming doubts or fears so a person can reach the point in their life where they can "try it on their own"...
" became the project's third single and was released on February 11, 2003. The song received acclaim from critics as well as fans; most of them who named it as the album's highlight. The song, like its predecessors, was a moderate success and topped Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. It also reached the top ten on the U.S. Adult Contemporary charts. Internationally, the song performed fair. A music video was released to promote the single.
"Love That Man
Love That Man
"Love That Man" is 2003 song by American R&B-pop singer Whitney Houston, also featured on her 2002 album, Just Whitney. The song was the last single off the same album. The song was commissioned as a remix single in the U.S. The remixes were done by Peter Rauhofer and Pound Boys...
" was the fourth and final single from the album, released on May 20, 2003. It became another Dance Club chart-topping single, but failed to make the Hot 100. No accompanying video was released for the single.
Promotion
To promote the album, Houston appeared on the 2002 MTV Europe Music AwardsMTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
, performing her new single "Whatchulookinat". She also appeared on the 2003 VH1 Divas Duets: An Honors Concert for the VH1 Save the Music Foundation and performed her hits including two songs from the album; "My Love" and "Try It on My Own". Apart from these, she also performed live on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. No major tours were arranged to support the album.
Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards
|-| align="center"|2003 || align="center"|Just Whitney || align="center"|R&B/Soul Album of the Year, Solo ||
Track listing
Retrieved from Allmusic+On International Editions, "Try It on My Own" is labelled as "On My Own".
Credits and personnel
Obtained from AllmusicPersonnel
- Whitney Houston – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, background vocals - Babyface – acoustic guitar, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, background vocals - Ted Bishop – keyboard
- Bobby BrownBobby BrownRobert Barisford "Bobby" Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer. After success in pop group New Edition, Brown began his solo career in 1987 and had a string of Top 10 Billboard hits, culminating in a Grammy Award. He was a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Kevin "Shekspere" Briggs – MIDI
- Gordon Chambers – background vocals
- Greg Charley – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Nathan EastNathan EastNathan Harrell East is a jazz, R&B and rock bass player and vocalist. East holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the University of California, San Diego...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Sherree Ford-Payne – background vocals
- Sharlotte Gibson – background vocals
- Gary Houston – background vocals
- Kenya Ivey – background vocals
- Latrelle – background vocals
- Ricky Lawson – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Wayne Linsey – Fender Rhodes
- Bill Meyers – string conductor
- Greg PhillinganesGreg PhillinganesGreg Phillinganes is an active session keyboardist in Los Angeles, California. He is a graduate of Cass Technical High School, Detroit Michigan....
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Antonique Smith – background vocals
- Michael Hart Thompson – guitar
- TweetTweet (singer)Tweet is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter.-Early years:The youngest child of Tom and Shirley Keys, Tweet was born in Rochester, New York on January 21, 1972, and grew up singing in the church along with her parents and her four older siblings...
– background vocals - Randy Waldman – string conductor
Production
- Vocal producers: Gordon Chambers, Troy Taylor, Tweet
- Engineers: Ted Bishop, Paul Boutin, Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Terrence Cash, Cortez Farris, Kevin Guarnieri, Scott Kieklak, Mike White
- Assistants: Tom Bender, Matt Brown, Steve Fisher, Steve Genewick, Jimmy Hoyson, Marc Stephen Lee, Josean Posey, Dennis Rivadeneira, Craig "Niteman" Taylor
- Mixing: Kevin "KD" Davis, Jon Gass, Mick GuzauskiMick GuzauskiMick Guzauski is a multi-platinum Mixing Engineer and sound engineer.Guzauski's work spans a wide range of styles, including jazz, R&B, Latin, rock, pop, and easy listening...
, Manny MarroquinManny MarroquinManny Marroquin, born 21 September 1971 in Guatemala, is a Grammy winning mixing engineer. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was nine due to the Guatemalan Civil War.... - Mastering: Herb Powers
- A&R: Joey Arbagey, Shawndella Taylor, Theresa Wilson
- Production coordination: Melanie Byrd, Ivy Skoff
- Programming: Troy Taylor
- Drum programming: Babyface, Ted Bishop
- String engineer: Tommy Vicari, Jeffrey "Woody" Woodruff
- Arrangers: Ted Bishop, Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs
- Rhythm arrangements: Troy Taylor
- String arrangements: Bill Meyers, Randy Waldman
- Cocal arrangement: Ted Bishop, Gordon Chambers, Whitney Houston
- Creative director: Joe-Mama Nitzberg
- Art direction: Jeffrey Schulz
- Design: Jeffrey Schulz
- Photography: Sheryl Nields
- Make-up: Roxanna Floy
- Hair stylist: Ellin La Var
- Stylist: Patti Wilson
Chart positions
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
33 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
85 |
| Dutch Albums Chart NVPI The NVPI is the Dutch tradeassociation of the entertainment industry... |
70 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
25 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
16 |
| Italian Albums Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
20 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
10 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
76 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
9 |
| US R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 3 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2003) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 101 |
| U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 30 |
Certifications
| Region | Provider | Certification Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
Sales/ shipments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | ABPD Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos The Associação Brasileira dos Produtores de Discos is an official representative body of the record labels in the Brazilian phonographic market.- About :... |
Gold | 40,000+ |
| France | SNEP Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
Gold | 100,000+ |
| Switzerland | IFPI | Platinum | 30,000+ |
| 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 | 737,000 |
| Worldwide | 3 million | ||