Million Dollar Bill
Encyclopedia
"Million Dollar Bill" is a song performed by American R&B
and pop
recording artist Whitney Houston
, from her seventh studio album titled I Look to You
which samples R&B singer Loleatta Holloway
's "We're Getting Stronger" from Holloway's 1976 debut LP. It was released as the official worldwide lead and only single (second US single) from the album on August 18, 2009 through Arista Records
in the US and August 24, 2009 through RCA Records
in the UK.
and samples R&B singer Loleatta Holloway
's "We're Getting Stronger" from Holloway's 1976 debut LP. Keys had requested to be a part of Houston's album and Houston decided she wanted to work with Keys after hearing her perform at one of Clive Davis
' parties. It was produced by hip-hop producer Swizz Beatz
with an old school R&B
beat. Beatz told MTV News that the process on the song started when he got a call from Clive Davis
and record executive Larry Jackson
. After he had produced the beat, Keys joined him in the songwriting process and the duo completed the song. Keys told Billboard
about the recording session(s), "Whitney is an artist who inspired me from [the time I was] a little girl. Fast-forwarding to now and being able to work with her to help create this song that took off was fun. We had a lot of laughs; it was like being with a long-lost friend."
The song received critical acclaim at the album's three listening parties and was cited as a "big comeback record". The single entered the Hot 100 at #100, becoming her thirty-ninth chart entry on that chart. Houston performed the song live on The X Factor
in the UK on Sunday, October 18 the night before the album was released in that territory.
, the song's beat is set in common time
and moves at a tempo of 120 beats per minute. Houston's voice spans A3 to the note of B4. The song also features a sample of Loleatta Holloway
's 1977 song "We're Getting Stronger (The Longer We Stay Together)". Swizz Beatz explained that the song "is all about the feelings new love can bring".
said "'Million Dollar Bill' is a clattering, uptempo hip-hop-inspired number. It may be the fastest ever for Houston, who keeps up nicely. It received a standing ovation setting the tone for much of the album." MTV
s Shaheem Reid comments revolved around the first track 'Million Dollar Bill', saying that "Houston sings of looking for love and finding a man with potential. "If he makes you feel like a million-dollar bill, say, 'Oh, oh/ Oh, oh,' " she sings on the hook. "It's been a long time since love has come my way. I've been looking and searching for a man to touch this place." Right from the start, 'Million Dollar Bill' displays her billion-dollar voice over a club-friendly Swizz track that even got Alicia Keys up and dancing while taking video with her personal camera as the words she wrote boomed through the speakers.
Nick Levine of Digital Spy
said "Written by Alicia Keys and produced by Swizz Beatz (probably best known for Beyoncé's 'Check On It
' and 'Ring The Alarm
'), it's a midtempo disco track with an unabashedly feelgood message. "If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill," Whitney sings on the chorus, 'Say oh-oh-oh, say oh-oh-oh'. The Voice is deeper and raspier than you might remember, but she's still capable of going for a money note. 'Million Dollar Bill' won't be storming any barns in a hurry, but it's a classy, dignified and thoroughly likeable comeback effort. Whitney, it's good to have you back." Bill Lamb of About.com gave a mixed review saying, "The good news on "Million Dollar Bill" is the performance is undeniably the Whitney Houston we all know. The down side is it's all almost too familiar. The arrangement courtesy producer Swizz Beatz is very old school R&B. Alicia Keys has written a song that fits very well with her tradition of "old soul" songs, but Whitney Houston has failed to give it a new twist that would successfully make the old stunningly new again.". He also gave the song 3.5 stars out of five.
at number hundred, on the issue dated September 19, 2009. The song fell out of the chart the next week. "Million Dollar Bill" topped the Hot Dance Club Play
charts, which became her first single to do so since 2003's Love That Man
. The song entered the Canadian Chart
at number seventy eight and peaked at number sixty two on the week dated September 19, 2009.
In United Kingdom, the song peaked at number five, following her performance at the X Factor
, by which became her first single to reach the top five since 1998's My Love Is Your Love
. The song was successful in many other countries across Europe. The song peaked inside top forty, in most countries and the second highest peak was in Ireland, where it peaked at number eight.
(who directed the music video for Houston's previous sing "I Look to You
"), known for working with artists such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga
and Ciara
. It premiered on Houston
's official website on September 16, 2009.
The video features Whitney Houston entering a dry cleaners and making her way through a kitchen wearing a fur coat. On exiting the kitchen, the music begins, and she walks into a night club with her then removing her coat and singing on a small stage. Throughout the video Whitney is seen in a metallic dress and knee high boots, and as the video progresses she is then seen in a pink dress with cuts to girls in the bathroom touching up their make-up. Just over half the way through the video she is seen in a full-length silver dress supporting a straightened bob. The video ends with Whitney walking away in the silver dress with dollar bills blowing around.
Rap-Up.Com
said Houston is looking a million bucks in the high priced music video for "Million Dollar Bill".
Source adapted from Discogs.
Sample
"We're Getting Stronger" by Loleatta Holloway
Recording and mixing
, the song was a success, debuting at #12 already given her a new highest peak since "If I Told You That
" (2000), and her performance on The X Factor
was watched by 13.89 million viewers giving her enough exposure to push the song up to a new peak of 5. It has been in the UK top 40 for 9 weeks as of December 6, 2009. It became Houston's 13th #1 on Billboard's Dance Charts, and also topped the Billboard
urban adult contemporary
chart; her first #1 single in several years. The song has currently peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
, becoming her 32nd top twenty hit on that chart, and making I Look to You
her first album since My Love Is Your Love
to produce two or more top twenty hits.
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...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
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...
, from her seventh studio album titled 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...
which samples R&B singer Loleatta Holloway
Loleatta Holloway
Loleatta Holloway was an American singer, mainly known for disco songs such as "Hit and Run" and "Love Sensation", both of which have been sampled extensively.-Biography:...
's "We're Getting Stronger" from Holloway's 1976 debut LP. It was released as the official worldwide lead and only single (second US single) from the album on August 18, 2009 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...
in the US and August 24, 2009 through RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
in the UK.
Background
The song was written by Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter Alicia KeysAlicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
and samples R&B singer Loleatta Holloway
Loleatta Holloway
Loleatta Holloway was an American singer, mainly known for disco songs such as "Hit and Run" and "Love Sensation", both of which have been sampled extensively.-Biography:...
's "We're Getting Stronger" from Holloway's 1976 debut LP. Keys had requested to be a part of Houston's album and Houston decided she wanted to work with Keys after hearing her perform at one of 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...
' parties. It was produced by hip-hop producer Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
with an old school 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...
beat. Beatz told MTV News that the process on the song started when he got a call from 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 record executive Larry Jackson
Larry Jackson
Lawrence Curtis Jackson was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies from 1955 to 1968...
. After he had produced the beat, Keys joined him in the songwriting process and the duo completed the song. Keys told 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...
about the recording session(s), "Whitney is an artist who inspired me from [the time I was] a little girl. Fast-forwarding to now and being able to work with her to help create this song that took off was fun. We had a lot of laughs; it was like being with a long-lost friend."
The song received critical acclaim at the album's three listening parties and was cited as a "big comeback record". The single entered the Hot 100 at #100, becoming her thirty-ninth chart entry on that chart. Houston performed the song live on The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
in the UK on Sunday, October 18 the night before the album was released in that territory.
Composition
Million Dollar Bill is an uptempo "pop dance groove" with strong disco influences. The song lasts for three minutes and twenty three seconds. Written in they key of B MinorB minor
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. The harmonic minor raises the A to A. Its key signature has two sharps .Its relative major is D major, and its parallel major is B major....
, the song's beat is set in common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
and moves at a tempo of 120 beats per minute. Houston's voice spans A3 to the note of B4. The song also features a sample of Loleatta Holloway
Loleatta Holloway
Loleatta Holloway was an American singer, mainly known for disco songs such as "Hit and Run" and "Love Sensation", both of which have been sampled extensively.-Biography:...
's 1977 song "We're Getting Stronger (The Longer We Stay Together)". Swizz Beatz explained that the song "is all about the feelings new love can bring".
Critical reception
From the New York listening party Rolling StoneRolling 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 "'Million Dollar Bill' is a clattering, uptempo hip-hop-inspired number. It may be the fastest ever for Houston, who keeps up nicely. It received a standing ovation setting the tone for much of the album." 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....
s Shaheem Reid comments revolved around the first track 'Million Dollar Bill', saying that "Houston sings of looking for love and finding a man with potential. "If he makes you feel like a million-dollar bill, say, 'Oh, oh/ Oh, oh,' " she sings on the hook. "It's been a long time since love has come my way. I've been looking and searching for a man to touch this place." Right from the start, 'Million Dollar Bill' displays her billion-dollar voice over a club-friendly Swizz track that even got Alicia Keys up and dancing while taking video with her personal camera as the words she wrote boomed through the speakers.
Nick Levine of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
said "Written by Alicia Keys and produced by Swizz Beatz (probably best known for Beyoncé's 'Check On It
Check on It
"Check on It" is a song performed by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles, featuring American rapper Slim Thug. It was composed by Knowles, Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, Sean Garrett, Angela Beyincé and Stayve Thomas. The song was supposed to be featured on the soundtrack album for 2006 film The Pink...
' and 'Ring The Alarm
Ring the Alarm
"Ring the Alarm" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles for her second studio album, B'Day . It was composed by Knowles, Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, and Sean Garrett...
'), it's a midtempo disco track with an unabashedly feelgood message. "If he makes you feel like a million dollar bill," Whitney sings on the chorus, 'Say oh-oh-oh, say oh-oh-oh'. The Voice is deeper and raspier than you might remember, but she's still capable of going for a money note. 'Million Dollar Bill' won't be storming any barns in a hurry, but it's a classy, dignified and thoroughly likeable comeback effort. Whitney, it's good to have you back." Bill Lamb of About.com gave a mixed review saying, "The good news on "Million Dollar Bill" is the performance is undeniably the Whitney Houston we all know. The down side is it's all almost too familiar. The arrangement courtesy producer Swizz Beatz is very old school R&B. Alicia Keys has written a song that fits very well with her tradition of "old soul" songs, but Whitney Houston has failed to give it a new twist that would successfully make the old stunningly new again.". He also gave the song 3.5 stars out of five.
Chart performance
"Million Dollar Bill" entered 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...
at number hundred, on the issue dated September 19, 2009. The song fell out of the chart the next week. "Million Dollar Bill" topped the 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...
charts, which became her first single to do so since 2003's 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...
. The song entered the Canadian Chart
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
at number seventy eight and peaked at number sixty two on the week dated September 19, 2009.
In United Kingdom, the song peaked at number five, following her performance at the X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
, by which became her first single to reach the top five since 1998's My Love Is Your Love
My Love Is Your Love (song)
"My Love Is Your Love" is a 1999 song by American R&B singer Whitney Houston. Released as the fourth single off Houston's album of the same name, it peaked at #4 in the U.S., #2 on the U.S. R&B chart, and #2 in the U.K...
. The song was successful in many other countries across Europe. The song peaked inside top forty, in most countries and the second highest peak was in Ireland, where it peaked at number eight.
Music video
The music video for 'Million Dollar Bill' was directed by Melina MatsoukasMelina Matsoukas
Melina Matsoukas is an American music video director.-Life and career:Matsoukas is of Greek, Jewish, Jamaican and Cuban descent. Both her name and surname are Greek: Μελίνα Ματσούκα. She is a graduate of the American Film Institute and New York University...
(who directed the music video for Houston's previous sing "I Look to You
I Look to You (song)
"I Look to You" is a pop-soul song performed by American R&B-pop recording artist Whitney Houston, from seventh studio album also titled I Look to You...
"), known for working with artists such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
and Ciara
Ciara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
. It premiered on 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...
's official website on September 16, 2009.
The video features Whitney Houston entering a dry cleaners and making her way through a kitchen wearing a fur coat. On exiting the kitchen, the music begins, and she walks into a night club with her then removing her coat and singing on a small stage. Throughout the video Whitney is seen in a metallic dress and knee high boots, and as the video progresses she is then seen in a pink dress with cuts to girls in the bathroom touching up their make-up. Just over half the way through the video she is seen in a full-length silver dress supporting a straightened bob. The video ends with Whitney walking away in the silver dress with dollar bills blowing around.
Rap-Up.Com
Rap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
said Houston is looking a million bucks in the high priced music video for "Million Dollar Bill".
Track listing
-
- German double A-side single
- "I Look to You" — 4:25
- "Million Dollar Bill" — 3:24
-
- U.S./UK album remixes (EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
1)
- U.S./UK album remixes (EP
- "Million Dollar Bill" (FreemasonsFreemasons (band)Freemasons are an English dance band from Brighton, East Sussex, England. The act consists of producers Russell Small and James Wiltshire .-2005-2007: Early Career:Their name is taken from the Brighton pub, Freemasons Tavern, Hove, which they frequently...
Radio Mix) — 3:49 - "Million Dollar Bill" (Frankie Knuckles Radio Mix) — 3:15
- "I Look to You" (Johnny Vicious Warehouse Radio Mix) — 4:08
- "I Look to You" (Johnny Vicious Club Radio Mix) — 3:52
- "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" (Peter RauhoferPeter RauhoferPeter Rauhofer is a DJ, remixer and producer who formerly went under the moniker Club 69 as well as Size Queen. A native of Vienna, Austria, he is famous for his remixes of a number of Madonna's songs including "Nothing Really Matters", "American Life", "Nothing Fails, "Nobody Knows Me", "Get...
Radio Edit) — 3:04 - "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" (Daddy's Groove Magic Island Radio Mix) — 3:11
- "I Look to You" (Christian Dio Radio Mix) — 4:01
- "I Look to You" (Giuseppe D. Tune Adiks Radio Edit) — 3:47
- Australia CD-single
- "Million Dollar Bill" (Album Version) — 3:24
- "Million Dollar Bill" (Instrumental) — 3:20
- "Million Dollar Bill" (Call Out Hook) — 0:10
-
- AUS/UK CD single
- "Million Dollar Bill" — 3:24
- "Million Dollar Bill" (FreemasonsFreemasons (band)Freemasons are an English dance band from Brighton, East Sussex, England. The act consists of producers Russell Small and James Wiltshire .-2005-2007: Early Career:Their name is taken from the Brighton pub, Freemasons Tavern, Hove, which they frequently...
Radio Edit) — 3:49
-
- UK and US single remixes (EP 2)
- "Million Dollar Bill" (Freemasons Radio Mix) — 3:49
- "Million Dollar Bill" (Freemasons Club Mix) — 8:10
- "Million Dollar Bill" (Freemasons Mixshow) — 5:00
- "Million Dollar Bill" (Frankie Knuckles Radio Mix) — 3:15
- "Million Dollar Bill" (Frankie Knuckles Club Mix) — 7:08
- "Million Dollar Bill" (Frankie Knuckles Dub Mix) — 6:59
Personnel
Credits- Mixed by – Tony Maserati
- Assistant engineers and mixers – Christian Baker, Miki Tsutsumi, Val Brathwaite
- Producer – Alicia KeysAlicia KeysAlicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano...
, Swizz BeatzSwizz BeatzKasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records... - Vocal producer and arrangement – Alicia Keys
- Programmed by – Swizz Beatz
- Recording engineer – Ann Mincieli
- Written by – Alicia Keys, Kasseem DeanSwizz BeatzKasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
, Norman Harris
Source adapted from Discogs.
Sample
"We're Getting Stronger" by Loleatta Holloway
Loleatta Holloway
Loleatta Holloway was an American singer, mainly known for disco songs such as "Hit and Run" and "Love Sensation", both of which have been sampled extensively.-Biography:...
- Sample writers – Allan Felder, Norman Harris, Ronald Tyson
Recording and mixing
- Recorded and engineered in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at the Oven Studios and Germano Studios - Mixed for Two Chord Music Inc. at Oven Studios, New York City.
Charts
On the UK Singles ChartUK 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 ...
, the song was a success, debuting at #12 already given her a new highest peak since "If I Told You That
If I Told You That
"If I Told You That" is a 2000 duet by American singer Whitney Houston and British singer George Michael, and is the second single from Houston's Whitney: The Greatest Hits album. The song first appeared on Houston's 1998 multi-platinum My Love Is Your Love album, where she sang it solo...
" (2000), and her performance on The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
was watched by 13.89 million viewers giving her enough exposure to push the song up to a new peak of 5. It has been in the UK top 40 for 9 weeks as of December 6, 2009. It became Houston's 13th #1 on Billboard's Dance Charts, and also topped the 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...
urban adult contemporary
Urban Adult Contemporary
Urban adult contemporary is the name for a format of radio music, similar to an urban contemporary format. Radio stations using this format usually would not have rap music on their playlists. The format was designed by Barry Mayo when he, Lee S. Simonson and Bill Pearson organized Broadcast...
chart; her first #1 single in several years. The song has currently peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
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,...
, becoming her 32nd top twenty hit on that chart, and making 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...
her first album since 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...
to produce two or more top twenty hits.
Chart positions
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
End-of-year charts
| Chart (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Italian Singles Chart | 70 |
| Japanese Singles Chart | 97 |
| U.K Singles Chart | 90 |
| U.S. Dance Club Play | 25 |
| Chart (2010) | Position |
| U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 81 |
Chart procession and succession
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Airplay Airplay * Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay... , Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Arista Records | |
| Germany | Digital download | Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation.... |
|
| United Kingdom | RCA Records RCA Records RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label... , Arista |
||
| Germany | October 2, 2009 | Double A-side Single | Sony Music Entertainment |
| United Kingdom | CD Single, iTunes download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
RCA Records, Arista | |
| UK & US | November 6, 2009 | Album remixes (Digital Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... , EP Extended play An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact... 1) |
RCA / Arista Records |
| November 10, 2009 | Single remixes (Digital, EP 2) |