Watch These Whitney Houston Videos After the Biopic, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”
“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” is now streaming on Netflix – watch these Whitney Houston videos that the film portrays.
By bonneville on May 3, 2023
To join the collection of Whitney Houston videos, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” was released on Netflix for streaming on April 22, 2023. It chronicles the later life of Whitney Houston (played by Naomi Ackie), one of the best-selling music artists of all time who was nicknamed “The Voice” of her generation. It includes portrayals of her early relationship with Robyn Crawford (played by Nafessa Williams), her record deal with Arista Records and friendship with chairman Clive Davis (played by Stanley Tucci), her tumultuous marriage with Bobby Brown (played by Ashton Sanders), and her struggles with addiction, fame, and motherhood that led to her death in 2012.
After watching the biopic (and drying your tears), you might be curious to see some of the highlights they depicted in the film. Though they couldn’t possibly capture every extraordinary moment of the artist’s life, these moments are highlights of her career that rightly earned her namesake as The Voice.
Here are some of the best Whitney Houston videos that the film covered:
First Performance on Television
On June 23, 1983, Houston made her debut performance on the Merv Griffin Show, which Ackie reenacts in the movie. In this clip, you can see the nerves before she begins singing as she rubs her hands together. After about a minute, she sheds them off as the music picks up and lets her voice take over.
How Will I Know
Initially written for Janet Jackson, who passed it up, “How Will I Know” would become one of Houston’s most popular singles. It was released on her first album, “Whitney Houston,” in 1985. It made it No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 Charts, where it stayed for a week.
The music video, which Brian Grant directed, is a quintessential ’80s showcase with many backup dancers accompanying Houston. Grant also directed Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” and Donna Summer’s “She Works Hard For The Money.” Whitney Houston’s videos later in her career would typically focus on her singing over having dancing acts.
Star Spangled Banner at the Superbowl XXV
1991 Houston’s rendition of the Star Spangled Banner stands out among performances at the Superbowl. By slowing down the music, her voice was truly allowed to soar. It truly was an iconic moment.
The weather in Tampa was unusually cold that day, so instead of wearing a black dress, Houston donned her now-legendary Le Coq Sportif tracksuit. Wearing it allowed her to watch the game right after her performance.
Bodyguard Soundtrack: I Will Always Love You
Released in 1992, “The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album” was co-executive produced by Houston with Clive Davis. The album sold more than 45 million units worldwide and is the best-selling soundtrack of all time. It also broke the record for the most weeks at number one by a female artist on the Billboard 200, holding the record for 19 years until Adele’s “21” surpassed it in 2011.
It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay
For six years after the release of the Bodyguard movie and soundtrack, Houston kept her fans on edge, wondering when she would release new music. Finally, in 1998 she dropped “My Love is Your Love” with “It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay” as the third single.
This music video, firmly set in the neo-soul and R&B charts, set the stage for many other divas, such as Brandy, Monica, and Mariah Carey, to perform hits that empowered women in broken relationships.
Medley at the 1994 American Music Awards
This 1994 performance at the American Music Awards features snips from “I Loves You, Porgy,” “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” and “I Have Nothing.” The latter song earned Houston critical acclaim from the soundtrack of The Bodyguard, reaching the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The production also earned her a nomination at the 1993 Oscars for Best Original Song.
That year Houston won eight awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist, Favorite Pop/Rock Album, Favorite Pop/Rock Single, Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist, Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Soul/R&B Single, Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist, and Award of Merit as a special award. Her winnings set a record for the most AMAs ever won by someone in a year, tying with Michael Jackson ten years earlier.
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