I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)
| "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Whitney Houston | ||||
| from the album Whitney | ||||
| B-side | "Moment of Truth" | |||
| Released | May 2, 1987 | |||
| Recorded | September 1986 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:51 | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Narada Michael Walden | |||
| Whitney Houston singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" at YouTube | ||||
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" is a 1987 song by American singer Whitney Houston and is the lead single from her second studio album Whitney (1987). It topped the single charts in a lot of countries.[1][2][3] It won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1988.[4][5] The single sold 14 million copies worldwide.
Background[change | change source]
"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" was written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, who wrote Houston's 1985 song "How Will I Know".[6] The duo sent a copy of the lyrics of this song to Arista Records, but they did not approve it, saying it was not right for Houston.[6]
Release[change | change source]
When the single came out, it received mixed reviews with many critics saying it sounded like Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun".[7]
On July 28, 1987, the single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and re-certified Platinum. This made it Houston's first single to do this.[8]
Response[change | change source]
The single sold over 14 million copies worldwide.[9] After Houston's death, the single returned to the Billboard Hot 100 debuting at number 35 the same week "I Will Always Love You" re-entered at number 7, giving Houston two posthumous Top 40 hits.[10]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ ""I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" on the New Zealand Singles Chart". charts.nz. June 28, 1987. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
- ↑ ""I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" on the Irish Singles Chart". The Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on June 2, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
- ↑ ""I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" on the Austrian Singles Chart". austriancharts.at. July 15, 1987. Archived from the original on June 22, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2010.
- ↑ Battle And Jackson Top Grammy Award Nominees. Jet. February 1, 1988. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
- ↑ Jon Pareles (March 4, 1988). "U2 Wins Top Grammy Prize". The New York Times. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Seal 1994, pp. 22–23
- ↑ Robert Hilburn (June 1, 1987). "Album Review : Houston: Commercial Sparkle, Artistic Fizz". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- ↑ "American single certifications – Houston, Whitney – I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
- ↑ "Take 40: Music > Take 40 Number Ones > 1987; Number Ones in 1987". take40.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
- ↑ "Whitney Houston Returns to Hot 100's Top 10 With 'I Will Always Love You'". Billboard. February 15, 2012. Archived from the original on March 30, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2023.