I Look To You By Whitney Houston

With one of the most anticipated albums of 2009, Whitney Houston shoots right back into the spotlight and into the hearts of fans around the world once more. “I Look To You,” Houston’s fifth studio album, is an admirable comeback from a remarkably talented singer. Fans who approach the record expecting another one of the best-selling singles of all time will be disappointed, but if you listen to the way that Houston has tailored her sound to meet a new age of R ’n B and soul music, you’re likely to be wholly impressed.

The first single and opening track, “Million Dollar Bill,” is smooth mood music that sets the tone for the slickly produced album that follows. It doesn’t extend Houston’s vocals as far as we’d like to hear them, but it’s fun to listen to nonetheless. “A Song For You” is a similar sort of dance hit that’ll have clubs jamming for ages.

On “I Look To You,” Houston slows things down to break out a big ballad that is worthy of being the title track and shows us why the revered songstress deserves her spot on the top of the charts.

Akon makes an appearance on the track “Like I Never Left You” and his contribution seems to be somewhat redundant. Despite the song being a back-and-forth between two old lovers, someone with more charm and lyrical ability could have turned the collaboration into a better track.

As for any fears fans may have that she’s still the mess that the media has made her out to be in previous years, Houston swiftly lays those to rest in any number of tracks. “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” is a soaring and empowering soul song. On “Salute” when Houston sings “when you leave just close the door behind you/I’m feeling stronger than you,” you get the feeling that the original soul diva really is back. Longtime fans will be very pleased with this record.