I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) by Whitney Houston

The other day I was listening to the radio and Whitney Houston’s big hit “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” came through the airwaves. It had been a long time since I heard it and I have to tell you it knocked my socks off. This song puts the legendary power of Houston’s voice on full display and is a testament to the long-lasting impact of the singer's contribution to music. With the attention span shrinking effect that the streaming era has had on music, full bodied pop songs like this have become increasingly rare. It’s incredible how high a song can be lifted by a great middle eight, key change, or outro bridge. Thankfully the artform has been preserved through great artists like Whitney Houston and songs like “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”.

To get things started, highly polished synthetic claps and bass drum combined to create a snappy rhythm. This is quickly accompanied by a wobbly synth bass that emits a fun and toe tapping feeling. Additionally, we hear Houston’s silky smooth voice deliver an ad libbed melody just before the music swoops into high gear. As the intro music progresses, zipping synth horns and booming drums fill the speakers, lifting the sound to a full fledged pop hit. Percussive metallic elements are also sprinkled in to enhance the rhythm section as the music winds toward the first verse.

Musical elements are pared down for the verse section and rely centrally on bass and drums. We also hear bursts of synthesizer and percussive elements decorating the verse. All of the instrumentation works together to give plenty of space for Houston’s stellar voice to shine bright. As the verse makes its way to the chorus Whitney sings the lines, “I've done alright up 'till now / It's the light of day that shows me how / And when the night falls, loneliness calls”. Here the rising feeling in the vocal melody mixes with perfectly paced rhythm pauses. This is soon followed by bursts of synth trumpets that rocket the song into the main hook.

As the chorus hits, we hear Houston belt out a soaring melody note followed by several tightly grouped notes. This melodic pattern runs through the chorus and creates a feeling that is both inspiring and sugary-pop catchy. Whitney’s voice is supported by a full musical arrangement of scat guitar, multi layered synthesizer, synth bass, and an array of rhythmic elements. Between the world class production, musicianship, and legendary voice of Houston, this song touches on qualities that are rare indeed. Even amongst the great talents of the world, a song like “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” is something that comes along once or twice in a lifetime. 

Although we lost Whitney Houston in 2012, great songs like “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” live on to fill millions with joy every year. She has made an enduring mark on the world: leaving behind a body of work that continues to stand the test of time. If you’d like to listen to “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” or any of Whitney’s other great music, you can find it on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and most other places music is streamed or sold. If you’d like to learn more about Whitney Houston, you can find information on Wikipedia, Instagram, and Facebook.

Ron Powers