W.H.

So after going through most of her videos in the few hours since she died, I've come to a few conclusions about Whitney that are too long for Facebook.

- As it was with Michael, ballads tend to be a different animal for the truly Great R&B singers. They're not slow and sensitive; in fact they're more like the opposite. So much goes into singing well - from the notes you choose, to the pacing, volume/dynamics, etc. The Greats use the space and tempo as their playground, and if they're doing it right, they can make a slow song more exciting than an upbeat one.
You have to listen to the full song to appreciate what she builds up to, but check her out here at around 3:52, lettin' it absolutely rip:



- I never saw The Bodyguard, but I listened to the shit out of the soundtrack. I never realized that the chorus rhymed in this song, I had no idea what she was saying. But this is one of the rare cases where knowing the lyrics make the song sound better. I might like this song more than "I'm Your Baby Tonight," which I had previously thought was my favorite Whitney song.

- Death is sad, and I feel bad for Bobby B. But if I'm being completely honest, the only way Whitney Houston's death affects me is that more media attention is drawn to her and her music. It'll be nice to recognize and celebrate her career for the next few weeks. I'm not sure that would've happened any time over the next 20 or 30 years if she had lived that long.