My Love Is Your Love

Background

By 1997, Houston had established a highly successful career spanning music and film. Following her film debut in The Bodyguard (1992), she increasingly divided her time between acting and music, while continuing to record and perform. The soundtrack to the film became the best-selling album of her career and one of the best-selling albums of all time, largely driven by "I Will Always Love You," which became a global commercial success, the best-selling single of all time by a female artist and also earned Houston the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Houston continued to contribute music to her subsequent film projects, recording three songs for the soundtrack to Waiting to Exhale (1995), while the soundtrack to The Preacher's Wife (1996) became the best-selling gospel album of all time. She also served as an executive producer and starred in the musical television film Cinderella (1997). However, its soundtrack remained unreleased because of label conflicts. Despite her continued presence in music through soundtrack recordings and live performances, Houston had not released a studio album since I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990), marking the longest gap between full-length album projects in her career.

As Houston pursued opportunities outside the recording studio, including lucrative overseas engagements and private performances, Arista Records chairman Clive Davis became increasingly concerned about her prolonged absence from the recording industry. He had sought to develop a greatest hits album for Houston as early as 1995, with Billboard reporting plans for its release that October. The project was subsequently postponed, with the publication again reporting in July 1996 that the album was expected that fall. Its release was delayed once more, and speculation surrounding the project continued into 1997, when Houston acknowledged that Davis was pressing her to record it. Davis eventually appealed directly to Houston, writing her a letter in 1997 in which he noted that she had "not recorded a studio album in seven years" and had released only a limited number of new recordings during that period, most of which had been associated with her film projects. He characterized her as "practically missing in action" as a contemporary recording artist and urged her to return to the studio. According to Davis, Houston responded positively to the letter and agreed to resume recording. The two subsequently began searching material initially intended for inclusion on a greatest hits compilation.

Recording

Initial sessions

What began as a search for material to supplement a planned greatest hits album gradually developed into a full studio project. In August 1998, following the conclusion of a brief European tour, Houston and Davis were approached by Jeffrey Katzenberg of DreamWorks to record a contemporary version of "When You Believe" for the soundtrack to the forthcoming animated film The Prince of Egypt. Produced by Babyface, the song was developed as a duet with Mariah Carey, although Houston was initially unaware of the planned collaboration. She nevertheless welcomed the opportunity to work with Carey, viewing the duet as a way to dispel persistent rumors of a rivalry between the two singers. Following the recording, Arista Records, Columbia Records, and DreamWorks Records arranged for the song to appear on several forthcoming releases: Houston's new album, Carey's first compilation album, Number Ones, and the soundtrack to The Prince of Egypt. At this stage, however, Houston's project was still expected to be a compilation rather than a new studio album.

The recording of "When You Believe," coupled with growing expectations that the song would become a major promotional event and provide a powerful vehicle for the project, prompted Arista to reconsider its scope. Initially, the label remained committed to releasing the song as part of the planned greatest hits package, supplemented by several new recordings. As Davis continued reviewing submissions for Houston, he and Houston initially selected "three or four tracks" that they intended to include in the compilation. Among the early selections were three songs written by Diane Warren, including "I Learned from the Best", "I Bow Out" and "You'll Never Stand Alone." Warren had worked with Houston only intermittently, and the three songs were reportedly selected in part because both Houston and Warren had wanted Houston to record them. David Foster was later assigned to produce "I Learned from the Best," while Houston reunited with Babyface for the other two songs. Babyface also contributed the torch ballad "Until You Come Back," co-written with Daryl Simmons and recorded at his Brandon's Way studio in Los Angeles.

Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins subsequently submitted a number of demos after Davis asked him to provide material for the project, having previously worked with Jerkins on Monica's "Angel of Mine" and Deborah Cox's One Wish. According to Davis, "It's Not Right but It's Okay" was the first of Jerkins' songs presented to him and Houston. Houston reportedly responded enthusiastically to the track, dancing and singing along before agreeing to record it. The recording was delayed for several days, however, as Houston was suffering from bronchitis at the time. At Davis' request, Jerkins and his team of writers, including his brother Fred Jerkins III, cousin LaShawn Daniels, and Toni Estes, subsequently supplied "Get It Back" and "If I Told You That," the latter of which was initially intended as a duet with Michael Jackson, who ultimately declined the collaboration. Houston recorded the songs at her Crossway studio and at Jerkins' studio in Pleasantville.

Expansion of the project

The addition of "It's Not Right but It's Okay" proved pivotal in changing the direction of the project, encouraging Davis to expand the roster of producers and songwriters involved and ultimately shifting the project from a greatest hits package toward a new studio album. After Houston had recorded the material from Jerkins, Babyface, and Foster, Davis contacted Missy Elliott and played her some of the recordings over the telephone. Elliott expressed an immediate interest in participating. Their collaboration resulted in the contemporary hip-hop track "In My Business." Following the recording, Elliott contacted Davis again to express her enthusiasm about the session and offered to contribute another song. She subsequently submitted "Oh Yes." Around the same time, Davis learned that TLC had rejected the R&B song "Heartbreak Hotel," written by Tamara Savage and Soulshock & Karlin. He selected the song for Houston and proposed recording it as a collaboration with the then-rising R&B singers Faith Evans and Kelly Price.

Further collaborations with Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill, both members of the Fugees, were arranged later in the production process. Davis approached Jean about producing for Houston, who recalled that he "came in at the last minute." During the sessions for "My Love Is Your Love," Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina was present at the studio. Jean and his co-producer Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis subsequently recorded the then-five-year-old encouraging her mother, with Houston approving the inclusion of the recording. Hill became involved after learning that Houston had returned to the studio and reaching out to her about a possible collaboration. Houston had been particularly interested in working with Hill following her production of Aretha Franklin's "A Rose Is Still a Rose" (1998), but scheduling conflicts prevented them from collaborating on Hill's proposed song "All That I Can Say," which later went to Mary J. Blige. Houston instead suggested a contemporary reinterpretation of Stevie Wonder's "I Was Made to Love Him." The resulting collaboration was the final one completed during the album's production and was ultimately included only as a bonus track.

The volume and quality of the submissions ultimately convinced Davis and Houston to continue expanding the project, as the increasingly strong material made the prospect of developing a full studio album more viable. Davis later recalled that the material arriving during the sessions was sufficiently strong and distinctive that the project would not have proceeded without it, while Houston reportedly remarked that she could continue recording as long as songs of that quality continued to arrive. Rather than seeking established names for their own sake, the selection process focused on the quality of the songs and their potential to broaden Houston's musical and vocal range. Most of the album was recorded at Houston's home studio, Crossway Studios, in Mendham, New Jersey, with additional sessions at Jerkins' studio in Pleasantville, as well as in New York City and Los Angeles. Houston typically completed the lead vocals for a song in one day, returning the following day to record background vocals and make any necessary vocal revisions. The album was completed in approximately six to seven weeks, making it the fastest-recorded studio album of Houston's career, with most sessions taking place between August and October 1998.

Music and content

My Love Is Your Love marked a stylistic shift from Houston's earlier studio work, incorporating a stronger emphasis on contemporary R&B and hip-hop alongside elements of funk, reggae fusion, and soul. The change reflected Houston's decision to work with a younger generation of producers and artists, including Elliott, Jean, and Hill, as well as the emerging European R&B production team Soulshock and Karlin. At the same time, the album retained contributions from established collaborators such as Babyface and David Foster. Houston later cited the contemporary work of Aaliyah, Brandy, Monica, and Mary J. Blige as influences on the album's musical direction.

The album also represented a departure from the predominantly romantic and inspirational material associated with much of Houston's earlier work. Speaking to Billboard around the album's release, Houston said that she was no longer interested in a "syrupy kind of vibe" and described herself as a working mother, wife, and artist, emphasizing the need to adapt to contemporary musical trends. In contrast to the "soaring romanticism" associated with songs such as "Greatest Love of All," the album presented a more contemporary and, at times, confrontational perspective. Its opening track, "It's Not Right but It's Okay," was noted for its portrayal of relationship conflict, with some listeners interpreting its lyrics as a reflection of Houston's troubled marriage to Brown. The Elliott-produced "In My Business," meanwhile, addressed the scrutiny surrounding Houston's personal life and the tabloid media.

The album's lyrical themes encompass relationships, independence, family, personal freedom, and media scrutiny, resulting in a more intimate and personal tone than was typical of Houston's earlier recordings. Nevertheless, Houston rejected the notion that the material was explicitly autobiographical. The album's liner notes included the disclaimer: "The events and characters depicted in this album are fictitious."

Release and promotion

My Love Is Your Love was officially released worldwide on the same day, November 17, 1998. Days prior to the album's release, Houston and Clive Davis hosted several listening parties in New York and Los Angeles.

To promote the album, Houston made a number of televised appearances and live performances of the album's singles. On November 13 and 14, 1998, Houston gave two shows at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City where she performed several of the album's songs. Two days after its release, Houston performed an expensive invitation-only charity concert at Cipriani's Wall Street's Grand Ballroom.

On November 23, 1998, Houston appeared on The Rosie O'Donnell Show where she performed "Heartbreak Hotel" with Faith Evans and Kelly Price and "My Love Is Your Love". On November 25, Houston appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show where she performed "When You Believe" with Mariah Carey and "I Learned from the Best". On December 7, she appeared at the 9th annual Billboard Music Awards where she performed "Heartbreak Hotel" with Evans and Price. Three days later (December 10), Houston performed "My Love Is Your Love", with Wyclef Jean on Late Show with David Letterman. A day later (December 11), the same song along with "Heartbreak Hotel" and "I Learned From the Best" was performed at the Rockefeller Center in New York City for an appearance on Today. On December 13, to promote the animated film, The Prince of Egypt, Houston and Carey co-hosted a television special of the film and premiered a second music video performance of the song together.

Houston performed "Until You Come Back" and "My Love Is Your Love" at the 26th American Music Awards (January 11, 1999). Two days later (January 13), she performed "I Learned From the Best" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Throughout February 1999, Houston went on a European promotional tour where in many European countries, "It's Not Right but It's Okay" was heavily focused on and promoted. She performed the song on several European TV programs including the Dutch TV show, The Surprise Show (February 8), the Italian TV show, C'era Un Ragazzo (February 10), the Spanish TV show, Sorpresa, Sorpresa (February 13), the Brit Awards in London (February 16) in what would be helmed an acclaimed performance, the Swedish TV4 TV show, Sen kväll med Luuk (February 18), the British music show, Top of the Pops (February 19) and the German TV show, Wetten Dass (February 20). Additionally on Top of the Pops, which was held at Elstree Studios, Houston also performed "My Love Is Your Love" and "I Learned From the Best". After returning to the United States to attend the 41st Grammy Awards, Houston performed "Heartbreak Hotel" on the French TF1 TV show, Les Annees Tube.

Singles

"When You Believe" was released as the lead single off the album on October 28, 1998. After debuting at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 on radio airplay alone, the song peaked at number fifteen, surprising many who thought the song would be a bigger hit. Its modest peak at 33 on the Hot R&B Singles & Tracks chart was the lowest peak to date for both artists at the time.

The duet was a huge global hit, reaching the top five in the UK, Belgium, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the top ten in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, and New Zealand. Thanks to popularity for the song across Europe, it eventually peaked at number two on the Eurochart Hot 100. It sold 260,000 copies sold in the UK at the end of 1999.

The second single, "Heartbreak Hotel", a collaboration between Faith Evans and Kelly Price, was officially released on December 15, 1998. Entering the Billboard Hot 100 at number 84 on December 26, after a commercial single was released, the song leaped to number 29, before peaking at number two six weeks later on March 27, making it Houston's first single to peak in the runner-up spot and was her biggest chart hit since "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" debuted at number one on the chart in November 1995. On the revamped Hot R&B Singles & Tracks chart, it debuted at number twenty three on January 9, 1999. In its first week of retail release, it shot up to number six and then climbed to number one the following week on February 13, where it would stay for seven consecutive weeks, her third longest tenure after "I Will Always Love You" and "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)". It would also become one of Houston's longest charting songs to date on the chart for 28 weeks. The single sold over 1.4 million copies in the U.S. alone, becoming the third-best-selling single of 1999, and was certified Platinum by the RIAA on March 2, 1999.

"It's Not Right but It's Okay" became its third single, released on February 15, 1999. Prior to its North American release in May 1999, the song was the b-side of the "Heartbreak Hotel" maxi-single and, as a result, charted on several Billboard Hot 100 and R&B airplay and sales charts. It debuted on the Hot R&B singles chart at number 64 on January 9, 1999. In its 24th week, the song reached its peak position of number seven. The song made its Billboard Hot 100 debut at number 87 on May 8, 1999. After its retail single was released, the song eventually peaked at number four on the chart on July 3, selling 522,000 units in the country alone. It was certified gold in the US on June 29.

Critical reception

Upon the album's debut, the album received positive responses from music critics, and arguably the strongest reviews of her career to that point. Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine commented that "It's easily her most consistent album ever—in fact, it's her first consistent album", and praised her mature voice as follows:

The former ingenue has some grown-up scars now, singing the marital blues with a bite in her voice that she's never come close to before. Did you think she'd crumble? Did you think she'd lay down and die? Then check out My Love, pal, and hear Houston prove beyond a doubt that she will survive.

Jon Pareles, in his review for the New York Times, praised her fully developed voice, too. He stated that her sound was "supple and devout", comparing Carey's fidgetting sound with every phrase in "When You Believe", and commented "Ms. Houston used to be similarly showy and disjointed, but now her improvisations bring emotional coherence to technical feats." With expressing his interest about any connections between her troubled marriage and her new materials, commented "Lest anyone draw other conclusions from the songs, the album carries a disclaimer." Also, he was almost positive about songs such as "It's Not Right But It's Okay", "Heartbreak Hotel" and "My Love Is Your Love".

In Billboard magazine's review, the issue dated November 28, 1999, the magazine called the album "A tour de force that showcases her strengths in a wide array of musical genres from pop to R&B to gospel to dance." The publication also opined: "On an album with writing and production input from a diverse roster of players, Houston keeps it all together with her spectacular voice and singular artistic persona", declaring the album had "immense crossover potential"

Mark Bautz of Entertainment Weekly gave the album B+, calling My Love Is Your Love "A schizophrenic album" and "A primer on today's hip-hop/R&B scene: the good, the bad." by reason of the unevenness of the album. He commented "Wyclef Jean's gorgeous reggae-tinged title song and three funky cuts by Rodney Jerkins showcase the 35-year-old Whitney Houston in all her creative, soulful maturity. In contrast, a trio of schmaltzy Babyface-produced tunes expose her as merely a gifted interpreter of bland radio-ready fare.". Similarly, TIME praised some new songs, calling the title song "superb" and Houston's remake of Stevie Wonder's classic "fabulous", but criticized the old-fashioned songs of the album sharply, commenting "The problem is with the Old Guard: producer David Foster's work is dull, and Dianne Warren and Babyface, who both wrote tracks, have better work on their respective resumes."

Commercial performance

Worldwide, the album's release was not preceded by that of any commercial singles, which initially resulted in it underperforming commercially. In the United States, My Love Is Your Love was released on November 17, 1998, when major records were released simultaneously for the holidays by high-profile musicians like Garth Brooks, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Jewel, Method Man, The Offspring and Seal besides her. Time magazine wrote, "Music-industry folks have dubbed it Super Tuesday because more than ten major pop acts issued new CDs on the single day, making it the heaviest release date ever." The week of December 5, 1998, the album entered the US Billboard 200 chart at number thirteen, which was the peak position of the album, and her lowest chart position at that point in time, with sales of 123,000 copies in its first week. That result was disappointing initially because the release was Houston's first non-soundtrack album in eight years and was highly anticipated. But eventually, the album became a commercial success, thanks to a series of hit singles, her energetic promotions and a successful world tour. My Love Is Your Love was present on the Billboard 200 chart for over a year, at 75 weeks, and on Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for 79 weeks, peaking at number seven. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album four-times platinum on November 1, 1999, for shipments of four million copies. According to the Nielson SoundScan, the album has sold 2,753,000 copies.

Across Europe, it was more successful than in the United States. In early times of its release, the commercial response for the album was short of expectations, but its sales rose sharply during the European leg of the My Love Is Your Love World Tour, which was the highest grossing arena concert tour of 1999 on the continent, and consequently My Love Is Your Love became the second best-selling album of 1999 in Europe, behind Cher's Believe, spending more than one year on the charts in many countries. In the United Kingdom, it reached number four on the albums chart and was certified 3× Platinum for shipments of 900,000 copies of the album by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). In France, the album peaked at number two on the albums chart, and was certified 2× platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). In Germany, it climbed to the number two on the albums chart on its 35th week and has sold more than 670,000 copies. The album reached number one on the albums charts in Austria, Switzerland and Netherlands, and the top five in Belgium, Denmark, Norway and Finland. My Love Is Your Love was certified 4× platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for shipments of four million copies of the album in Europe. As of May 2000, the album sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

Accolades

Much like her previous albums, Houston received many awards and nominations from her work on the album. At the 71st Academy Awards, "When You Believe", her duet with Mariah Carey from The Prince of Egypt won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, which went to writer Stephen Schwartz, who wasn't present for the award. It was the third Academy Award-nominated song Houston performed on, after "Run to You" and "I Have Nothing", from The Bodyguard. The same song received two nominations at the American Latino Media Arts (ALMA) Awards, including Outstanding Performance of a Song for a Feature Film and Outstanding Music Video, mainly due to Carey's Latino (Venezuelan) heritage. The same song was nominated for Best Original Song at the 56th Golden Globe Awards.

Houston received three nominations for the album at the 2000 American Music Awards, including her seventh career nomination for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist, her seventh career nomination for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and a career fourth nomination for Favorite Soul/R&B Album.

At the Bambi Verleihung (or Bambi Awards) in Germany, Houston received the Pop International Award for her work on the album as well as her entire two-decade career.

At the 1999 Billboard Music Awards, Houston received three nominations, including Hot 100 Female Artist of the Year while her hit "Heartbreak Hotel" was nominated in the Hot 100 Single and Hot R&B Single of the Year categories. In 1999 and 2000, Houston received four nominations at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards including two nominations for Favorite R&B Female Artist and two nominations for "Heartbreak Hotel" and "When You Believe". Three of the songs on the album - "Heartbreak Hotel", "It's Not Right but It's Okay" and "My Love Is Your Love" - won awards for the songwriters at the 2000 BMI Pop Awards. While Babyface received a BMI Pop Award for "When You Believe" at the 2001 ceremony. At the 2000 Brit Awards in London received her sixth nomination for Best International Female Artist.

At the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2000, Houston received four nominations for the album, including Best R&B Album, winning one for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "It's Not Right but It's Okay". It was her first win in the category after six previous nominations, dating back to

Track listing

Notes

^a denotes additional producer

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic.