Whitney Houston: comeback queen?

2009 is shaping up to be the Year of the Divas. A slew of A-list female entertainers – including Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, Leona Lewis, Madonna and Mary J. Blige – are expected to release albums in the coming months. Others have already kicked things off, with releases from the likes of Pink, Kelly Clarkson and Katy Perry already dominating the charts.

The biggest buzz, however, is centered around the Diva of all Divas, who´s staging a return after a decade-long absence from the limelight. Whitney Houston´s seventh studio album I Look to You – her first LP in six years – drops on September 1, while leaked track ´I Didn´t Know My Own Strength´ is currently circulating around the web. Houston has already hit the promotional circuit; she recently held album listening parties in London and New York, and will headline Good Morning America´s fall concert series in September. The stage is certainly set for a comeback.

And the biggest question on everyone´s mind is – can she do it?

Can Houston break back into Top 40 radio? Can she still top the charts? Can she reclaim her status as an international ballad-belting, record-breaking superstar?

Let´s face reality for a moment: there is one potential barrier standing between Houston and the open arms of her adoring public. The pop scene of the 80s and 90s was dominated by big ballads and soaring voices; this, sadly, is no longer the case today. People look to their Britneys, not their Whitneys, as pop icons. Sigh. There´s no doubt that Houston must concede, at least partially, to today´s uptempo hip-hop world – a la Mariah Carey´s 2005 comeback disc The Emancipation of Mimi – if she wants to truly reclaim her diva throne.

It remains to be seen whether Houston will take Carey´s Yellow Brick Road back to the top. Writers and producers for I Look To You are said to include Alicia Keys, Akon, will.i.am, Ne-Yo and R. Kelly – a group well able to give Houston a contemporary edge. However, the album´s lead single is rumored to be the aforementioned "I Didn´t Know My Own Strength," and five seconds in, it´s beyond evident it hasn´t been tailored for radio airplay.

Everything about the song screams flop: from the plodding piano intro, to the many, many clichés infecting the lyrics ("Lost touch with my soul," "Lost sight of my dream," "I thought I´d never make it through") to the virtual lack of any melodic hook.... Frankly, "Strength" is nothing that Houston didn´t do better with ´Greatest Love of All´ or ´One Moment in Time.´ Warren and Foster have crafted some amazing ballads in the past – Celine Dion´s "Because You Loved Me," Toni Braxton´s "Un-break My Heart," and Brandy´s "Have You Ever," to name a few – ballads which might even make number one today, but this just ain´t one of them. And if Houston puts out an album full of this cheese, she´ll get sneered and jeered right back to the 80s, where songs like this belong.

Buuuuut...

She does have a lot going for her. Her fanbase is still there, eager and waiting. There´s no doubt Houston will have more support from her label, Arista Records, than she´ll know what to do with. She´s in her forties now, but with more than 200 million record sales to her name the woman is still a cash cow, and therefore a Holy Grail to record companies in today´s dismal sales climate. Zoom in on any picture of Clive Davis (Houston´s mentor) at either album party. Look for the dollar signs in his eyes.

Houston´s primary asset remains, of course, her legendary voice. This golden instrument was the entire foundation of her artistry in the first place, and "Strength," if nothing else, shows that Houston still has it in spades. A little worn, perhaps, a little raspy after twenty-five years in the field (not to mention the drug problems... but we won´t go there). There remains little doubt, though, that Whitney Houston can still hold a high note longer than any of her imitators on the radio today. It´s scientific fact. As long as she can do that, there´ll be hope for her.

So, can Whitney make the comeback? It all comes down to whether she can pick the right songs, because she has everything else required. She´s got the voice. She´s got the industry support. And let´s face it: everyone´s rooting for her. Everyone wants to see The Voice return. With the right material... well, forget the Year of the Divas. Bring on the Year of Whitney.