14 DAY TRIAL // At the end of February, Whitney Houston was performing the opening show in Australia to such negative reviews that many even believed she would not continue with her tour after them. The other night, the diva brought her international tour to the UK, after some delay due to health issues and the reactions to the first date are incredibly mixed.
Fans tend to agree though, that when she was great, she was truly brilliant, while when she was bad, she was downright awful. Reviewers also believe that those looking to see the same Whitney that used to tour many years will certainly be disappointed in her current tour. On the other hand, those who understand that time and a severe drug addiction have taken a toll on what was once a gorgeous voice (and which still remains impressive by most standards) will have a good time – and will not live to regret paying good money for a ticket.
“Some of her behavior here, it’s true, petered between the eccentric and the charmingly kooky – she chattered ramblingly between songs, signed an autograph from the stage, started sentences and didn’t finish them – but the proof of her sanity was in her singing. […] The title track was a mawkish devotional number with slide show that depicted a bleak winter landscape turning into lush summer. Yes, yes, we get the message, you’ve made it through the rain. The stage was crowded with dancers, musicians, and backing vocalists but Houston had no need of their support. She’s definitely back,” The Guardian writes.
The Daily Mail would beg to differ: yes, Whitney is back but there’s something missing from the picture, which would explain why so many fans the tab has spoken to said they were disappointed in the concert. “Houston, we still have a problem” runs the Mail headline, leaving little doubt as to how the diva was welcome by the critic in attendance. As with everything, opinions about Whitney’s comeback are divided but, as long as comparisons with her former glory are avoided, she’s doing wonderfully. Unfortunately, it’s hard not to compare, as The Independent also puts it.
“If tonight was the first to attempt to recreate her early zest, she did not quite make it. But it’s still an impressive voice – and you feel lucky to hear Houston live. After the first few numbers, without the backing band for support, her breathlessness could be heard, while later in the night she blamed her panting on the air conditioning. […]By the time she reached ‘I Will Always Love You,’ her voice was tired, but she took relish in reaching the high note – even though she stopped mid-song and turned her back on the audience to compose herself. Tonight was definitely a spectacle – and for the most part in a good way,” the aforementioned publication says.
Below is Whitney Houston’s most recent rendering of her hit “I Will Always Love You.” It’s clearly a far cry from how she used to perform it back in the day, but it’s also an improvement from what happened in Australia earlier this year. Enjoy.