Music Review: Whitney Houston "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"
Whitney Houston
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I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Album: Whitney
Year: 1987
Once nighttime arrives, heartache sets in for Whitney Houston as she longs for a steady romance in the dewy "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."
Lucent synthesizers, keyboards and a drum machine open the single. Houston "yeah's" then "whoo's." The synthesizers reflect her exhilaration.
In the first verse, Houston's at home, hearing the clock chime 10 times. It's late evening and she's deciding whether to watch a comedy or read a book. She wants to forget that she's alone. During the day, her singledom doesn't bother her. However, as she watches couples eat dinner at the restrauant or dance close together at the club, she feels awful about singlehood. ("Clock strikes upon the hour/And the sun begins to fade/Still enough time to figure out/How to chase my blues away/I've done alright up to now/It's the light of day that shows me how/And when the night falls, loneliness calls.")
In the chorus, she wants to find a guy she has chemistry with and who cares for her. She wants to giggle and whisper observations of other people on the dancefloor like she has seen the other couples do. ("Oh wanna dance with somebody/I wanna feel the heat with somebody/
Yeah wanna dance with somebody/With somebody who loves me/Oh wanna dance with somebody/I wanna feel the heat with somebody/Yeah wanna dance with somebody/With somebody who loves me.")
She's fallen hard for guys before. However the intial rush after the flirtation fades and it leads to nothing, she gets upset. She wants a guy who's unafraid of a relationship and willing to take time to nurture one. ("I've been in love and lost my senses/Spinning through the town/
Sooner or later the fever ends/And I wind up feeling down/I need a man who'll take a chance/
On a love that burns hot enough to last/So when the night falls/My lonely heart calls.")
In the third verse, Houston changes it up a bit. She repeats "somebody ooo, somebody woo" and then adds she wants to be cuddled. Then, last four lyrics from the previous verse are repeated. Instead of being repetitive, it comes across as though it were spontaneous. ("Somebody oo Somebody oo/Somebody who loves me yeah/Somebody oo Somebody oo/
To hold me in his arms oh/I need a man who'll take a chance...my lonely heart calls.")
After the chorus is the dance break/bridge. Houston "whoo's" and "yeah's" again while the background singers sing "dance." She asks a guy to join her on the dancefloor. Houston's powerful and outgoing here. She doesn't get pushy but she remains assertive. It's a tough balance but she maintains it like a pro. ("Don'tcha wanna dance with me baby/Dontcha wanna dance with me boy/Hey Don'tcha wanna dance with me baby/With somebody who loves me/
Don'tcha wanna dance say you wanna dance/Don'tcha wanna dance/Don'tcha wanna dance say you wanna dance/Don'tcha wanna dance/Don'tcha wanna dance say you wanna dance/With somebody who loves me.")
The bridge ends the single.
The superb "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" is on par with some of the dance pop released. Nearly 20 years later, the single is as fresh as it was then. It's also written in a descriptive manner, a style which unfortunately has gone out fashion in the genre. An all-around classic.
Album: Whitney
Year: 1987
Once nighttime arrives, heartache sets in for Whitney Houston as she longs for a steady romance in the dewy "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."
Lucent synthesizers, keyboards and a drum machine open the single. Houston "yeah's" then "whoo's." The synthesizers reflect her exhilaration.
In the first verse, Houston's at home, hearing the clock chime 10 times. It's late evening and she's deciding whether to watch a comedy or read a book. She wants to forget that she's alone. During the day, her singledom doesn't bother her. However, as she watches couples eat dinner at the restrauant or dance close together at the club, she feels awful about singlehood. ("Clock strikes upon the hour/And the sun begins to fade/Still enough time to figure out/How to chase my blues away/I've done alright up to now/It's the light of day that shows me how/And when the night falls, loneliness calls.")
In the chorus, she wants to find a guy she has chemistry with and who cares for her. She wants to giggle and whisper observations of other people on the dancefloor like she has seen the other couples do. ("Oh wanna dance with somebody/I wanna feel the heat with somebody/
Yeah wanna dance with somebody/With somebody who loves me/Oh wanna dance with somebody/I wanna feel the heat with somebody/Yeah wanna dance with somebody/With somebody who loves me.")
She's fallen hard for guys before. However the intial rush after the flirtation fades and it leads to nothing, she gets upset. She wants a guy who's unafraid of a relationship and willing to take time to nurture one. ("I've been in love and lost my senses/Spinning through the town/
Sooner or later the fever ends/And I wind up feeling down/I need a man who'll take a chance/
On a love that burns hot enough to last/So when the night falls/My lonely heart calls.")
In the third verse, Houston changes it up a bit. She repeats "somebody ooo, somebody woo" and then adds she wants to be cuddled. Then, last four lyrics from the previous verse are repeated. Instead of being repetitive, it comes across as though it were spontaneous. ("Somebody oo Somebody oo/Somebody who loves me yeah/Somebody oo Somebody oo/
To hold me in his arms oh/I need a man who'll take a chance...my lonely heart calls.")
After the chorus is the dance break/bridge. Houston "whoo's" and "yeah's" again while the background singers sing "dance." She asks a guy to join her on the dancefloor. Houston's powerful and outgoing here. She doesn't get pushy but she remains assertive. It's a tough balance but she maintains it like a pro. ("Don'tcha wanna dance with me baby/Dontcha wanna dance with me boy/Hey Don'tcha wanna dance with me baby/With somebody who loves me/
Don'tcha wanna dance say you wanna dance/Don'tcha wanna dance/Don'tcha wanna dance say you wanna dance/Don'tcha wanna dance/Don'tcha wanna dance say you wanna dance/With somebody who loves me.")
The bridge ends the single.
The superb "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" is on par with some of the dance pop released. Nearly 20 years later, the single is as fresh as it was then. It's also written in a descriptive manner, a style which unfortunately has gone out fashion in the genre. An all-around classic.
