| "I'm Your Baby Tonight" | ||||
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| Single by Whitney Houston | ||||
| from the album I'm Your Baby Tonight | ||||
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| Released | September 28, 1990 | |||
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| Label | Arista | |||
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| Whitney Houston singles chronology | ||||
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| "I'm Your Baby Tonight" on YouTube | ||||
"I'm Your Baby Tonight" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston from her third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990). Written and produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface, in Australia and most European countries it was released as the album's lead single by Arista Records on September 28, 1990; in the United States, the release date was October 2. Following the release of her second studio album Whitney (1987), Houston became the first woman ever to debut atop the Billboard 200; despite this, critics deemed it safe and formulaic. Additionally, she was booed at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards and accused of being "not black enough"; Houston decided she needed to change her sound if she wanted to recapture black audiences.
For I'm Your Baby Tonight, Houston chose to work with Reid and Babyface, who had previously produced her then-boyfriend Bobby Brown's 1988 album Don't Be Cruel. The title-track was the last song recorded for the album and marked a departure from Houston's previous works; it is a new jack swing song with pop and R&B influences, and lyrics that talk about sexual desire. Upon release, the single was generally well-received by most critics, who applauded its sound and Houston's vocals. "I'm Your Baby Tonight" received a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 33rd Grammy Awards. In retrospective reviews, it has been considered one of her best singles. The song was also commercially successful, becoming Houston's eighth number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, a feat that tied her with Madonna as the female artist with most number one hits at the time. It performed well internationally, reaching the top five of several countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Italy.
The accompanying music video was directed by Julien Temple and showed Houston sporting a more "rebellious" look, and emulating the style of figures such as Audrey Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, and the Supremes. Houston performed "I'm Your Baby Tonight" on several occasions through the 1990s, including three of her concert tours, and her HBO special Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston. Brandy sang the song at the 2012 BET Awards in tribute to Houston after her death.