It’s been a while since I last heard a Whitney Houston song, but over the weekend we were all given a chance to get a sneak preview of her upcoming album. The song entitled “Like I Never Left” features Akon, a clever move if you take into account that he was last year’s top collaborator. It may be that Whitney is trying to break back into the youth market with this move and other collaborations that will appear on her album, but is that really necessary? She has now reached 44 years of age and her fanbase has aged with her. A move such as incorporating Akon will not attract any of her old fans back, and I didn’t find the song appealing enough to attract any younger fans.

There is also something very strange going on with her voice in this leaked track. Even though it sounds perfect (as usual after all the work that is done to it by producers), there is a lack of expression, sentiment, the thing that made Whitney’s song so appealing in the first place. Some people even preferred Akon’s parts more than hers, which is strange indeed considering how famous she is for her powerful, exact and emotional voice.

Whatever the case, her producer has stated that they are aiming for a November release, which makes sense as “Like I Never Left” has Christmas subliminally written all over it. There is no actual release date or a title for the album for that matter and it is unknown whether the leaked song will be the first single released from it. Other famous musicians and producers that may be collaborating with Whitney include Timbaland and Sean Garret.

Good luck and merry Xmas.