For those who have missed the gospel-inspired vocals of Whitney Houston, Friday brought the chance to hear the superstar’s vocals on a familiar track: Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love.”
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Whitney Houston’s estate released a version of the 1986 hit with help from producer Kygo on Friday, according to Rolling Stone. The song was released more than seven years after the iconic songstress’ death.
Houston laid the vocals for the cover song in 1990, with plans to add the song to her eventual hit album “I’m Your Baby Tonight.” The decision to leave the song off the LP came down to the singer’s mentor and record label head Clive Davis wanting to avoid Houston becoming “a cover artist,” according to the music magazine.
Pat Houston, the singer’s sister-in-law and executor of her estate, said the posthumous release is right on time for the current musical landscape.
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“The current cultural environment has been thirsty for something uplifting and inspiring,” Pat Houston tells Rolling Stone. “Who better to inspire than Whitney, the most exhilarating vocalist of all time?”
Take a listen to the new Kygo and Whitney Houston track below:
The single is one of many upcoming projects that will be released in honor of Houston, according to Rolling Stone. Plans include a “hologram” tour, a full album of unreleased material and more branding opportunities.
“We want to remind people why they fell in love with Whitney in the first place,” Houston told the publication.
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