3 hrs + 57 mins of Whitney-yet-also-just-vibes
'The Bodyguard' soundtrack still wins everything
I’m the author, journalist, producer, and podcast creator Danyel Smith. SHINE BRIGHT HQ is where I freestyle about music and culture. And regardless of what some say? It’s Black History Month, and it’s Black History Month Daily over here. Feb. 1 was about Janet Jackson and Michael Jackson. Feb. 2 was about duets. Feb. 3 was about Beyoncé, this week’s Grammys, and Grammys history. February 4 was VIBE magazine (which I will likely go back to). Yesterday was Natalie Cole’s Inseparable. The daily celebration continues, so ⤵️
I never tire of reminding people of the below:
Houston was at a pinnacle. In 1993, The Bodyguard soundtrack stayed at No. 1 on Billboard’s pop album charts for 20 weeks and sold 18 million copies, more than 1977’s Bee Gees-heavy Saturday Night Fever or Prince’s 1984 Purple Rain.
It remains in 2025, the No. 1 bestselling soundtrack of all time.
The Bodyguard soundtrack broke the single-week sales record — 770,000 —held by Guns ‘n’ Roses’ 1991 Use Your Illusion II. Bodyguard is the first album in history to sell one million copies — in one week.
Kevin Costner, who spoke at Houston's funeral, says the woman in the iconic poster is not Whitney Houston.
The soundtrack has 12 songs. Six of them are Whitney’s. One of them is “I Will Always Love You,” America’s No. 1 song for 14 weeks in a row — a No. 1 hit in almost every country that keeps track.
Whitney said to me that Bodyguard changed her life, and wrecked her marriage.
your new playlist includes:
various and wonderful iterations of Houston's “I Will Always Love You” — live, a capella-ish, and et cetera. There’s also Dolly Parton's 1974 original, Linda Ronstadt's 1975 version, LeAnn Rimes' 1994 version — and Gloria Gaynor has a ‘94 take as well. Deborah Cox's boss cover is from 2017.
This playlist includes every single song I discuss in the “Whitney + Aretha” chapter of my Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop. From Peaches & Herb to Chaka Khan to Beyoncé to Lena Horne to Tina Turner to Irene Cara and more. Each song is connected to Whitney Houston via mood and energy and history. Context + connections + nostalgia + dot-connecting = a rich and emotional listening experience 🔆 🔆 🔆 🔆 🔆 for you.
the below talk was recorded 36 hours after Houston died in 2012.
🐇🐰🐇 some rabbit holes for you ⤵
ME ON WHITNEY HOUSTON'S SUPER BOWL XXV NATIONAL ANTHEM
JUST HOW BAD THINGS GOT
PODCAST: MORE ON THAT SUPER BOWL MOMENT
PODCAST: ME TALKING WHITNEY ON QUESTLOVE SUPREME
THAT TIME IN 1995 WHEN I INTERVIEWED WHITNEY HOUSTON FOR VIBE
GERRICK KENNEDY'S EXCELLENT WHITNEY HOUSTON BOOK
In music,
Danyel
Had to go watch the video of Whitney singing the anthem again, immediately eyes filled with tears, nobody like her, ever. Loved your interview with Charlie.
I miss her voice so much.