愛惠旗艦店

紐約時報今天的評論

The importance: The diva has been missing from the pop landscape since 2003, when she released a holiday-themed collection. Much of the singer's headlines over the past few years have been more of the tabloid nature, focusing on health issues and her marriage to Bobby Brown. But the public loves a good comeback, as evidenced by Mariah Carey with her "The Emancipation of Mimi," and a new Whitney album -- one that's not embarrassing -- would surely ascend to blockbuster status in a matter of weeks, if not days. Indeed, it's not just the Sony BMG brass who would likely be hungry for some new Whitney content. Just check the success that met Leona Lewis, and her Whitney-influenced smash "Bleeding Love."

自2003年發行耶誕專輯後,這位天后就消失於樂壇. 接著幾年消息都圍繞著她個人的健康問題和與巴比布朗的婚姻上. 不過美國大眾一向看喜歡大復出的戲碼, Mariah Carey The Emancipation of Mimi 的成功是最好的例子, 一張不失禮的惠妮復出專輯, 幾週內(或幾天內)要大賣應該不成問題. 的確, 並不是只有惠妮所屬的Sony BMG唱片公司"求惠若渴", 你只要看看一首帶著濃濃惠妮味的Bleeding Love有多成功就可以知道 (一般大眾也渴望聽到惠妮新歌).

The verdict: "Like I Never Left," featuring production and a collaboration from Akon, is as much an Akon song as it is a Whitney cut. As such, it's mission isn't so much to be a knock-out, but to re-establish Whitney as a contemporary artist, even featuring some electronically-manipulated vocals from Akon. But while that's one of the song's more distressing qualities (the other is Akon feeling the need to announce who is singing the song at it's start), it doesn't fully distract from what is ultimately an effortlessly light R&B cut. As feather-light as the song is, Houston still sounds pretty good, even though she has nothing to say. If anything, the song definitely doesn't need Akon. Houston is cool, assertive and matter-of-fact, bringing a level of personality to the standard that's absent in the ho-hum lyrics. Akon's production is cheesy-smooth, lacking any sense of grandeur, and putting Houston on par with Mariah.

Like I Never Left是由Akon製作並與惠妮合唱, 嚴格說來不能算是純惠妮單曲, 它的任務並不是要一舉打下市場, 而是要再度確立惠妮為現代潮流歌手的定位(不是老歌手), 同時加入了一些Akon帶點電音味道的歌聲, 雖然那歌聲是整首歌令人討厭的部份(另外則是他在歌曲一開頭唱出主唱人名字), 但那不影響整首歌自然溢發的R&B原味 - 輕輕柔柔,不費力氣, 休斯頓的歌聲也像歌曲一樣如羽毛般輕盈,聽起來依舊相當好, 雖然她沒有要說什麼, 如果有的話, 一定是要說這首歌不需要Akon, 休斯頓的詮釋很酷, 很堅定, 很實際, 為乏味老套的歌詞注入所需的個性, 反觀Akon過度討好,缺乏大器的製作將休斯頓與Mariah流於同輩.

Is it finished? According to a spokeswoman for Houston, no, the song that leaked is not "a finished song at all." But as to when it was recorded, if it will be finished, and if an album is forthcoming? No comment.

這首歌完成了嗎？根據休斯頓發言人的說法 - 沒有,這個流出的版本只是半成品. 至於這首歌是何時錄製的？會不會繼續完成？還有新專輯是否發行？通通不與置評.

Does this mean an album is coming soon? "Yes your girl is coming back," Houston sings in the song, but don't bet on it, at least not anytime soon. The much-discussed return of Whitney has been years in the making, and a new album has been promised to be on the horizon dating back to 2005. In February of this year, then J Records head Clive Davis said at his pre-Grammy bash that a new Whitney album would be coming soon, but we've heard that promise before. And Fox's Roger Friedman reports that a new Whitney album is "not nearly ready."

這代表專輯就快發行了嗎？"是的,你祖嬤要回來了" 休斯頓是這樣唱著, 但還別急著打賭, 因為還沒那麼快.  大家討論已久的惠妮復出專輯早在2005年就開始籌劃, 今年二月J Records的老闆Clive Davis說新專輯就快發行了, 不過這並不是他第一次說, 福斯娛樂專欄作家Roger Friedman也表示惠妮的新專輯尚未錄製完成.