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Background

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L.A. Reid (left, pictured in 2011) and Babyface (right, pictured in 2013) produced "My Name Is Not Susan"

In 1987, with the release of her second studio album, Whitney Houston became the first woman ever to debut atop the Billboard 200.[1] Despite commercial success, critical reception was lukewarm; critics chastised Houston for "playing it safe", and deemed the album formulaic.[2][3] At the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards, where Houston was nominated in the category of Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Single – Female, audible jeers were heard after her name was announced alongside the other nominees.[4][5] She was accused of being "not black enough", and having "zero street cred".[4][5] Houston had been discovered by music executive Clive Davis, who had worked with artists such as Barry Manilow and, despite having presented her as an R&B artist early on her career, quickly crossed her over to Adult contemporary music;[6] according to music journalist and academic Jason King, this caused the black public to feel "a little ignored".[4] Houston herself later told Ebony magazine: "When I first came out, black people felt 'she belongs to us' [...] then all of a sudden the big success came and they felt I wasn't theirs anymore [...] It was felt that I was making myself more accessible to whites, but I wasn't".[7] Her and Davis agreed that a musical change was needed if she wanted to recapture black audiences.[6]

In 1989, Houston became romantically involved with New jack swing singer Bobby Brown, whom she had met at the Soul Train Music Awards; according to author Christine Heppermann, Brown's "unrestrained attitude" inspired Houston.[8] For her third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight, she decided to work with producers L.A. Reid, and Babyface, who had worked with Brown on his breakthrough album Don't Be Cruel; she felt they could give her the "funky, urban groove critics felt she had been lacking".[9] Houston then flew to Atlanta to begin working on the album with the producers, an experience she found to be quite pleasant.[10][11] The first songs they worked on were "My Name Is Not Susan", "Anymore", and the title-track.[12]

Composition and release

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Lyrically, it finds Houston chastising her lover after he referred to her by his ex-girlfriend's name in bed.[13]

In the United States, it was released on July 25.[14]

Critical reception

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Upon release, "My Name Is Not Susan" received generally positive reviews by critics. For Lee G. Edwards, author of R&B Soul Music: A Fan's View (2005), despite not being considered one of Houston's greatest hits, it's "a little different from her usual style [which] says even more about her versatility [...] ['My Name Is Not Susan'] brought out her a side of her that had not been seen or heard before".[15] Gerrick Kennedy referred to "My Name Is Not Susan", along with title-track "I'm Your Baby Tonight", as "sassy anthems bursting with the sort of brash hip-hop energy" that would go on to become a staple of Houston's future work.[10] Rolling Stone's James Hunter applauded out the singer's "compressed yet still testifying vocal zigzags.".[16] Larry Flick from Billboard commented that, "after several ballads, [Houston] jacks it up on a percolating jam that features one of her more assertive vocals", further singling out the track's "slinky swing attitude [that] could entice clubsters".[17]

From Smash Hits magazine, Caroline Sullivan noted that "not only are her lyrics more adult, the music is the toughest she's come up with yet", concluding her review by referring to the single as "still fairly sugar sweet, [but] a most enjoyable record".[18] The staff of Music & Media praised its "snappy" refrain.[19] Alex Henderson and Bryan Devaney from Cashbox opined the song "isn't nearly as pop" as Houston's previous material.[20] For BET, it is the singer's 37th greatest song, that shows her "at her most spiteful".[21] NME's Nick Levine placed "My Name Is Not Susan" on the magazine's list of Houston's "10 amazing songs you might not know".[22] In a more critical review, Entertainment Weekly's David Browne compared the track unfavorably to "an audition for her pending movie career, Houston gets to act 'angry' [on 'My Name Is Not Susan']".[13] Less favorable was J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun; he referred to it as "emotionless", and felt Houston is "mainly going through the motions - there's absolutely nothing in her performance to suggest that she was even the slightest bit moved by these songs".[23]

Chart performance

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Promotion and cover

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Houston performing during her 1991 HBO special Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston

The music video for "My Name Is Not Susan" was directed by Ralph McDaniels;[24]

Houston performed "My Name Is Not Susan" during her 1991 HBO special Welcome Home Heroes with Whitney Houston, which took placee at Naval Station Norfolk; during the performance her microphone malfunctioned, so the audio was partially dubbed for the home release.[14] Additionally, it was included on Houston's I'm Your Baby Tonight (1991), The Bodyguard (1993–94), and Pacific Rim concert tours.[25] On January 27, 1992, she sang a medley of "I’m Your Baby Tonight", "My Name Is Not Susan", and album track "Who Do You Love" at the 19th American Music Awards.[26] Israeli singer Dana International covered the track as "My Name Is Not Sa'ida" in 1998.[27]

References

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  1. ^ "Her second, Billboard's first". Washington Post. July 10, 1987. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  2. ^ Pareles, Jon (June 7, 1987). "Whitney Houston: She's singing by formula". New York Times. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  3. ^ Aletti, Vince (August 13, 1987). "Home > Music > Album reviews > Whitney". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 12, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; June 28, 2011 suggested (help)
  4. ^ a b c Juzwiak, Rich (November 24, 2014). "Remember when Whitney Houston got booed for being too white?". Gawker. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on November 24, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Rose, Steve (July 7, 2018). "Not black enough: The identity crisis that haunted Whitney Houston". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 7, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Breihan, Tom (October 25, 2021). "The Number Ones: Whitney Houston's 'I'm Your Baby Tonight'". Stereogum. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  7. ^ Norment, Lynn (May 1991). "Whitney Houston talks about the men in her life - and the rumors, lies and insults that are the high price of fame". Ebony. Vol. 46, no. 7. p. 112. ISSN 0012-9011. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  8. ^ Heppermann 2012, pp. 43–50
  9. ^ Heppermann 2012, p. 52
  10. ^ a b Kennedy 2022, p. 164
  11. ^ Waldron, Clarence (November 5, 1990). "Whitney Houston talks about her long-awaited album, 'I'm Your Baby Tonight'". Jet. Vol. 79, no. 4. p. 36. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  12. ^ Crawford 2019, pp. 174
  13. ^ a b Browne, David (November 23, 1990). "I'm Your Baby Tonight". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 5, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Whitney Houston 'My Name Is Not Susan' released in July 1991". Official Whitney Houston Website. July 25, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  15. ^ Edwards 2005, p. 165
  16. ^ Hunter, James (January 10, 1992). "Home > Music > Album reviews > I'm Your Baby Tonight". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 20, 2018. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  17. ^ Flick, Larry (July 20, 1990). "Single Reviews: Whitney Houston 'My Name is Not Susan'" (PDF). Billboard. 103 (29): 72. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  18. ^ Sullivan, Caroline (May 14, 1991). "Review Singles: Whitney Houston, My Name is Not Susan (Arista)". Smash Hits. Archived from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  19. ^ "New releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 8 (25): 16. June 22, 1991. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  20. ^ Henderson, Alex; Devaney, Bryan (August 3, 1991). "Music Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 54 (51): 5. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  21. ^ "The 40 best Whitney Houston songs: My Name Is Not Susan". BET. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  22. ^ Levine, Nick (February 14, 2012). "Whitney Houston – 10 Amazing songs you might not know". NME. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  23. ^ Considine, J.D (November 6, 1990). "Whitney Houston's latest release never quite ignites". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  24. ^ McGee, Sheri (1992). "The Dream Job". The Black Professional. 4 (2): 24–26. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  25. ^ "Track: My Name Is Not Susan". Official Whitney Houston Website. July 21, 1991. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  26. ^ "Video: I'm Your Baby Tonight/My Name Is Not Susan/Who Do You Love (American Music Awards 1992)". Official Whitney Houston Website. January 27, 1992. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  27. ^ Armbrust 2000, pp. 106

Bibliography

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