Here Are All the Songs in I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Naomi Ackie gives audiences a glimpse into Whitney Houston’s life in director Kasi Lemmons’ new biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody, and the new film is packed with a number of Houston’s hits.

Working with movement coach Polly Bennett (“Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Elvis”) and vocal coaches Tangela Large, Bridgette Jackson and Denise Woods, Ackie also underwent a physical transformation with the help of multiple wigs and false teeth to cover up the natural gap in both. front teeth.

Ackie doesn’t sing most of the songs in the film—she lip-syncs to Houston’s perfect lines—but she mimics Houston’s singing style in great detail. She takes in Houston’s unrecorded performances like “Guide Me O You Great Jehovah” and “Jesus Loves Me” from her choir days. Ackie also portrays a nervous Whitney, who is ushered on stage by her mother, who knows Clive Davis is in attendance, to sing “Greatest Love of All.” Ackie’s nervous singing transitions into Houston’s smooth tone, and for the rest of the film, the songs are made up of actual recordings of Houston’s voice—22 original recordings to be exact.

The classics were sampled and remixed for movie theaters, courtesy of Arista Records—where Davis signed Houston—and Dick Clark Productions, as well as with the help of Sony Entertainment. Other artists making names for themselves at the time also appear on the film’s soundtrack.

Here are all the songs on “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”:

• “I Believe in You and Me” Written by Sandy Linzer & David Wolfert, performed by Whitney Houston
• “Star Spangled Banner” Written by Francis Scott Key, performed by Whitney Houston feat. The Florida Orchestra
• “Don’t Cry” written by Keith Thomas, performed by Whitney Houston
• “Run To You” Written by Allan Rich & Jud J. Friedman Directed by Whiney Houston
• “I Will Always Love You” Written by Dolly Parton, performed by Whitney Houston
• “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” Arranged by Jason White and performed by Naomi Ackie
• “I Have Nothing” Performed Written by Linda Thompson and David Foster, performed by Whitney Houston
• “Why Does It Hurt So Bad” Written by Kenneth Edmonds, performed by Whitney Houston
• “All I Do” Written by Stevie Wonder, Clarence Paul and Ervin Broadmax, performed by Stevie Wonder
• “The Greatest Love of All” Written by Linda Creed & Michael Masser, performed by Whitney Houston
• “It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay” Written by Leshawn Ameen Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, Fred Jerkins, Tony J Estes & Isaak J Phillips, performed by Whitney Houston
• “I’ll Be There” Written by Bobby Darin, performed by Tamara Tunie
• “Home” by Charles Emanuel Smalls, performed by Whitney Houston
• “I’m Every Woman” Written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, performed by Whitney Houston
• “Papillon (AKA Hot Butterfly)” Written by Greg Diamond, performed by Chaka Kahn
• “You Give Good Love”, written by La Forreste Cope, performed by Whitney Houston
• “I’m Your Baby” Tonight” Written by Kenneth Edmonds & Antonio Reid, performed by Whitney Houston
• “Bad Boy Having a Party” Written by Luther Vandross, Marcus Miller and Sam Cooke, performed by Luther Vandross
• “If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful (Duet with Jermaine Jackson)” Written by Elliot A. Willensky, performed by Whitney Houston & Jermaine Jackson
• “So Emotional” Written by Tom Kelly & Billy Steinberg, performed by Whitney Houston
• “My Prerogative” by Robert Brown, Gene Griffin, Edward Theodore
• “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” Written by Chuck Jackson & Frank N Wildhorn, performed by Whitney Houston
• “Saving All MY Love” Written by Michael Masser, Gerry Goffin & Leon Ware, performed by Whitney Houston
• “One Moment in Time” Written by John Bettis & Albert Hammond, performed by Whitney Houston
• “Nobody in the World” Written by Marty Sharron, Ken Hirsch, performed by Anita Baker
• “White Lines” Written by Melvin Glover, Sylvia Robinson, performed by Grandmaster Flash & Furious Five
• “How Will I Know” Written by Narada Michal Walden, George Robert Merrill & Shannon Rubican, performed by Whitney Houston
• “I Didn’t Know My Strength” written by Diane Warren, performed by Whitney Houston
• “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” Written by George Robert Merril & Shannon Rubican, performed by Whitney Houston” 24/7″ Written by Rodney Jerkins, Marvin Hemmings & Chantal Hampton, performed by Chantal Hampton
• “Batson’s Piano Bar West” Written and performed by Mark Batson
• “Far Enough” Written by Michael Masse, Gerry Goffin & Leon Ware, performed by Whitney Houston
• “We all need someone” Written by Clive Lukover
• “My Name Is Not Susan” Written by Eric White, performed by Whitney Houston
• Higher Love” Written by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings, performed by Kygo and Whitney Houston
• “Jesus Loves Me” Written by Anna Bartlett Warner, performed by Naomi Ackie
• Impossible Medley (courtesy of Dick Clark Productions)
  • “I Love You, Porgy” Written by George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin
  • “And I’m Telling You” written by Tom Eyev, Henry Krieger, performed by Whitney Houston
  • “I Got Nothing” Written by Linda Thompson, David Foster performed by Whitney Houston

Here is the Spotify album that accompanies the biography.

Of these classics, it’s Houston who sings below:

• “The Greatest Love”
• “home”
• “give you good love”
• “If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful” (duet with Jermaine Jackson)
• “Where do broken hearts go”
• “Saving All My Love”
• “How will I know”
• “I want to dance with someone”
• “Far Enough (Unreleased)”
• “Star Spangled Banner”
• “I run to you”
• “I’ll Always Love You” (Live at the Concert for a New South Africa)
• “Why does it hurt so bad”
• “It’s not fair, but it’s okay”
• “I’m Every Woman”
• “I’m Your Baby Tonight”
• “so emotional”
• “A Moment in Time”
• “Million Dollar Bill”
• “My name is not Susan”
• “I didn’t know my strength”
• “The Impossible Medley” (I love you, Porgy / And if I tell you I won’t go / I’ve got nothing)

For these 22 tracks, supervising sound and music editor John Warhurst and music supervisor Maureen Crowe worked with rights holders and archives to obtain master mixes in addition to the original, raw recordings on many tracks made by Houston.