Background

I am so captivated and enamoured by Whitney Houston’s “My Love is Your Love” that even if World War III started tomorrow, I would still clap and be convinced that everything will be alright.

“My Love is Your Love” was released in May 1999 as the fourth single from Whitney Houston’s album of the same name. The title track was written and produced by Wyclef Jean and Jerry Duplessis.

Clap Your Hands, Y’all, It’s Alright

Whitney’s first decade in music was filled with polished pop ballads (think “The Greatest Love of All”), soulful gospel tracks (The Preacher’s Wife soundtrack that I have yet to di my deepdive on), and vibrant dance songs (the karaoke staple “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”). And with her album My Love is Your Love, she experimented with R&B and delved into hip-hop. But she didn’t stop her exploration with those genres. She ventured into reggae with the help of Wyclef Jean and Jerry Duplessis.

I will be the first to admit that I know close to nothing about reggae. But I have a (mis)conception of what the genre entails.

When I think of reggae, I associate the music with a laidback and relaxed vibe. It’s the sound I would listen to on a chill, slow, and sunny day. My mind goes to the Caribbean, my peace is undisturbed, and I’m feeling unbothered. And that’s where “My Love is Your Love” takes me.

Just as essential to my imagination is the picture of a community coming together. There is a singalong, the group is vibing, and a voice takes centre stage (in this case, it’s Whitney’s). The crowd participates, people are humming along, clapping, and playing instruments. And these all occur in the backdrop of the world’s demise and destruction.

And the Chains of Amistad Couldn’t Hold Us

Whitney sings about some serious stuff – World War III, Judgement Day, and survival. And despite these adversities, she sounds prepared, and has the resilience to power through. Her tone is reassuring and grounds the listener to what is important in life. Yes, the contexts are exaggerated (or are they?). But she speaks a universal truth. Love and music help us thrive in an otherwise cruel world.

“My Love is Your Love” could be a couple’s wedding song. A social movement can use this as their collective anthem. And this could also work in the setting of a family. The guest vocal hints on Whitney’s intention – perhaps a song of devotion from a mother, Whitney, to her daughter, then five year old Bobbi Kristina. But the beauty of the songwriting is that it could apply to just about any occasion.

Her warmth on the record is infectious and timeless. Even now, close to three decades since the track’s release, I still find the sound to be uplifting and comforting. And I don’t think we can ever have too many of those.

It’s Okay as Long, as I Got You, Babe

I forgot the title of a Whitney documentary I saw on Netflix. But apparently, during her early years, one of the reasons Whitney was popular with the general public but not among her peers, was because of how some felt her artistry was manufactured and controlled by her record label. And while no one can ascertain the realities of the past, she does sound different and more confident in “My Love is Your Love”. She seems to have thrown the perfect pop princess imagery out of the window, and lived her own truths by crafting her own mould.

She has a reputation for being powerful, loud, and technical. In “My Love is Your Love”, she’s simply telling a story. Yes, there are high notes. But they don’t come off as assignments she needed to finish. Everything sounds like an adlib. There’s grace without precision. There’s power without any flex.

She might have had a script. But she was willing to take liberties with it. She put some real life, unplanned studio interaction with her daughter on the record. She didn’t go for perfection but opted for connection. And that helped the public, myself included, see not just the artist, but also the human behind the song.

Conclusion

“My Love Is Your Love” is one of those moments that showed Whitney Houston was willing to let her guard down, and surrender her pop princess persona. She blended the relaxed resilience of reggae with lyrics that find hope amidst destruction. She created a radio hit, but also crafted a timeless anthem for survival through love. The world may be unpredictable, but Whitney’s warmth is a constant we can still lean on.