Released October 13, 1993 Genre Pop, dance Label Arista | Recorded 1991 Length 3:06 | |
Format CD single, cassette single, 7" single, 12" single | ||
"Queen of the Night" is a song co-written and performed by American pop/R&B singer Whitney Houston. It was the fifth and final single released from her multi-platinum soundtrack The Bodyguard, and it is played during the closing credits of the film.
Contents
"Queen of the Night" is an uptempo pop rock/dance number, with Houston expressing how she "rules the club scene", proclaiming herself "queen of the night". It was not released as a single in America, but it received such substantial radio play that it rose to number 36 on the Hot 100 Airplay. However, because of Billboard magazine rules at the time (which have since been modified), a song with no commercial single available could not chart on the main Billboard Hot 100. The song reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, becoming Houston's fifth number 1 dance single. It was released in several other countries, peaking at number 14 in the UK.
The music video for "Queen of the Night" is the full performance Houston gives in the motion picture The Bodyguard. In the film, the performance is interrupted by violence.
In live performances by Houston, the song's arrangement was faithful to the 1993 CJ Mackintosh remix, which was used during Houston's 1993-94 The Bodyguard World Tour and also for her performance at the 1994 Soul Train Music Awards.
Critical reception
Chris Willman of the L.A. Times assessed the song negatively: "The only obvious dud (on the album) is 'Queen of the Night,' a silly stab at hard-rock that's almost a dead ringer for En Vogue's 'Free Your Mind,' particularly where her vocals are multitracked." The New York Times's Stephen Holden gave a similar review: "Only 'Queen of the Night,' a run-of-the-mill dance tune, [falls] below par." A positive review came from AllMusic, which called it "a first-rate urban pop song that skillfully captures Houston at her best." Popdose compared its production to Janet Jackson's "Black Cat." CD Universe's review was also positive: "Elsewhere Houston continues to mine her rich vein of ornate balladry and pop-flavored dance workouts, on her own 'Queen Of The Night,' with its percolating upbeat production a la L.A. Reid & Babyface." USA Today writer James T. Jones IV. called this song a surprise, "rocking" tune.
Track listings
- "Queen of the Night" (CJ's Single Edit) – 3:21
- "Queen of the Night" (Album Version) – 3:06
- "Queen of the Night" (CJ's Single Edit) – 3:21
- "Queen of the Night" (CJ's Master Mix) – 6:35
- "Queen of the Night" (CJ's Instrumental Mix) – 9:35
- "Queen of the Night" (Mackapella Mix) – 5:21
- "Queen of the Night" (Dub of the Night) – 5:21
- "Queen of the Night" (CJ's Single Edit) – 3:13 (UK cassette single)
- "Queen of the Night" (CJ's Single Edit) – 4:04 (UK 12")
Popular culture
This song was covered by American Idol contestant Haley Scarnato in 2006. This song was covered during Australian singer Delta Goodrem's Believe Again Tour at various locations throughout Australia in 2009. The 2009 X Factor contestants also performed this song on Sunday, October 18, 2009 as a group performance. Contestant Stacey Solomon, who came third, performed this song on The X Factor Live Tour 2010. The independent, web-based, electronic/dubstep artist known as Futret released a remix/crossover-cover of the song in early February 2012.[1] The song is also mentioned in the show Bob's Burgers, the episode O.T.: The Outside Toilet in which the character Gene talks to an expensive talking toilet, who can answer any of your questions. Gene asks "Who is the queen of the night?" and the toilet responds saying "Whitney Houston". The song was covered by Monika Linkytė in week two of "Eurovizijos" dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka. Madame Tussauds Hollywood's wax figure of Houston depicts her performance of the title song in the bodyguard