Despite her star having lost some of its luster in the 2000s, Whitney Houston is still regarded as a benchmark for modern singers of all stripes (from soulful divas to would-be pop idols). Almost seven years in the making, 2009's I LOOK TO YOU marks a music industry homecoming for the singer. Supported by a mob of A-list producers and songwriters including Diane Warren, David Foster, R. Kelly, Alicia Keys, and many more, Houston's vocals are in fine form on material ranging from hip-hop-tinged contemporary R&B ("Million Dollar Bill") to `70s covers (Leon Russell's "A Song for You") to adult contemporary torch songs ("I Look to You").

Rolling Stone (p.54) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "It is a modern soul record, a collection of sleek, often spunky love songs that aim at something more immediate and tangible than nostalgia or catharsis..."

Entertainment Weekly (p.60) - "[S]he seems relieved to turn to lighter stuff, like the saucy-sweet Alicia Keys collaboration 'Million Dollar Bill' and airy Akon duet 'Like I Never Left.'" -- Grade: B-