A new song featuring the voice of Whitney Houston has been released making for her first new music seven years after her untimely death.
Decades ago, The I Will Always Love You hitmaker had recorded a cover of Steve Winwood’s 1986 hit Higher Love which was remixed by Kygo and released on Friday.
Clive Davis – who signed the talented artist to Arista Records back in 1983 – made the announcement on his Instagram page as he released art of the single featuring Whitney and the 27-year-old Norwegian DJ.
Legend: A new song featuring the voice of Whitney Houston (pictured in February 2009) has been released making for her first new music seven years after her untimely death
Big reveal: Decades ago, The I Will Always Love You hitmaker had recorded a cover of Steve Winwood’s 1986 hit Higher Love which was remixed by Kygo and released on Friday
He had teased the collaboration with a short video on his social media a day before which revealed that Houston had performed a cover of the song during her Feels So Right Tour in Japan back in 1990 before re-recording it a year later.
It had been originally intended for her third studio album, I’m Your Baby Tonight released in 1990, but it was never officially released.
Of the project, Clive told Rolling Stone: ‘When [producer] Narada Michael Walden sent me ‘Higher Love’ with the Whitney vocal, we didn’t want her being a cover artist at that time.’
This comes seven years after the singer died at age 48 at The Beverly Hilton.
Amazing: Clive Davis had teased the collaboration with a short video on his social media a day before which revealed that Houston had performed a cover of the song during her Feels So Right Tour in Japan back in 1990 before re-recording it a year later
Interesting: It had been originally intended for her third studio album, I’m Your Baby Tonight released in 1990, but it was never officially released
Revealed: Kygo was featured in the teaser clip posted on Owen’s social media as he looked in a drawer to find a tape of Houston’s Japan performance in 1990
Kygo was featured in the teaser clip posted on Owen’s social media as he looked in a drawer to find a tape of Houston’s Japan performance in 1990.
He was definitely excited about the project as he wrote on social media: ‘I’m incredibly honored to have been able to work on this amazing vocal from one of the most legendary artists of all time!
‘Hope you guys love it as much as I do.’
Icon: Whitney is pictured after winning a Grammy Award in 1985
Last month it was revealed that a Houston hologram tour is now in the works.
The singer’s estate unveiled plans for the tour in an interview with The New York Times, revealing the project will see the songs I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) and The Greatest Love Of All back on stage.
Whitney’s original band and backup singers will join along for the tour, along with her brother Gary Houston, who previously provided backup vocals at her concerts.
Back on stage: This comes after news that a Whitney hologram tour is now in the works, seven years after the singer died at age 48 at the Beverly Hills Hilton (pictured 2009)
‘The hologram has taken precedence over everything,’ Whitney’s sister-in-law and former manager Pat Houston said.
Whitney’s estate is now focused on revitalizing the late star’s business and image, after years of turning down business pitches involving the late singer.
‘Everything is about timing for me,’ Pat explained. ‘It’s been quite emotional for the past seven years. But now it’s about being strategic.’
Last week, the estate inked a deal with the boutique music and marketing company Primary Music Publishing, an agreement which will see the New York-based company acquire 50 percent of the estate’s assets.
Just the hits: Whitney’s original band and backup singers will join along for the tour, along with her brother Gary Houston, who previously provided backup vocals at her concerts
Sources told the New York Times the deal values the estate at $14 million.
The sky seems to be the limit when it comes to future Whitney-related projects.
Larry Mester, Primary Wave’s founder, said he was already talking with Broadway producers about a musical and a Vegas-style project.
Tragic: Whitney died at age 48 after accidentally drowning in a bath at the Beverly Hilton Hotel (pictured 2008)
Unused tracks from her debut album Whitney Houston may appear on an album of unreleased music.
Whitney is a Grammy-award winning singer whose list of hits include Saving All My Love For You, The Greatest Love Of All, How Will I Know, and Didn’t We Almost Have It all.
She died at age 48 after accidentally drowning in a bath at The Beverly Hilton hotel, and coroner’s report said heart disease and cocaine were contributing factors.
Whitney was married to fellow hit-maker Bobby Brown from 1992 to 2007, and together they had daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, who died at age 22 in 2015.
She was found unresponsive in a bathtub at her Georgia home, and spent the final six months of her life in a medically induced coma.
She’s a star: Whitney is a Grammy-award winning singer whose list of hits include Saving All My Love For You, The Greatest Love Of All, How Will I Know, and Didn’t We Almost Have It all (pictured 2004)
