Ups & Downs...

MTV: Whitney Houston's I Look To You Addresses Her 'Ups And Downs'

'I kept my faith and I kept my head up and I took my time,' she says of putting together her first studio album in seven years.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Jane Mun

On Whitney Houston's new album, I Look to You, fans can expect to hear Houston singing all about the ups and downs of her life over the past few years. The album, which hits stores in September, will reflect the events and emotions that she has gone through since her last release in 2002.

"That makes it real," she told MTV News of singing about personal struggles. "The changes that we go through, the transitions that we go through, the tests that we go through, being a mother, becoming a single mother — it all had its ups and its downs, but for the most part, I kept my faith and I kept my head up and I took my time."

She said during that time away from the spotlight, she "had the blessing of watching my daughter [Bobbi Kristina] grow from the time of 12. When a young woman is at the age of 12 or 13, you know, it's the detrimental years ... and I had the opportunity to watch her grow and be there for her."

So when the opportunity came for Houston to get back to work, she still wanted a little free time. "Clive [Davis] called me, and I said, 'Just give me a minute. Let me get her straightened out. Let me get her on the right track and let her know what I'm about to do, 'cause she's going with me everywhere I go. She's going to be right here by my side.' "

Her daughter ended up fully supporting her mom's decision to get back to work. "When I told her I was going to embark on a new album, she was so supportive and very much my friend," Houston recalled. "And she said, 'You got it, mom. You can do it.'

"All the triumphs and the ups and downs and stuff, it's all incorporated on the album, and hopefully not only does it inspire me, but inspires a whole lot of other people," Houston added.