Miracle (Whitney Houston song)

"Miracle" is the third single from Whitney Houston's third studio album, I'm Your Baby Tonight. It was released on April 16, 1991 by Arista Records. It was written and produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface. The single reached number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 (becoming her 13th top ten hit), second on the R&B Chart, and fourth on the Adult Contemporary Chart.

"Miracle"
Single by Whitney Houston
from the album I'm Your Baby Tonight
B-side"After We Make Love"
ReleasedApril 16, 1991 (U.S.)
Recorded1989–1990
GenreR&B
Length5:42 (album version)
5:00 (radio edit)
4:35 (promo edit)
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • L.A. Reid
  • Babyface
Whitney Houston singles chronology
"The Star Spangled Banner"
(1991)		 "Miracle"
(1991)		 "My Name Is Not Susan"
(1991)
Music video
"Miracle" on YouTube

Composition

During an interview with Jet Magazine on its June 14, 1991 issue, Houston said that she did not intend the song or the video to be about abortion: “I think about the air we breathe, the earth we live on. I think about our children. I think about a lot of things, things God put here for us to have, things that we need and we take for granted. I think all of these things are miracles and I think we should try to take better care of them,” she notes.[1]

Critical reception

Matthew Hocter from Albumism noted that on "Miracle", Houston are "returning to ballad territory".[2] AllMusic editor Ashley S. Battel called it a high point of the album and praised the lyrics, "the powerful verses surrounding a love lost through one's own devices in 'Miracle.'"[3] Larry Flick from Billboard described it as a "soothing and romantic ballad". He complimented the singer's "warm and restrained vocal performance" as well as the "lush R&B arrangement".[4] Entertainment Weekly editor David Browne called the melody of the song "indiscernible" and that the song itself is "nonentity."[5] Rolling Stone editor James Hunter praised Houston's performance of the ballad, "when L.A. and Babyface follow her into ballad-land on the despondent "Miracle," Houston's own moods call the shots more clearly."[6]

Chart performance

"Miracle" entered The Billboard Hot 100 at 63, and stayed on the chart for 14 weeks. On the Radio & Records Airplay chart the single debuted at #39 on the December 4, 1991 issue, after four weeks on the chart it reached and peaked at #12 staying there for two weeks, the song stayed on the top 20 of the chart for five weeks and remained on it for nine weeks.[7]

Music video

The video shows Houston by herself in an empty studio singing the song. As she sings the first verse of the song, sad images of people facing prison sentences, living in poverty and having an abortion are shown. During the second verse, the images shown gradually changes to a lighter tone with pictures of children growing up, winning a competition, graduating school and enjoying their lives as young adults. The video ends with various pictures of children smiling.

Due to the manner of the music video, it was widely believed that the song was about a girl who had an abortion but later feels she made a mistake. Houston, however denied it during an interview with Jet Magazine.[1]

Track listing and formats
  • US 7"Vinyl, Cassette single
    • A1 "Miracle" — 5:43
    • B1 "After We Make Love" — 4:59
    Promo CD-Single
  1. "Miracle" (Radio edit) — 4:29

Charts

References
  1. Waldron, Clarence (24 June 1991). "Whitney Houston performs with Soul and Sass On World Tour". 24 June 1991. Jet Magazine. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  2. Hocter, Matthew (2020-11-02). "Whitney Houston's 'I'm Your Baby Tonight' Turns 30: Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  3. http://www.allmusic.com/album/im-your-baby-tonight-mw0000309480
  4. Flick, Larry (1991-04-13). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 67. Retrieved 2020-10-23.
  5. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,318684,00.html
  6. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/im-your-baby-tonight-19910110
  7. http://wweb.uta.edu/faculty/gghunt/charts/Songruns/H/WhitneyHouston/miracle.htm
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2011-03-26.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "Whitney Houston Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  10. "Whitney Houston Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  11. "Whitney Houston Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  12. http://wweb.uta.edu/faculty/gghunt/charts/whouston.html
  13. "RPM 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1991". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. December 21, 1991. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  14. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/archivesearch/article_display/854606
  15. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/archivesearch/article_display/854593
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