"I'm Every Woman" is a song by American singer Chaka Khan, released in September 1978 by Warner Bros. as her debut solo single from her first album, Chaka (1978). It was Khan's first hit outside her recordings with the funk band Rufus. "I'm Every Woman" was produced by Arif Mardin and written by the successful songwriting team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. The single established Chaka's career outside the group Rufus, whom she would leave after their eighth studio album, Masterjam, was released in late 1979.
In the United States, "I'm Every Woman" reached number twenty-one on the Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Hot Soul Singles,[1] and number thirty on the disco chart.[2] In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number eleven.
Music video
A music video was produced for Khan's version of "I'm Every Woman" at a time when the value of promotional films was increasing. The video, which features five dancing Chakas dressed in various outfits to represent "every woman", was made a few years before the onset of mainstream coverage of "music promos" through such outlets as MTV, VH1, and BET.
Impact and legacy
Rolling Stone ranked "I’m Every Woman" number 27 in their list of "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time" in 2022.[3]
American singer and actress Whitney Houston recorded "I'm Every Woman" for The Bodyguard soundtrack. Houston's version was produced by Narada Michael Walden, with additional production by David Cole and Robert Clivillés from C+C Music Factory. It was released as Houston's second single from the soundtrack on January 2, 1993, by Arista Records. Her version adds the introduction "Whatever you want, whatever you need..." where Houston contributed to the song. Randee St. Nicholas directed the music video for the song, featuring a pregnant Houston. A live performance of "I'm Every Woman" was included in the 1999 release Divas Live '99 as a duet with Chaka Khan. A 1994 performance was included on the 2014 CD and DVD release, Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances.[20]
Release
When "I'm Every Woman" was released, Houston's preceding single, "I Will Always Love You," was still at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 (it remained there for eight more weeks). Houston's version of "I'm Every Woman" peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in just its seventh and eighth week of release; remaining in the top 40 for nineteen weeks. The song became number one on the BillboardHot Dance Club Play chart,[21] reached number five on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart,[22] and cracked the top 40 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. Houston's cover was also a bigger international hit than the original version as it peaked within the top 5 in the UK and several other countries, and the top 20 in France, Australia, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. Contrary to popular belief, Houston did not perform backing vocals on Khan's original 1978 version. Chaka Khan confirmed this in an interview with Lester Holt in 2012.[23] As a tribute to her, however, Houston proclaims Khan's name towards the end of the song.
Critical reception
AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised Houston's cover version of "I'm Every Woman", stating that it's a "first-rate" urban pop song "that skillfully capture[s] Houston at her best."[24]Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Utilizing the original version's instantly recognizable vocal arrangement, Houston belts with unbridled confidence and power."[25] Randy Clark from Cash Box declared it as a "dance-inspired tune", noting its "discotheque feel and obvious dance floor appeal". He added, "Although Whitney is the strongest aspect of this song, the combination of her voice and the house jam should launch this track high onto various charts and playlists alike."[26]Entertainment Weekly's Amy Linden praised the cover as "triumphant". She explained, "To take on another diva's material requires the female equivalent of cojones, and Houston (wisely) doesn't muck around with the original's overall tone or arrangement. But she sure does it justice, even adding a sly Chaka shout-out as the cut fades."[27]
Alan Jones from Music Week felt the singer "does her best to xerox the performance of Chaka Khan."[28] Nancy Culp from NME said her "Whitney-ed version" is "well over the top and she carries it decently, but lacks the real soul to give it punch."[29]Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote, "Though not as exuberantly sexy as the original, her version [...] is a respectable imitation."[30] A writer from Rolling Stone called it an overwrought remake and added that Whitney undermined her soul roots.[31]USA Today complimented the song, "She adds surprises: Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" becomes sweaty house music."[32]
After the popularity of the Whitney Houston version, The Oprah Winfrey Show unveiled its "I'm Every Woman" campaign in the 1993–94 season, using a cover version with remade lyrics in promos[100] and an instrumental rendition used as the theme song. Girls Aloud covered "I'm Every Woman" on the UK Discomania album released in 2004.[101] In 2006, it was recorded in the fifth season of American Idol by Mandisa, and put on the album American Idol Season 5: Encores.[102]Country pop singer and songwriter Taylor Swift also recorded the song when she was trying to get a record label.[103]
^Rexroat, Jennifer L. (December 11, 2009). "'I'm Everywoman': Oprah Winfrey and Feminist Identification". In Cotten, Trystan T.; Springer, Kimberly (eds.). Stories of Oprah: The Oprahfication of American Culture. pp. 19–32. doi:10.14325/mississippi/9781604734072.003.0003.
