Debby Boone vs. Whitney Houston | Head 2 Head

In the 30^th edition of Head 2 Head (2023), Debby Boone and Whitney Houston contend for the best rendition of “You Light Up My Life.”

Welcome to Head 2 Head! On Head 2 Head , we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  In the 30^th edition of head 2 head (2023), Debby Boone and Whitney Houston contend for the best rendition of “You Light Up My Life”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

1. Debby Boone, “You Light Up My Life”

You Light Up My Life • Curb • 1977

“So many dreams / I’ve kept deep inside me,” Debby Boone sings, continuing, “Alone in the dark / But now you’ve come along.” Oh, the feels! Per Boone, on the dominant, no. 1 pop hit, “You Light Up My Life” (1977), she was singing to God .  Fair enough.  The chorus of “You Light Up My Life” is incredibly inspirational, and could parallel walking with God and giving him praise:

“And you

Light up my life

You give me hope

To carry on

You light up my days

And fill my nights

With song.”

That said, the original intent of this song, penned by Joseph Brooks for the movie, You Light Up My Life, wasn’t directed toward God. The power of love, however, is a key whether this uplifting number is viewed religiously or secularly – romance. Notably, Boone DID NOT originally record her one-hit wonder .  The original vocalist was Kasey Cisyk on the soundtrack for the film. Regardless, Boone’s recording earned her 10 weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, two Grammys (Song of The Year and Best New Artist), and the record won the Academy Award for Best Song. Still to this day, the light shines bright when it comes to “You Light Up My Life” particularly the Debby Boone rendition.

Appears in :

• Debby Boone, “You Light Up My Life”: Music Lifts 39 (2023) 

2. Whitney Houston, “You Light Up My Life”

Just Whitney • Arista • 2002

The late, great Whitney Houston was one of the best making hits out of songs originally recorded by others.  In 2002, Houston found herself taking the old – “You Light Up My Life”, the 1977, Grammy-winning hit by Debby Boone – and making it new and her own.  The Houston rendition of   “You Light Up My Life” appears as the ninth and penultimate track on her platinum-certified LP,   Just Whitney.

Ballads are where Whitney was at her best and “You Light Up My Life” is no different.  It begins with that stellar voice – the signature tone – which remained intact at this point. Houston provides a balanced performance, not showing all her cards early on in the first verse.  Even so, Houston treats each note of the melody with incredible care and expression. Of course, by the chorus, she shows off the commanding nature and power of her instrument.  Again, each note of the melody sounds elite, refined, and truly remarkable. Of course, some of the most impressive moments of Houston’s career are the melisma, riffs, and runs, which she executed like no other.  These ad-libs and playful moments that extend beyond the melody show up and show out towards the close of this liberal, one-of-a-kind take that easily distinguishes itself from the original.  The arrangement and production ( Rickey Minor and Babyface) of Whitney’s take on “You Light Up My Life” required tweaks for the sake of contrast.  The refined adult contemporary R&B sounds bodes well. Houston ‘makes it do what it do, baby’ on a stunning cover that sounds original and refreshing.

Appears in :

• Whitney Houston, You Light Up My Life: Covers No. 30 (2023)

The Verdict

Now – the moment that you all came for! Does “You Light Up Your Life” belong to Debby Boone or Whitney Houston?  The easy answer is the ‘original’ by Debby Boone.  It dominated the pop charts – no. 1 for 10 weeks, baby! It won Boone two Grammys – big Grammys at that! Furthermore, the disgraced songwriter, Joseph Brooks won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.  Hard to top that.  That said, on voice alone, Whitney Houston easily wins, taking far more risks than Boone does.  So, ultimately, this one is a draw – a T-I-E.

Debby Boone vs. Whitney Houston: Head 2 Head No. 30 (2023) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Arista, Curb ;Hernán Toro, Los Muertos Crew, RDNE Stock project, Thomas Ronveaux from Pexels]