I'm Every Woman

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"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.

The track was remixed and re-released in 1989 for Khan's remix album Life Is a Dance: The Remix Project; this mix reached number eight in the United Kingdom. American singer Whitney Houston covered the song in 1992 with production by David Cole and Robert Clivillés and vocals produced by Narada Michael Walden. It was a major hit, peaking at number four on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.

Chart performance

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

In 2020, Slant Magazine ranked "I'm Every Woman" number 11 in their list of "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time".[3] In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked it number 27 in their list of "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time".[4] In 2025, Billboard magazine ranked it number 12 in their list of "The 100 Greatest LGBTQ+ Anthems of All Time".[5]

Credits and personnel

  • Lead and background vocals by Chaka Khan
  • Background vocals by Will Lee and Hamish Stuart
  • Produced by Arif Mardin
  • Drums by Steve Ferrone
  • Bass by Will Lee
  • Guitars by Hamish Stuart and Phil Upchurch
  • Piano by Richard Tee
  • Engineer by James Douglass

Charts

Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chart
Chart (1978–1979) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 27
Ireland (IRMA)[7] 16
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[2] 30
Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chart
Chart (1989) Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[8] 31
Ireland (IRMA)[7] 7
UK Singles (OCC)[9] 8

Certifications

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Whitney Houston version

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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. Recorded during Houston's pregnancy with Bobbi Kristina Brown, 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 to differentiate it from the original. Houston's then-assistant and friend Robyn Crawford later claimed that Houston had long wanted to record one of Khan's songs and was convinced by Crawford to record it for the soundtrack. Her mother Cissy had contributed background vocals on Khan's original. Randee St. Nicholas directed the music video for the song in Newark later that September, 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.[10]

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). In its sixth week on the chart, the song entered the top ten at number ten on February 13, 1993.[11] In its seventh, the song climbed to its peak position of number four.[12] In accomplishing this feat, Houston became the first female artist since Donna Summer in 1979 to land multiple songs inside the top five of the Billboard Hot 100. Houston was also the fifth overall artist after Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Bee Gees preceded her. On March 13, Houston became the first artist of the Nielsen Soundscan era to chart three songs simultaneously inside the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 after "I'm Every Woman" and "I Will Always Love You" were joined by the third Bodyguard single, "I Have Nothing".[13] It would remain inside the top ten for eight weeks and inside the top 40 for 19 weeks, eventually spending a total of 23 weeks altogether. On the Hot R&B Singles chart, the song joined "I Will Always Love You" inside the top ten at number 10 on February 20.[14] The song reached its peak position of number five on February 27.[15] Like inside the Hot 100, the track would stay inside the top ten for eight weeks.[16]

The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, marking Houston's fourth number-one single on the dance chart and her first chart-topper there since "Love Will Save the Day" topped the chart in 1988.[17] It also reached the top 30 of the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks at number 26. Unlike Khan's original, whose success was mainly in the United States and the United Kingdom, Houston's rendition was a much bigger global hit, peaking 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.[18] 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."[19] Upon the release, Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote, "Utilizing the original version's instantly recognizable vocal arrangement, Houston belts with unbridled confidence and power."[20] Randy Clark from Cash Box named it a "dance-inspired tune", noting its "discotheque feel and obvious dance floor appeal. 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."[21] Entertainment WeeklyTemplate:'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."[22]

Alan Jones from Music Week felt the singer "does her best to xerox the performance of Chaka Khan."[23] 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."[24] Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote, "Though not as exuberantly sexy as the original, her version [...] is a respectable imitation."[25] A writer from Rolling Stone called it an overwrought remake and added that Whitney undermined her soul roots.[26] USA Today complimented the song, "She adds surprises: Chaka Khan's 'I'm Every Woman' becomes sweaty house music."[27]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "I'm Every Woman" was directed by Randee St. Nicholas, and features a very pregnant Houston performing the song, while scenes from The Bodyguard are intercut into the clip. The video also features cameo appearances by Houston's mother Cissy Houston as well as by Chaka Khan, Valerie Simpson, Martha Wash and labelmate TLC. The song won Houston an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Music Video, and received a Grammy Award nomination in 1994 for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The video was later made available on Houston's official YouTube channel in 2009 and had generated more than 100 million views as of June 2025.[28]

Track listings and formats

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Credits and personnel

  • Performed by Whitney Houston
  • Produced by Narada Michael Walden
  • Additional production and remix by Robert Clivilles and David Cole
  • Vocal arrangement inspired by Chaka Khan
  • Additional vocal arrangement and production by Robert Clivilles and David Cole
  • Percussion by Bashiri Johnson
  • Roland TR-909 Programming by Louis Biancaniello, James Alfano and Chauncey Mahan
  • Recording engineers – Matt Rohr, Marc Reyburn
  • Additional production recording engineers – Acar S. Key, Richard Joseph
  • Mixing engineer – Bob Rosa
  • Executive producers - Clive Davis, Whitney Houston

Charts

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Certifications and sales

Template:Certification Table Top Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Entry Template:Certification Table Bottom France + 50.000

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States January 2, 1993 Template:Hlist Arista Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Sweden January 11, 1993 CD [70]
United Kingdom February 8, 1993 Template:Hlist [71]
Japan March 24, 1993 Mini-CD [72]

Other versions

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[73] and an instrumental rendition used as the theme song. Girls Aloud covered "I'm Every Woman" on the UK Discomania album released in 2004.[74] In 2006, it was recorded in the fifth season of American Idol by Mandisa, and put on the album American Idol Season 5: Encores.[75] Country pop singer and songwriter Taylor Swift also recorded the song when she was trying to get a record label.[76]

See also

References

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External links

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