Throwback Video Of The Week: Whitney Houston “How Will I Know”
Thirty-five years ago, Whitney Houston burst onto the music scene with her debut album. At the time, the 21-year-old from Newark, NJ could not have anticipated the triumphant highs and tragic lows she would experience in a life that would, ultimately, end far too soon.
Whitney Houston’s eponymous 1985 album spawned her first two #1 hits. One of them was “How Will I Know,” a radio-friendly dance-pop song about a girl wondering if a boy she likes would ever feel the same way. Whitney didn’t have to wonder if the public liked her after scoring an unprecedented seven #1 hits in a row.
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The music video for “How Will I Know” was Whitney’s first to go into heavy rotation on MTV. What most people remember about this video is the big bow in her honey-colored hair. Whitney performs the song while surrounded by a variety of dancers in what looks like a psychedelic fun house. There’s also a quick cameo from family friend Aretha Franklin near the end.
“How Will I Know” was nominated for the Best New Artist and Best Female Video awards at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards. Whitney won the latter. She won many more awards before her untimely passing in February 2012 at the age of 48.