"I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for her second studio album, Whitney. It was released as the album's lead single on May 2, 1987 by Arista Records. It was produced by Narada Michael Walden, and written by George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, of the band Boy Meets Girl, who had previously written the number-one Whitney Houston hit "How Will I Know."
The song received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Houston's vocal performance but critiqued musical arrangement comparing it to her own "How Will I Know" and Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." The song won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 30th Grammy Awards. The single was a commercial success, topping the charts in 13 countries including Australia, Italy, Germany and the UK. In the US, it became her fourth consecutive number one single and sold over one million copies, making it her first platinum single in the US; and her biggest hit in that country at the time.
Last Updated: June 12, 2021
